• Title/Summary/Keyword: challenges and barriers

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Robotic Surgery in Cancer Care: Opportunities and Challenges

  • Mohammadzadeh, Niloofar;Safdari, Reza
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.15 no.3
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    • pp.1081-1083
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    • 2014
  • Malignancy-associated mortality, decreased productivity, and spiritual, social and physical burden in cancer patients and their families impose heavy costs on communities. Therefore cancer prevention, early detection, rapid diagnosis and timely treatment are very important. Use of modern methods based on information technology in cancer can improve patient survival and increase patient and health care provider satisfaction. Robot technology is used in different areas of health care and applications in surgery have emerged affecting the cancer treatment domain. Computerized and robotic devices can offer enhanced dexterity by tremor abolition, motion scaling, high quality 3D vision for surgeons and decreased blood loss, significant reduction in narcotic use, and reduced hospital stay for patients. However, there are many challenges like lack of surgical community support, large size, high costs and absence of tactile and haptic feedback. A comprehensive view to identify all factors in different aspects such as technical, legal and ethical items that prevent robotic surgery adoption is thus very necessary. Also evidence must be presented to surgeons to achieve appropriate support from physicians. The aim of this review article is to survey applications, opportunities and barriers to this advanced technology in patients and surgeons as an approach to improve cancer care.

Cultural Issues in Offshore Teams: A Categorization based on Existing Studies

  • Razavi, Abbas Moshref;Nasir, Mohd Hairul Nizam Md;Yasin, Norizan Binti Mohd;Ahmad, Rodina
    • KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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    • v.13 no.3
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    • pp.1363-1384
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    • 2019
  • Cultural and personal issues resulting from dispersed teams are considered to be serious barriers to form trust and organize effective agile teams. However, apart from separate, reported evidence of such issues from work experience, there has been no theoretical classification in literature. This paper provides a list and analysis of common challenges mainly resulting from cultural differences and barriers in Agile Software Development (ASD) offshore teams. The data source comprise articles published in IEEE, mostly of conferences related to ASD. Among the articles, papers with concrete evidence of Agile Methods (AM) implementation were selected. The results show that despite the relative significance of such issues, ASD adopters typically still rely on their own experience, and creativity rather than using well-defined methods. Moreover, this study reveals that the notion of trust, as discussed in the literature, mainly refers to maintaining the pace of communication, which is the focal point in ASD.

Analysis of Design Elements and Barriers to Link the Emission Trading Systems between the Republic of Korea and China (한·중 배출권거래제 연계를 위한 설계요소 및 장애요인 분석)

  • Park, Su Gyeong;Park, Soon chul;Song, Cholho;Lim, Chul-Hee;Lee, Soo Jeong;Lee, Woo-Kyun
    • Journal of Climate Change Research
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    • v.9 no.4
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    • pp.471-485
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    • 2018
  • The Republic of Korea (ROK) has made many efforts to reduce greenhouse gases through a legal framework, making obligations to reach domestic and overseas targets via the Paris Convention in 2015. China recently launched a nation-wide emission trading system (ETS) and has considered extending this ETS to include the ROK. This study examines the possibility of linking the ETS between ROK and China by considering the institutional design elements of the ETS. Additionally, this study provides policy implications to reach Korea's overseas reduction target. For the research methodology, the design elements of both the ROK and China policies were analyzed by categorizing their standard design elements based on the International Carbon Action Partnership. This paper focuses on four main barriers (cap type, borrowing, offset and price ceiling) based on their environmental benefits and analyzes the challenges to combining the design elements between the ROK and China systems. The two ETS commonly share the same cap types, and there is similar institutional progress regarding the offset and price ceiling. In addition to this, note that China has a borrowing system that is opposite to the borrowing system in ROK. According to these findings, there are major challenges to linking the ROK and China systems due to differences in the major design elements. Thus, it is necessary to modify the Korean domestic borrowing system and understand the Chinese institutional processes related to environmental negotiation to achieve further cooperation.

Influence of Career Barriers on Employment Decisions among Students from Beauty-specialized High Schools (미용특성화고등학교 학생들의 진로장벽이 취업결정수준에 미치는 영향)

  • A-yeong kim;Hyun-jin Jeon
    • Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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    • v.25 no.5
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    • pp.634-642
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    • 2023
  • This study aimed to investigate the influence of career barriers on employment decisions among high school students specializing in beauty-related field. The subjects of this study were 339 students attending beauty-specialized high schools in Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeollabuk-do, and a self-written questionnaire was employed for conducting the research. This survey was conducted from April 4 to April 18, 2022. A total of 380 questionnaires were distributed, and 350 responses were collected. Of these, 339 questionnaires were considered for the final analysis, as the remaining 11 had incomplete or insincere responses. The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, the career barriers affecting high school students in beauty-specialized schools were categorized into eight factors: lack of interest, economic difficulties, financial support, interpersonal challenges, job information, anxiety about future, conflict with others, and lack of self-clarity. Second, when assessing the impact of career barriers on employment decision-making, it was observed that the level of employment decision-making had a statistically positive (+) effect, and the lack of interest had a negative (-) effect on the level of employment decision-making. Next, the significance of the regression model, considering the specific factors of career barriers in relation to employment confidence, was established as p<.001. Variables such as a lack of interest, limited access to job information, and lack of self-clarity had a negative (-) effect on the level of employment confidence, with a significance level of 0.05.

Revolutionizing Nepal's Transportation: The Potential of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in Overcoming Geographical Challenges

  • Leeladhar Joshi;Kwang-Byeng Lee
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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    • v.32 no.2
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    • pp.37-47
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    • 2024
  • This paper examines the unique transportation challenges posed by Nepal's diverse and rugged terrain, which significantly hampers socio-economic development due to its negative impact on infrastructure, trade, and accessibility. Despite ongoing efforts to enhance road and traditional air transport systems, Nepal's geographic and environmental conditions continue to obstruct efficient connectivity, particularly in rural and remote areas. This study proposes Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) as a transformative solution, leveraging recent technological advancements in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of Nepal's current transportation infrastructure and the feasibility of AAM implementation, the paper highlights the potential benefits of AAM, including improved accessibility, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, it addresses the anticipated challenges and regulatory considerations necessary for integrating AAM into Nepal's transportation network. Through a multidisciplinary approach, this research aims to contribute to the discourse on overcoming transportation barriers in mountainous regions, offering policy recommendations and identifying areas for future study to facilitate the adoption of AAM in Nepal and similar contexts worldwide.

Healthcare access challenges facing six African refugee mothers in South Korea: a qualitative multiple-case study

  • Kim, Min Sun;Song, In Gyu;An, Ah Reum;Kim, Kyae Hyung;Sohn, Ji Hoon;Yang, Sei Won
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.60 no.5
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    • pp.138-144
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    • 2017
  • Purpose: Following legal reform in 2013, the annual number of asylum seekers entering South Korea has increased from 1,143 in 2012 to 5,711 in 2015. We interviewed six African refugee mothers of young children regarding their health needs and barriers to access maternal child health services. Methods: We recruited mothers who had visited a clinic for immigrants between July 2013 and August 2015. Participants were African refugee women, aged over 18 years, who had given birth in Korea within the previous 5 years and had come to Korea over a year before recruitment. Interview questions examined participants' experiences in pregnancy and childbirth and concerns regarding their child's health status. Initial data analysis involved all researchers' immersion in the entire collection of transcripts. We then noted recurrent topics and themes and identified similar issues. Results: At the time of giving birth, 5 participants were asylum seekers and one had undocumented status. The following barriers impeded their access to maternal child healthcare: socioeconomic factors (unstable social identity, low economic status, difficulty obtaining health insurance), language barriers (lack of linguistically appropriate health information, limited access to translation services), and cultural barriers (religious and cultural differences). Weak social support also hindered access to healthcare soon after migration; however, social links with the community emerged as a key coping strategy following settlement. Conclusion: We identified barriers to maternal and child healthcare and coping strategies among African refugee mothers in Korea. Future research should assess refugees' health status and improve health access and literacy among refugee mothers.

Perceived Susceptibility, and Cervical Cancer Screening Benefits and Barriers in Malaysian Women Visiting Outpatient Clinics

  • Baskaran, Pryma;Subramanian, Pathmawathi;Rahman, Rasnah Abdul;Ping, Wong Li;Taib, Nur Aishah Mohd;Rosli, Roshaslina
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.14 no.12
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    • pp.7693-7699
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    • 2013
  • Aims: A main reason for increasing incidence of cervical cancer worldwide is the lack of regular cervical cancer screening. Coverage and uptake remain major challenges and it is crucial to determine the perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer, as well as the benefits of, and barriers to, cervical cancer screening among women. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 369 women attending an outpatient centre in Malaysia and data were collected by administering a self-report questionnaire. Results: The majority of the participants (265, 71.8%) showed good level of perception of their susceptibility to cervical cancer. Almost all responded positively to four statements about the perceived benefits of cervical cancer screening (agree, 23.1% or strongly agree, 52.5%), whereas negative responses were received from most of the participants (agree, 29.9%or strongly agree, 14.6 %) about the eleven statements on perceived barriers. Significant associations were observed between age and perceived susceptibility($x^2$=9.030, p=0.029); between employment status (p<0.001) as well as ethnicity and perceived benefits (p<0.05 [P=0.003]); and between education and perceived barriers to cervical cancer screening (p<0.001). Conclusions: Perceived susceptibility, including knowledge levels and personal risk assessment, should be emphasized through education and awareness campaigns to improve uptake of cervical cancer screening in Malaysia.

Administrative Barriers Regarding the Participation of Taxpayers in Iran

  • Salehi, Mahdi;Doryab, Zakeyeh;Rabbani, Hossein
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.11 no.5
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    • pp.17-24
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    • 2013
  • Purpose - Taxes are a critical source of government revenue, particularly for aiding development and progress in a society. Today, taxes are viewed as a tool for growth and stability and for reducing inequalities; a country's citizens play a vital role in realizing this objective through their participation. Research design, data, and methodology - In Iran, tax collection and preparation are always of great concern and represent the most important responsibilities of the government. This study seeks to investigate the administrative barriers in taxpayer participation and highlights the challenges regarding timely tax collection faced during 2011, from the point of view of both tax expertsand taxpayers. Results - Sixty-six questionnaires from taxpayers and tax experts in the Zanjan province were collected and tested using statistical tools. Conclusions - The results indicate that there are no obstacles in taxpayer participation; moreover, both taxpayers and tax experts have similar opinions regarding this issue.

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Influences of School Food Service Dietitians' Job Satisfaction and Perception of Barriers to HACCP Implementation on Food Sanitation/Safety Management Performance in Gyeongbuk Province (영양사의 직무만족도와 HACCP 시스템 적용 장애요인 인식정도가 위생.안전관리 수행에 미치는 영향 - 경북지역 학교급식소를 대상으로 -)

  • Lee, Gyeong-Eun;Lee, Hye-Sang
    • Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.179-189
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    • 2005
  • The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between dietitian’s job satisfaction and perception of barriers to HACCP implementation and food safety/sanitation management performance in school food service. An e-mail survey was conducted to 144 dietitians in Gyeongbuk Province. A response rate was 57.6%(N=83) and data were analyzed using SPSS Windows(ver. 10.0). Dietitians were more satisfied with ‘supervision’ and 'co-workers' than 'pay' and 'promotion.' Dietitians perceived 'lack of teachers' support on student education' and ‘limited availability of facilities/equipment' as the biggest challenges in implementing a HACCP system. A total score of sanitation/safety management performance evaluated by school districts was 92 out of 100. By category, 'safety management' and 'personal hygiene' were rated the highest whereas 'facilities/equipment' and 'HACCP system' categories were rated the lowest. The food sanitation/safety management performance scores were not correlated to dietitian’s job satisfaction, but significantly correlated to dietitian’s perceptions of barriers to HACCP implementation. As dietitians perceived facilities/equipment-related barriers greater, the scores of 'facilities/equipment(p<.01),' 'production process(p<.05),' and 'total score(p<.01)' were significantly lower. The findings suggest that more investment on facilities/equipment are needed for food safety improvement and successful HACCP implementation in school food service. Proper facilities and equipment will make employees monitor CCPs and take corrective actions more easily.

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Opportunities and challenges of solar energy application in energy sector of Sri Lanka

  • De Silva, Kaluthanthiri Patabendi Sepali Darshika
    • Bulletin of the Korea Photovoltaic Society
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.45-55
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    • 2020
  • Although Sri Lanka's current carbon footprint is much less compared to other developing countries, the country's existing and planned economic developments have raised the demand for power, resulting an increased GHG (Greenhouse gas) emission. GHG in Sri Lanka is emitted mostly by the burning of fossil fuels for energy generation including transport. However, the most effective way of reducing GHG emissions from the energy sector is to use renewable energy sources. Solar is in the top list of renewable resources that has much potential to use to meet the demand for electricity generation in the country. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current status of solar power generation and opportunities, barriers for implementing the programs of solar energy in Sri Lanka. Literature reviews mainly used as the primary tool for this study. Sri Lankan government had set the targets for adding 200 MW to the national grid by 2020, and to increase up to 1000 MW by 2025 of solar electricity. To achieve these targets the prevailing barriers have to be considered.