• Journal of Naturopathy
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.46-56
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• 2020

Purpose: This study proposes a concert oriented music therapy (COMT) program which takes into account the personal and social factors of depression, and its clinical effects were validated on elderly persons with visual impairments who were susceptible to depression. The experiment was conducted on 34 elderly persons with visual impairments, randomly allocated to either the experimental group (n = 15) or the control group (n = 19). The COMT program was applied 20 times in total to the experimental group for 110 minutes every other week, for a duration of 10 months. The depression level was evaluated using the Korean form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS). The experimental results showed that the average KGDS score in the experimental group decreased by 4.1 points (19.4%), from 21.0 to 16.9, whereas it increased by 1.16 points (5.8%), from 19.95 to 21.11, in the control group. The reduction in the depression level was significant for the following 4 depression factors : decreased social interest (40%), negative thinking and the unhappiness feeling (20%), emotional discomfort (16.3%), and cognitive dysfunction (7.6%), whereas it was negligible in the factors of physical weakening and decreased vitality. The COMT program reduced the KGDS scores of the experimental group regardless of their experience in musical performance. In conclusion, the proposed COMT program proved to be efficacious in alleviating depression in elderly persons with visual impairments. In particular, it proved highly effective in helping with decreased social interest, namely, the social factor of depression which is not properly considered in existing music therapy methods.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.70-79
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• 2020

Objective: We evaluated the efficacy of a newly-developed spinal orthoses (V-LSO) by comparing the stabilizing effect, abdominal pressure, and comfort of 3 different semirigid LSOs (classic LSO, V-LSO, and Cybertech^®) during various body movements. Method: Thirty healthy volunteers (23~47 years, 24 males, 6 females) were selected. A dual inclinometer measured the range of motion (ROM) while the participants performed flexion/extension and lateral flexion of the lumbar spine with 3 LSOs. The LSO's pressure on the abdominal surface was measured using 9 pressure sensors while lying, sitting, standing, flexion/extension, lateral flexion, axial rotation, and lifting a box. Comfort and subjective immobilization were analyzed by a questionnaire. Results: V-LSO had a statistically significant effect on flexion over Cybertech^®. No significant differences were noted during extension and lateral flexion between the 3 LSOs. The abdominal pressure showed no significant differences while supine. While sitting, standing, and lifting a box, the mean abdominal pressure for V-LSO were significantly higher than those for Cybertech^®. During lumbar flexion, the mean abdominal pressures for classic LSO and V-LSO were significantly higher than that of Cybertech^®. For extension, lateral flexion and axial rotation, the abdominal pressure for V-LSO was significantly higher than those of classic LSO and Cybertech^®. In the subjective analysis, V-LSO and Cybertech^® scored best for comfort. Conclusion: The V-LSO and Cybertech^® were more comfortable than the classic LSO, and hence, may have improved compliance with decreased discomfort. V-LSO may be superior to the other LSOs in restricting lumbar movement and increasing intraabdominal pressure.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.343-347
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• 2020

May-Thurner syndrome (MTS), also known as iliac vein compression syndrome, is a condition, in which compression of the common venous outflow tract of the left lower extremity can cause discomfort, swelling, pain or blood clots in the iliofemoral veins. The problem is due to left common iliac vein compression by the overlying right common iliac artery. This paper describes the case of a 75-year-old female with MTS after performing right total knee replacement arthroplasty. The authors diagnosed MTS through intravenous angiography and angiographic computed tomography on swelling and pain of the left lower extremities after performing right total knee replacement arthroplasty. The thrombus was removed using a thrombolytic agent and mechanical thrombectomy, and an intravenous stent then inserted after angioplasty. No case of MTS after performing total knee replacement arthroplasty has been reported in Korea. Therefore, this case is reported along with review of the relevant literature.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.163-169
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• 2022

Background: It is estimated that about 13 million artisanal and small-scale miners carry out their activities under harsh, precarious, unfriendly, and risky conditions. Yet, our understanding of the extent to which these workers use personal protective equipment (PPE) and navigate through the various risks and hazards they face is still limited. This article has two main objectives. First, it explores the extent of usage of PPE among artisanal and small-scale miners for the prevention of hazards and risks. Second, it examines the coping strategies used by these miners as a response to experiences of occupational injuries and risks Methods: A cross-sectional survey of small-scale miners was conducted in six communities across three districts in Ghana, West Africa. The mixed methods approach was adopted. A total of 148 small-scale miners participated in the study. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) were held across the six communities. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Chi-square tests were used to analyse the relationship between some socio-demographic characteristics (sex, age, and educational background) and the usage of PPE. Open-ended questions and responses from FGDs were analysed based on the content and verbatim quotations from miners. Results: Findings suggest that 78% of the miners interviewed do not use the appropriate PPE citing reasons such as cost, and their personal discomfort associated with use of PPE. There was no significant relationship between socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., sex, age, education and major mining activity) and the usage of PPE. The study further revealed four main coping strategies used by miners to handle the risks. These are rest, taking unprescribed medication and hard drugs, registration with health insurance scheme and savings and investments. Conclusion: This study shows that very few artisanal miners use PPE despite the significant hazards and risks to which they are exposed. The study recommends to the government to put in place measures to ensure that miners adhere to health and safety regulations before undertaking mining activities. This means that health and safety plans and use of PPE should be linked to the license acquisition process for miners.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.417-425
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• 2022

Interest in micro cars is growing around the world, and policy support for micro cars has been increasing in Korea. It is important to meet minimum safety standards for the operation of micro cars on roads due to concerns around micro car safety and the limited driving range of micro cars. In this study, visibility experiments that included safety identification of micro cars were conducted to try and prevent a decrease in driver reaction time. Safety identification lights were installed to the rear of a micro car, and the visibility and discomfort of the vehicle were evaluated to determine whether the micro car was safe to drive on an expressway. As a result, the installation effect of Micro car which install safety identification lamp was found when joining the point at an acceleration lane of the grade separation intersection, and that light on/off could be effective when entering an expressway. If the micro car operation plan proposed in this study is applied, the safety of micro cars on expressways can be increased by improving the visibility of micro car.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.177-184
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• 2022

This study is tried to contribute to the development of nursing intervention for the health promotion of the elderly by comparing the health-related quality of life (EQ-5D) of the working and non-working elderly using the data from the 8th National Health and Nutrition Survey (2020). The subjects of the study were the elderly aged 65 or older, 512 working elderly and 862 non-working elderly, with a total of 1,374 people. As a result of the study, it was found that the quality of life of the working elderly was higher than that of the non-working elderly in all five areas of health-related quality of life. In particular, the non-working elderly had a lower health-related quality of life at twice (95%CI=1.32-3.14) in the area of self-care compared to the working elderly. Anxiety/depression was found to be 1.6 times (95%CI=1.19-2.35), daily activity 1.6 times (95%CI=1.18-2.25), mobility 1.5 times (95%CI=1.19-1.92), and pain/discomfort 1.2 times (95%CI=1.02-1.64). Therefore, based on this, it is suggested that it is necessary to develop a program that can maintain and promote the independent standard of living and mental health of the elderly.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.383-400
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• 2023

Air pollution-related diseases are escalating worldwide, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating approximately 7 million annual deaths in 2022. The rapid expansion of industrial facilities, increased emissions from various sources, and uncontrolled release of odorous substances have brought air pollution to the forefront of societal concerns. In South Korea, odor is categorized as an independent environmental pollutant, alongside air and water pollution, directly impacting the health of local residents by causing discomfort and aversion. However, the current odor management system in Korea remains inadequate, necessitating improvements. This study aims to enhance the odor management system by analyzing 1,010,749 data points collected from odor sensors located in Osong, Chungcheongbuk-do, using an Ensemble-Based Multi-Region Integrated Odor Concentration Prediction Model. The research results demonstrate that the model based on the XGBoost algorithm exhibited superior performance, with an RMSE of 0.0096, significantly outperforming the single-region model (0.0146) with a 51.9% reduction in mean error size. This underscores the potential for increasing data volume, improving accuracy, and enabling odor prediction in diverse regions using a unified model through the standardization of odor concentration data collected from various regions.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.155-167
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• 2023

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of slow maxillary expansion (SME) on the dentoalveolar, skeletal, upper airway, and maxillary sinus using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Twenty-three orthodontic patients (mean age 8.93 ± 1.61 years) who were treated with maxillary expansion using banded hyrax in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Jeonbuk National University Dental Hospital were included. According to the expansion speed applied, they were divided into two groups: SME (12 subjects, mean age 8.92 ± 1.45 years) and rapid maxillary expansion (RME, 11 subjects, mean age 8.94 ± 1.84 years). CBCT were obtained before (T0) and after (T1) the treatment and were analyzed with InVivo5 software (Anatomage, San Jose, CA, USA). Descriptive statistics showed no significant differences between the two groups in age, sex, or skeletal maturity. There were significant increases in maxillary width at the dentoalveolar and skeletal levels for both groups. Upper airway volume revealed a significant increase of 38.59% in the SME group and 28.72% in the RME group. However, there was no significant difference between SME group and RME group in all measurements. This study suggested the efficacy of SME in growing patients. SME was effective in increasing not only dentoalveolar and skeletal measurements but also airway volume. Therefore, pediatric dentists should select an appropriate expansion method considering the physiological aspects of periodontal tissues and discomfort in growing children.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.1-18
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• 2022

This study aimed to investigate the association between plant protein intake and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Korean individuals aged 50 years or older. Using the 2016-2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, 7,956 participants (3,434 men and 4,522 women) were included in the study. HRQoL was measured using the Euro-quality of life five-dimension (EQ5D), composed of physical function, self-care, daily activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression problems. The EQ5D estimates were converted into an EQ5D index score. The association between daily intake of plant proteins and HRQoL was evaluated using regression analysis. The intake of total plant protein, legume nut seed (LNS), and fermented bean (FERMB) proteins were all positively associated with HRQoL in both men and women (p < 0.01). Of EQ5D's five dimensions, physical function and daily activities were most commonly associated with plant protein intake. Compared to LNS protein or FERMB protein intake, total plant protein intake showed a better association with HRQoL. In conclusion, a significant association was observed between plant protein intake and HRQoL. It suggests that adequate intake of plant protein might be helpful for the maintenance or improvement of HRQoL in Korean adults.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.125-138
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• 2023

This study was an exploratory study to identify the discomfort of using multicultural terms. The contents of the study included exploration of prior research, analysis of news articles, and in-depth interview with field experts. The results of the study are summarized as follows. First, five multicultural terms such as 'multiculturalism', 'multicultural society', 'multicultural education', '다문화가족' and '다문화가정' were extracted from exploration of prior research. Second, as a result of news analysis, 'multiculturalism' mainly appeared in the early 2000s and has been rapidly decreasing since 2006, and 'multicultural society' and 'multicultural education' have been steadily written. In contrast, '다문화가족' and '다문화가정', which first appeared in 2003 and 2004, have exceeded 80% of multicultural news articles since 2009. Third, regarding multicultural terms, the study participants were well aware of '다문화가족' and '다문화가정', and little knew of 'multiculturalism'. In an interview conducted before learning multicultural terms, '다문화가족' and '다문화가정' were recognized as familiar but uncomfortable and distinguishing terms. And 'multiculturalism', 'multicultural society', and 'multicultural education' were recognized as abstract and unfamiliar terms. In an interview conducted after learning about multicultural terms, the study participants expressed confusion about the mixed use of multicultural terms with different meanings and recognized the need for clarification.