• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.77-84
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• 2023

Welding and cutting, which are representative tasks in handling firearms at industrial sites, are the basis for production and maintenance processes across all industries. They are also essential in the root industry. Specifically, they are widely used in the manufacturing industry, including equipment industries such as shipbuilding, automobiles, and chemicals, and subsequent maintenance work and general facility repair. However, such hot work carries a high fire risk owing to sparks scattering and inadequate management, resulting in a high occurrence of accidents. In response, the government and relevant organizations have recently revised the Occupational Safety and Health Act to prevent accidents during hot work. These revisions impose more stringent regulations than before, which are expected to help prevent actual fire accidents. However, whether the fire observer system, which is the core element of the revision, would be practically applied and maintained is unclear. Therefore, this study compared the fire observer system in the revised Occupational Safety and Health Act with those in the laws and systems of developed countries, conducted interviews with safety and health experts to assess the suitability of the new system for fire observer operations, and improvement plans were derived accordingly. Therefore, the laws and systems of developed countries grant more authority to fire observers compared with those of Korea. Moreover, professional training in handling emergency is required. Interviews with safety and health experts revealed that regardless of company size, the same operating standards were applied, and standards for deploying fire observers in various locations were unclear. Furthermore, there was a lack of professional education and training, and the role and authority of fire observers were limited. These findings revealed a problem in this sector. The results of this study are expected to serve as basic data for establishing a practical system for placing fire observers and supplementing laws, guidelines, and systems for preventing fire accidents.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2022

This study attempted to provide the basic data for developing a system to identify the role of medical technologists and ensure an efficient response for quick and accurate diagnostic tests in the COVID-19 era. The research method involved using focus group interviews for a survey and analysis of 15 medical institutions. Eleven sample collection institutions, 10.4 medical technologists, 2.1 minutes of collection time, 5.4 hours of test time, 9,670 tests, 6.2 member test workforce size, and 7 screening center operating institutions were surveyed. The results of the focus group interview analysis revealed that there were no standardized guidelines covering working hours, area, and environment to protect sample collectors and testers in relation to the COVID-19 tests. Also, legal protection measures were insufficient in the event of accidental infections and there were no personnel regulations related to COVID-19. In addition, the professional training of sample collectors and molecular diagnostic testers was required for reliable COVID-19 testing. In conclusion, it is necessary to provide professional education through special test short-term training institutions to cope with emergency infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Legal systems should be put in place to protect the workforce and ensure stability.

• Korean Journal of Artificial Intelligence
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.39-44
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• 2023

The creativity of thesis is that the significance of cyber security challenges in blockchain. The variety of enterprises, including those in the medical market, are the targets of cyberattacks. Hospitals and clinics are only two examples of medical facilities that are easy targets for cybercriminals, along with IoT-based medical devices like pacemakers. Cyberattacks in the medical field not only put patients' lives in danger but also have the potential to expose private and sensitive information. Reviewing and looking at the present and historical flaws and vulnerabilities in the blockchain-based IoT and medical institutions' equipment is crucial as they are sensitive, relevant, and of a medical character. This study aims to investigate recent and current weaknesses in medical equipment, of blockchain-based IoT, and institutions. Medical security systems are becoming increasingly crucial in blockchain-based IoT medical devices and digital adoption more broadly. It is gaining importance as a standalone medical device. Currently the use of software in medical market is growing exponentially and many countries have already set guidelines for quality control. The achievements of the thesis are medical equipment of blockchain-based IoT no longer exist in a vacuum, thanks to technical improvements and the emergence of electronic health records (EHRs). Increased EHR use among providers, as well as the demand for integration and connection technologies to improve clinical workflow, patient care solutions, and overall hospital operations, will fuel significant growth in the blockchain-based IoT market for linked medical devices. The need for blockchain technology and IoT-based medical device to enhance their health IT infrastructure and design and development techniques will only get louder in the future. Blockchain technology will be essential in the future of cybersecurity, because blockchain technology can be significantly improved with the cybersecurity adoption of IoT devices, i.e., via remote monitoring, reducing waiting time for emergency rooms, track assets, etc. This paper sheds the light on the benefits of the blockchain-based IoT market.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.139-158
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• 2023

Defining a competent doctor is important for educating and training doctors. However, competency frameworks have rarely been validated during the process of their development in Korea. The purpose of this study was to validate the patient-centered doctor's competency framework, which had been developed by our expert working group (EWG). Two rounds of Delphi questionnaire surveys were conducted among a panel of experts on medicine and medical education. The panel members were provided with six core competencies, 17 sub-competencies, and 53 enabling competencies, and were asked to rate the importance of these competencies on a 5-point Likert scale. Between April and July 2021, a total of 28 experts completed both rounds. The data of the Delphi study were analyzed for the mean, standard deviation, median, inter-rater agreement (IRA), and content validity ratio (CVR). A CVR >0.36 and IRA ≥0.75 were deemed to indicate validity and agreement. This study found that five enabling competencies were not valid, and agreement was not reached for three sub-competencies and two enabling competencies. In consideration of CVR and the individual opinions of panel members at each session, the final competencies were extracted through consensus meetings of the EWG. The competencies were modified into six core competencies, 16 sub-competencies, and 47 enabling competencies. This study is meaningful in that it proposes patient-centered doctor's competencies enabling the development of residents' milestone competencies, an assessment system, and educational programs.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.319-326
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• 2023

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the workload of healthcare workers (HCWs), impacting their health. This study aimed to assess sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and identify factors associated with poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1000 frontline HCWs were recruited from various healthcare facilities in Vietnam between October 2021 and November 2021. Data were collected using a 3-part self-administered questionnaire, which covered demographics, sleep quality, and factors related to poor sleep. Poor sleep quality was defined as a total PSQI score of 5 or higher. Results: Participants' mean age was 33.20±6.81 years (range, 20.0-61.0), and 63.0% were women. The median work experience was 8.54±6.30 years. Approximately 6.3% had chronic comorbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. About 59.5% were directly responsible for patient care and treatment, while 7.1% worked in tracing and sampling. A total of 73.8% reported poor sleep quality. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations between poor sleep quality and the presence of chronic comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 5.24), being a frontline HCW directly involved in patient care and treatment (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.16), increased working hours (OR, 1.84; 95% CI,1.37 to 2.48), and a higher frequency of encountering critically ill and dying patients (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.95). Conclusions: The high prevalence of poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic was similar to that in other countries. Working conditions should be adjusted to improve sleep quality among this population.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.124-137
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• 2023

Purpose: This study's aim was to confirm the importance and performance of the clinical practice of nurses working in the general wards of a tertiary hospital and to analyze their educational needs. Methods: The study employed a descriptive research design, and a self-reported questionnaire was developed and used for nurses in a tertiary hospital. Data were collected from July 22 to July 29, 2022, analyzed by an independent t-test, paired t-test, and one-way ANOVA for the importance and performance of each clinical nursing practice according to general characteristics, and then a post hoc verification was performed by Scheffé's test. An Importance-Performance Analysis and Borich needs assessment model were used to analyze clinical nursing education needs. Results: Clinical nursing practice performance showed a significant difference according to length of total clinical career, time working in current department, and preceptor experience. According to the results of the Importance-Performance Analysis, neurological evaluation, and nursing intervention, artificial respirator and high-flow oxygen inhalation nursing, chemotherapy, emergency nursing, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation were identified as belonging to the "concentrate here" quadrant. All these items ranked in the top 10 in the Borich needs assessment model. Conclusion: Based on these results, the current education system should be reviewed, and short and long term education strategies based on educational needs should be established to strengthen the competence of nurses.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.2B
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• pp.173-179
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• 2009

Industrial water supplied by water resource project is essential input materials along with labor, capital and land for companies. It is very important to stably secure these input materials in order for the industry to generate additional values. If the supply of industrial water is stopped, it is known damage for the industry is greater than domestic water or agriculture water based on same amount of supply. Like this, the actual value of industrial water has been highly acknowledged from the intuitive perspective, but study on the value and benefits of industrial water has been rarely conducted. Therefore, this study verified the value of industrial water supplied from water resource project, and used marginal production value as a measure to estimate the benefits of industrial water in the analysis of economic efficiency. As a result of empirical analysis using Cobb-Douglas production function and Translog production function, industries' average marginal production value was $5,427KRW/m^3$ and $5,583KRW/m^3$ respectively. The marginal production value for eleven industries were estimated by using same method. The marginal production value by industries presented by this study will be used as important data to calculate benefits of industrial water in the future. Moreover, the result of this study will provide reasonable criteria for decision making on the allocation of water in emergency situation, and problem of resource supply from water resource project.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.447-455
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• 2023

COVID-19 is an emerging infectious disease that is hard to predict in terms of fatality rate, treatments, and the timing of its end. World is developing treatments and vaccines for COVID-19. Several treatments and vaccines currently have emergency use authorization, but the treatments are only allowed for critically ill patients with COVID-19. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the confirmed cases of COVID-19, including mortality and testing, in OECD countries and to assess the effect of vaccination on mortality. Looking at the confirmed cases, mortality, and vaccination rates of COVID-19, the number of confirmed cases was lower than previously reported cases after full vaccination. In early 2022, with Omicron, the confirmed cases increased sharply, while mortality dropped, and the mortality showed a gentle curve as the cumulative fully vaccinated exceeded 50%. This indicates that COVID-19 vaccines have an effect on reducing mortality. However, the duration of effectiveness of vaccines was considerably short, which decreased the initial inoculation effect and increased the monthly mortality. As this study was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was not enough data to analyze comprehensively. However, it is meaningful to compare and analyze the impact of COVID-19 by country.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.362-368
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• 2023

Purpose: Clinical reports on treatment outcomes of sternal fractures are lacking. This study details the clinical features, treatment approaches, and outcomes related to traumatic sternal fractures over a 10-year period at a single institution. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of patients admitted to a regional trauma center between January 2012 and December 2021. Among 7,918 patients with chest injuries, 266 were diagnosed with traumatic sternal fractures. Patient data were collected, including demographics, injury mechanisms, severity, associated injuries, sternal fracture characteristics, hospital stay duration, mortality, respiratory complications, and surgical details. Surgical indications encompassed emergency cases involving intrathoracic injuries, unstable fractures, severe dislocations, flail chest, malunion, and persistent high-grade pain. Results: Of 266 patients with traumatic sternal fractures, 260 were included; 98 underwent surgical treatment for sternal fractures, while 162 were managed conservatively. Surgical indications ranged from intrathoracic organ or blood vessel injuries necessitating thoracotomy to unstable fractures with severe dislocations. Factors influencing surgical treatment included flail motion and rib fracture. The median length of intensive care unit stay was 5.4 days (interquartile range [IQR], 1.5-18.0 days) for the nonsurgery group and 8.6 days (IQR, 3.3-23.6 days) for the surgery group. The median length of hospital stay was 20.9 days (IQR, 9.3-48.3 days) for the nonsurgery group and 27.5 days (IQR, 17.0 to 58.0 days) for the surgery group. The between-group differences were not statistically significant. Surgical interventions were successful, with stable bone union and minimal complications. Flail motion in the presence of rib fracture was a crucial consideration for surgical intervention. Conclusions: Surgical treatment recommendations for sternal fractures vary based on flail chest presence, displacement degree, and rib fracture. Surgery is recommended for patients with offset-type sternal fractures with rib and segmental sternal fractures. Surgical intervention led to stable bone union and minimal complications.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.496-503
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• 2022

In the reality that the fishing population is decreasing and the single-man fishing vessels is increasing, mandatory equipment for navigation and radio equipments for the safety of fishing boats has continued to be added. Therefore, many equipment such as navigation, communication and fishing are installed in the narrow steering room, so it is very confusing and a number of monitors are placed in the front, which is a factor that degrades the function of maritime observation. To solve this problem, we studied an interface that integrates and operates to major radio facilities such as very high frequency-digital selective calling equipment (VHF-DSC), automatic identification system (AIS) and fishing boat location transmission device (V-pass) into one multi function display (MFD) based on LAN. In addition, IEC61162-450 UDP packets and IEC61162 sentence were applied to exchange data through link between MFD and radio equipments, and additional messages needed for each equipment and function were defined. The integrated MFD monitor is easily operated by the menu method, and the performance of the interface was evaluated by checking the distress and emergency communication functions related to maritime safety and the message transmission status by equipment.