• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.278-286
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• 2010

Veterinary antibiotics have been used to treat disease and to promote growth of livestock. However, the total amount of veterinary antibiotics in Korea was much greater than other developed countries, and there is a high potential to release residual of antibiotics to environment. Consequentially, released antibiotics into the environment produces antibiotic resistant bacteria and causes adverse effects on human health. The objective of this research was to monitor antibiotic concentration in the environment adjacent to facilities which compose chicken manure. Total of 10 antibiotics were selected based on the total amount of higher usage in Korea, and its residuals were measured from surface water, soil and sediment. The frequencies of detected antibiotics were ranged 31-92% from soil, 0-93% from water, and 33-93% from sediment. Generally, a higher frequency was observed in soil or sediment than water. Different ranges in concentration among 4 different antibiotic groups was found from not detected(N.D.) to 35.6 ${\mu}g/kg$ for soil, N.D. to 19.2 ${\mu}g/L$ for water and N.D. to 114.3 ${\mu}g/kg$ for sediment. Our findings suggest that solid phase such as soil and sediment is a critical component to be needed to conduct the environmental impact assessment of antibiotics.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.9
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• pp.846-853
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• 2003

Purpose : Pneumoccocus is one of the most important causes of invasive infection through the childhood period and the prevelance of antibiotics resistance of pneumococcus is increasing worldwide. A 7-valent conjugate vaccine has been developed. It is important to know the prevalence of each serotype of pneumococci in the countries where the vaccine is used to estimate the coverage rate by the vaccine. Methods : One hundred and twenty seven strains of clinical isolates and 72 strains from healthy carriers recovered from Korean children during the period from 1997 to 2002 were subjected to determination of serotype by Quellung reaction and penicillin susceptibility with oxacillin disc diffusion test. Results : Forty-three per cent of clinical isolates were obtained from children under two years of age. Thirty strains(24%) were isolated from normally sterile body fluids. The frequent serotypes were 19F, 19A, 23F, 6A, 6B and 9V. Fifty-six per cent of the clinical isolates were represented in the current 7-valent protein conjugate pneumococccal vaccine, and 84% when the cross-reactive serotypes were included. Frequent serotypes of strains isolated from one to five year-old healthy children were 19F, 14, 11A, 23F, 18C, and 19A. Seventy-one per cent of the carrier strains were included in the 7-valent vaccine. Ninety-three per cent of the clinical isolates and 86% of carrier strains were not susceptible to penicilline. Conclusion : Fifty-six to 84% of pneumococci recovered from Korean children are covered by the current 7-valent protein conjugate pneumococcal vaccine and the prevalence of penicillin resistance was very high.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.343-350
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• 2008

Asthma and allergic diseases are one of the most common disorders in children. Due to its increased prevalence, as well as the increased morbidity and mortality from these diseases, asthma and allergic diseases have come to be recognized as a major worldwide public health issue. In addition, socioeconomic burden of asthma and allergic diseases has increased in Korea also. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) investigated the worldwide prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases using simple standardized methods because of the comparison of asthma and allergic diseases between the countries. In Korea, several epidemiologic studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence of asthma in children. Although these studies showed increased prevalence of asthma among Korean children (from 3.4% in 1964 to 10.1% in 1989), these findings were based on data from small numbers of subjects. The first Nationwide Study of Asthma and Allergies in Korean Children, which utilized the Korean version of ISAAC written and video questionnaire, was conducted in 1995 and the second Nationwide Study of Asthma and Allergies in Korean Children was conducted in 2000, directed by the Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Diseases. We report here the prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases in Korean children and adolescents, and show the changes that occurred over this 5 year period. We also describe the risk factors for development of these diseases in Korean children. We developed Korean versions of the ISAAC written (WQ) and video (AVQ) questionnaires for allergic diseases. In 1995, the enrolled population consisted of 25,117 children selected from 34 elementary school and 14,946 children selected from 34 middle school across the nation, the response rate was 94.8%. In 2000, 27,831 children selected from 34 elementary school and 15,214 children selected from 34 middle school, and the response rate was 96.4%. From these studies, we can confirm that increase of the prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis in Korea, except the prevalence of food allergy. Especially, the video questionnaire showed increases in the lifetime and 12 month prevalence rates of wheeze at rest, exercise-induced wheeze, nocturnal wheeze, nocturnal cough, and severe wheeze over this period of time in middle school children. In addition, the increase of prevalences of symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of atopic dermatitis was noted significantly. Risk factor analysis showed that body mass index (BMI), passive smoking and living with a dog or cat were associated with higher risk of wheeze. Also the occurrence of fever during infancy and the frequent use of antibiotics were associated with the risk of wheeze. In conclusion, during the 5 year period from 1995 to 2000, the prevalences of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis has increased in Korean children. BMI, passive smoking, living with a dog or cat, the fever episodes in infancy, and the frequent use of antibiotics in infancy are important risk factors to development of asthma and atopic dermatitis. In the near future, the birth cohort study will be needed to investigate the causes of this increase and the natural course of allergic diseases, then we develop the methods to control asthma and allergic diseases.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.40-53
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• 2008

Groundwater pollution prediction methods have been developed to plan the sustainable groundwater usage and protection from potential pollution in many countries. DRASTIC established by US EPA is the most widely used groundwater vulnerability mapping method. However, the DRASTIC showed limitation in predicting the groundwater contamination because the DRASTIC method is designed to embrace only hydrogeologic factors. Therefore, in this study, three different methods were applied to improve a groundwater pollution prediction method: US EPA DRASTIC, Modified-DRASTIC suggested by Panagopoulos et al. (2006), and LSDG (Land use, Soil drainage, Depth to water, Geology) proposed by Rupert (1999). The Modified-DRASTIC is the modified version of the DRASTIC in terms of the rating scales and the weighting coefficients. The rating scales of each factor were calculated by the statistical comparison of nitrate concentrations in each class using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test; while the weighting coefficients were modified by the statistical correlation of each parameter to nitrate concentrations using the Spearman's rho test. The LSDG is a simple rating method using four factors such as Land use, Soil drainage, Depth to water, and Geology. Classes in each factor are compared by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test which gives a different rating to each class if the nitrate concentration in the class is significantly different. A database of nitrate concentrations in groundwaters from 149 wells was built in Keumsan area. Application of three different methods for assessing the groundwater pollution potential resulted that the prediction which was represented by a correlation (r) between each index and nitrate was improved from the EPA DRASTIC (r = 0.058) to the modified rating (r = 0.245), to the modified rating and weights (r = 0.400), and to the LSDG (r = 0.415), respectively. The LSDG seemed appropriate to predict the groundwater pollution in that it contained land use as a factor of the groundwater pollution sources and the rating of each class was defined by a real pollution nitrate concentration.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.51-62
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• 2000

The objective of this study was to reevaluate current Korean design values for lane width widenings on horizontal currie sections and to develop a new method for derivation of design values based on low-speed offtracking. For this purpose, earlier research were reviewed and necessary equations were derived. Also, the method for derivation of widening values of Korea was compared with that for other countries. The result showed that present Korean method could not consider the variation of lane widths and design speeds of roads. In this Paper, to solve such problems, the new concept of widening was developed. That is the current concept of widening which concerns only the dimension of vehicles and radius of curves was replaced by a new concept that lane width widenings on horizontal curve sections is the difference between the width required on curries and tangents. The width required on a curve consists of the swept Path of a vehicle, lateral clearance, and additional allowance. The width of a tangent is calculated by multiplying lane width by the number of lanes The result of applying new concept shows that the values derived from new concept are higher than current design values for curries have same radius. This study was based only on low-speed offtracking. Therefor, it is recommended that further studies which consider the superelevation and high-speed effect on offtracking be made to derive more accurate widening values .

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.70-79
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• 2010

There has been some research conducted that addressed immoral consumer behaviors in Korea; however, most of this research focused on purchasing counterfeits or shoplifting. High return rates of apparel and used apparel returns have been acknowledged as problem areas within the fashion industry. However, very few researchers have addressed this issue. Therefore, the goal of this research was to explore consumer's retail borrowing experience using a mixed methods approach. In study 1 Korean consumer's retail borrowing experiences was explored through focus group interviews. Findings informed study 2 an examination of apparel consumers' attitudes toward retail borrowing behavior via an online survey. Findings assist both researchers' and practitioners' understanding of retail borrowing behaviors and provide insight into retail borrowing issues in the apparel retail industry. For study 1, five focus-group interviews were conducted with seven panels of individuals that had retail borrowing experience within the past year. Thirty-five Korean consumers who lived in a metropolitan area participated in the focus group interviews. Most of consumers were in their 20's (n=21) and were women (n=24). Most participants purchased apparel items from a retail store and returned the worn items for either a full refund or exchanged the worn item for another item. Motives underlying retail borrowing behavior included social needs, job-related needs, fashion needs, and "smart shopping." Similar to existing research findings from other countries, social needs were the most frequently mentioned cause of retail borrowing in fashion stores. Consumers' moral values, attitude toward large corporations, and prior retail borrowing experience were mentioned as possible factors affecting consumers' retail borrowing behavior. For study 2, the questionnaire used to gather the data was developed based on the findings of part I and existing research. Questions concerning consumers' moral beliefs, sensation seeking tendencies, self-worth, past retail job experience, retail borrowing experience, and some demographic characteristics were included in the questionnaire. The data were collected via an online survey using an online panel provided by a commercial online research company located in Seoul, Korea. In order to obtain various consumers, a quota sample was (male: female=1:1, 20's:30's:40's=1:1:1, retail experience: no retail experience=1:3) obtained from the company. A total of 401 consumers who had shopped for apparel items during the prior 6 months participated in the online survey. The results indicated that 19.7% of the respondents reported they had experience borrowing fashion merchandise. Among these individuals, male borrowers (57%) outnumbered female borrowers. In terms of age distribution, x2 revealed that there was a statistical difference between respondents with and without retail borrowing experiences: 41.8% of the respondents with retail borrowing experience were in their 40's, while respondents without retail borrowing experience were evenly distributed between their 20's to 40's. There was also a significant difference between respondents with and without retail borrowing experience in terms of income: respondents with retail borrowing experience tended to have higher incomes than those without retail borrowing experience. T-tests were performed to compare respondents' fashion shopping behavior, moral beliefs, sensation-seeking tendencies, and attitudes toward retail borrowing behavior between participants with and without retail borrowing experience. As compared to those with no borrowing experience, respondents with experience tended to shop for fashion items more frequently and spent more on shopping for fashion items. Consumers with experience borrowing tended to have higher sensation-seeking tendencies than consumers without retail borrowing experience. A regression analysis revealed that attitudes toward fashion retail borrowing were negatively related to consumers' moral beliefs, but positively related to monthly fashion shopping frequency, sensation-seeking tendencies, and past fashion retail borrowing experience. Among these variables, past retail borrowing experience was the most significant predictor, followed by moral beliefs. This research serves as an initial attempt to address the motives that underlie retail borrowing behaviors and the factors affecting those behaviors. The findings of this study may facilitate an understanding of the consumer's retail borrowing, which will provide a basis for approaches that may help decrease retail borrowing and inappropriate returns at fashion retail stores. The findings may also provide materials for consumer education over the long term. In order to better understand fashion retail borrowing behavior, more research is needed in the future.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.1-25
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• 2010

This study attempted to empirically test the determinants of stock returns in Korean stock market applying multi-factor model proposed by Haugen and Baker(1996). Regression models were developed using 16 variables related to liquidity, risk, historical price, price level, and profitability as independent variables and 690 stock monthly returns as dependent variable. For the statistical analysis, the data were collected from the Kis Value database and the tests of forecasting power in this study minimized various possible bias discussed in the literature as possible. The statistical results indicated that: 1) Liquidity, one-month excess return, three-month excess return, PER, ROE, and volatility of total return affect stock returns simultaneously. 2) Liquidity, one-month excess return, three-month excess return, six-month excess return, PSR, PBR, ROE, and EPS have an antecedent influence on stock returns. Meanwhile, realized returns of decile portfolios increase in proportion to predicted returns. This results supported previous study by Haugen and Baker(1996) and indicated that firm-characteristic model can better predict stock returns than CAPM. 3) The firm-characteristic model has better predictive power than Fama-French three-factor model, which indicates that a portfolio constructed based on this model can achieve excess return. This study found that expected return factor models are accurate, which is consistent with other countries' results. There exists a surprising degree of commonality in the factors that are most important in determining the expected returns among different stocks.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.229-236
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• 1998

In order to establish a testing system for personnel dosimetry performance, the radiation fields from photons, beta particles and neutrons are required, in recent, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety(KINS) established the reference radation fields except neutrons and tested a variety of their properties. As a result of the test, the reference beams were shown to meet satisfactorily not only the standards of the International Organization for Standardization(ISO), but also the standard levels of the developed countries which are intercomparable with the international traceability. This paper describes the reference beam of gamma radiation. The self-designed and established reference radiation fields were investigated and analyzed by ISO and other international standards. The secondary photon contribution and the beam uniformity of the gamma radiation field were measured and evaluated to fulfill those requirements suggested by the ISO-4037. The measured air kerma rate for the $^{137}$Cs and $^{60}$Co gamma fields was 0.1891 $\sim$ 23.4967 $\mu$Gy/s sand 0.5844 $\sim$ 15.9954 $\mu$Gy/s respectively. The uncertainty with 95 % confidence level of the measured air kerma rate was determined to be less than 2.5 % which is comparable to the international reference gamma radiation fields. It was found that the evaluated air kerma calibration factors of Exradin ionization chamber were in good agreement within 0.9 % and 0.03 % with those given by PTB and NIST, respectively. The gamma radiation fields installed at KINS can maintain traceability systems in Korea, Germany and United State.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 1996

Objectives: Although outbreak of MDR Tb has been a recent problem in western countries, it has been a longstanding problem in Korea. The poor outcome of MDR Tb is mainly due to poor compliance, high rate of side reaction of secondary drugs, and limitation in number of available drugs. Thus, to improve the outcome of MDR Tb, it is crucial to make individualized adequate prescription based on the knowledge of the patterns of resistance to each drugs in the community as well as the natural history. The purpose of present study is to evaluate the clinical features of Korean MDR Tb patients including patterns of drug resistance and success rate of treatment which was prescribed according to the sensitivity tests. Methods: Retroscpective analysis of 71 Korean patients with MDR Tb was made. All strains isolated from patients showed resistence to at least two first line drugs. Patients profile, previous treatment history, patterns of drug resistance, outcome of treatment was analysed. Initial treatment regimen was selected according to the previous treatment history and was modified according to the sensitivity reports. The regimen was composed to include at least 4 sensitive drugs when possible. Results: The patients showed resistance to 4.1 drugs on average. 90% of them were resistant to INH and RFP. Among 71 patients, 35 patients(49%) had cavitary lesions in CXR. Treatment outcome was analysed in 55 patients. 35 patients(67%) were improved after treatment and 18 patients(33%) showed treatment failure. 5 patients showed primary resistance. Treatment outcome could be evaluated in 4 of them and all showed improvement after treatment. 14 patients(20%) had to change their regimens due to drug side effects. The most frequent side effect was elevation of liver enzymes(6 patients). Others included dizziness, hyperuricemia, tinnitus, skin rash, GI troubles. More than 50% of side effects developed within 3 months. In repeated drug sensitivity test, the concordance rate of resistance to INH was 100% and RFP 98%. EMB, PZA showed 80% concordance rate. But in the other drugs, the concordances were less than 50%. Operation was done in 5 patient - 1 patients as a adjunctive means of chemotherapy -. In that case, negative conversion of sputum AFB was done. Conclusion: 2/3 patients of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis were improved by appropriate prescription and regular medication suggesting that more aggressive management and monitoring is indicated in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.545-556
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• 1994

Medical insurance and health care delivery system enabled Korean people to get the necessary medical service, but it caused increased needs for medical service, and resulted in the occurence of some problems such as a lack of manpower and medical facilities. In order to solve these problems, many countries, which already had medical insurance system had developed home care system and it has been regarded effective both in reducing costs and in increasing the rates of turnover of bed. Recently, Korea has included home nursing care in its health care delivery system, and some models of the hospital based home nursing care had been tried and its effects had been evaluated. So, author tried to run a home nursing care for the Cesarean section mothers and evaluate Its effects both in the mother's health and costs. This study was designed as a Quasi-experimental study. Subjects were thirty mothers who got Cesarean section operation in hospital in Seoul. Experimental group consisted of 15 volunteers, and control group were selected by means of matching technique. Data were gathered from February 1st to March 26th by two assistants who were trained by author. Experimental group were discharged on the 4th day after their operation, and got nursing care and assessment about their home three times on the 5th, 6th, and 7th day. Control group stayed in the hospital until 7th day as usual and were checked on the same day as above mentioned To evaluate the state of physiological recovery, vital signs, H.O.F, presence of edema in the legs, bathing, appetite, sleep, presence of pain or discomfort in the breasts, amount of lochia, color of lochia, defecation urination. To compare incidence of complication in experimental group with that in control group, specific assessment was done such variables as smell of lochia, presence of inflammation of operation wound, dizziness, and presence of immobilization in the extremities. The activities of daily living were checked Satisfaction of nursing were checked To calculate costs, author asked subjects to specify expenditure including hospital charge, traffic enpenses, and food expenses. The results were as fellows. 1. On effectiveness of home nursing careThere were n significant differences between experimental and control group in incidence of abnormal symptoms and any complication. The number of taking a bath [POD #5 P=0.001, #6 P=0.0003, #7 P=0.001] and the degree of appetite [POD #5 P=0.03, #6 P=0.02, #7 P=0.013] were significantly higher in experimental group than in control group. Contrary to author's expectation, the degree of the activities of daily living in experimental group was not higher than that of control group. All of the experimental group said they were satisfied with the home nursing care. 2. Cost analysis 1) Hospital charge of experimental group was lower than that of control group. ［P=0.009］ By taking home nursing care, average period of hospitalization was shortened to 3.1 days, and family members could save 22.8 hours. Total amount of money saved by early discharge was 3,443,093 Won. It is estimated that total amount of money saved by early discharge in a year will be 40,398,956 Won. 2) Home nursing care charge of 15 mothers was 1,781,633 Won. It is estimated that total amount of money Saved by it in a year Will be 20,904,493 Won. It was lower altogether than hospital charge of the three days which is 5th, 6th, 7th day of operation. The average cost of single home visit was calculated 10,940 Won. It took 87 minutes per round and it costed 1,017.3 Won. The average hour of home care was 39.0 minutes. 3) It is expected that early discharge can bring forth the increase of hospital income. On the condition that the rate of running bed is 100%, the expected increase of hospital income will be 202,374, 026 Won in a year. Suggestions for further study and nursing practice are as follows : 1. For the welfare of patients and the increased rates of running bed, home nursing care system should be included in the hospital nursing care system. 2. Studies to test effect of home nursing care on the patients with other diseases are needed. 3. Establishment of law on the practice of home nursing care is strongly recommended.