• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2010

Objectives: Parkinson's disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly population. In order to estimate the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in the community, the application of a good screening tool is essential. We evaluated the validity and reliability of a Parkinson's disease screening questionnaire and propose an alternative measure to improve its validity for use in community surveys. Methods: We designed the study in a three-phase approach consisting of a screening questionnaire, neurologic examination, and confirmatory examination. A repeated survey was administered to patients with disease detected in the community and on 150 subjects. We examined internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha test, test-retest reliability using the kappa statistic, and validity using sensitivity, specificity, and ROC curves. Unadjusted odds ratios were utilized for the estimation of weights for each questionnaire item. Results: The Cronbach's alpha of the questionnaire was 0.708. The kappa statistic for test-retest reliability was good to generally fair in most of the items. When newly proposed weighting scores were used, the optimum cut-off value was 7/8. When cut-off value was 5/6 for surveying prevalence in a community, the sensitivity was 0.98, and the specificity was 0.61, with simultaneous improvement in reliability. Conclusions: We recommend 5/6 as the ideal cut-off value for the survey of PD prevalence in community. This questionnaire designed for the Korean community could help future epidemiologic studies of PD.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2024

Background: This study aimed to assess the appropriate allocation of emergency medical beds across 17 provinces and presume the economic benefits associated with such allocation. Methods: To estimate the optimal allocation of emergency medical beds by province, data from the Statistics Korea's "cause of death statistics (2014-2021)," regional statistics on "area, population, gender, age," and "population projections" were utilized. The "number of emergency beds by city and district" provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service was also used. In estimating the economic benefits of preventing avoidable emergency deaths due to the expansion of emergency medical facilities, guidelines from the Korea Development Institute and the Korea Transport Institute were referenced to calculate the wage loss costs associated with emergency deaths and estimate the economic benefits. Results: The optimal ratio of emergency medical beds allocation by region was highest in Gyeonggi, Seoul, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, and Busan, while Daejeon, Jeju, and Sejong showed lower ratios. Additionally, the prevention of avoidable deaths and economic benefits resulting from the increase in emergency medical facilities were highest in Gyeonggi, Seoul, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Busan. However, when standardized by population, the prevention of avoidable deaths and economic benefits were analyzed to be highest in Gyeongbuk, Chungnam, Jeonnam, Gyeongnam, and Busan. Conclusion: The results of this study can serve as foundational data for future policy measures aimed at addressing the imbalance in the supply of emergency medical facilities across regions. Considering regional characteristics in the distribution of emergency medical facilities is expected to ultimately increase the efficiency of national finances and yield economic benefits.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.25-30
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• 2008

Purpose: In this paper, we have analyzed the problems of the Oh's report which is used to the basic data for supply and demand of medical technicians and studied a proposal for improvement to control system and supply and demand of korean optometrists. Methods: We have analyzed errors of Oh's report including supply and demand for medical technicians and management policy, expecting number for future optician, inaccurate estimation by limited data (employment rate, retirement rate, mortality rate) and an incorrect method of measurement for future supply and demand. Results: Oh's report showed the 18% error for estimation of supply which exclude the irregular entrance students. The estimation of supply was calculated by graduation rate 62.6% (college and University of Technology are 78.9% and 85.98% respectively), employment rate 65.8% (the average employment between 2002 and 2007 is 73.96%) and retirement rate is 2.3% (the retirement of pharmacists is 1.3%) but it showed the significant differences to objective data. For estimate the suitable ratio of optometrists to the population, the ratio use of medical facilities by an age group was used, and suggested spectacle wearers 1,280 persons (populations 2,928 persons) per optometrist but the different from reference of Germany (4,706 persons), America (1,789 persons) and Korea (1,825 persons/an optometrist) are applied to estimation on supply. This report applied the low employment rate and argued that maintain the present situation, but claimed that utilize unemployment persons. The above result has induced double weighting effect on estimation of supply. Conclusions: To solve the related problems of supply and demand, we have to make a search for exact data and optimum application model, have to take an example of nation similar job category as Germany and the research result of the job satisfaction into consideration. After we get the integrated research result, we must carried out the policy with fairness and balance for the estimation of supply and demand. Therefore exact research is required prior to beginning policy establishment, government and related group have to make a clear long-term plan and permanent organization for medical technician to establish supply and demand of medical technician.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.201-210
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• 1976

Only 22.7% of total land area is arable land in Korea, it is anticipated that the increased land utilization of present arable land and enlargement of arable land through the reclamation of hillside and tidal land will be of great importance for the support of increased population in the future. Followings are the prediction of increased land utilization ratios, increased arable land through the reclamation of hillside and tidal land, and the increase] in fertilizer demand up to the year of 2000. 1. On the assumption that irrigation facilities, farm mechanization, and cropping systems would be improved remarkably by the year of 2000, the land utilization ratios of paddy land and upland are estimated to be 179% and 193% respectively. 2. Increments of fertilizer demand due to increased land utilization ratios, are estimated to be 2, 290 M/T in 1980, 70, 611 M/T in 1990, and 153, 619 M/T in 2000, when the amounts of fertilizers per unit area are fixed at present lrevels. 3. Increments of fertilizer demand due to the expansion of arable land through the reclamation of 516,330 ha of hillside land and 160,568 ha of tidal land, which are the present estimation of the reclaimable areas, are estimated as 32,960 M/T in 1980, 136,320 M/T in 1990, and 366,861 M/T in 2000. 4. Total increments of fertilizer demand due to the increased land utilization of arable land and the expansion of arable land through the reclamation of hillside and tidal lands in 2000's are estimated as 196,285 M/T for N, 147,351 M/T for $P_2O_5$, and 176,844 M/T for $K_2O$.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.50.1-50.9
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• 2023

Vaccine development is one of the key efforts to control the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, it has become apparent that the immunity acquired through vaccination is not permanent, known as the waning effect. Therefore, monitoring the proportion of the population with immunity is essential to improve the forecasting of future waves of the pandemic. Despite this, the impact of the waning effect on forecasting accuracies has not been extensively studied. We proposed a method for the estimation of the effective immunity (EI) rate which represents the waning effect by integrating the second and booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines. The EI rate, with different periods to the onset of the waning effect, was incorporated into three statistical models and two machine learning models. Stringency Index, omicron variant BA.5 rate (BA.5 rate), booster shot rate (BSR), and the EI rate were used as covariates and the best covariate combination was selected using prediction error. Among the prediction results, Generalized Additive Model showed the best improvement (decreasing 86% test error) with the EI rate. Furthermore, we confirmed that South Korea's decision to recommend booster shots after 90 days is reasonable since the waning effect onsets 90 days after the last dose of vaccine which improves the prediction of confirmed cases and deaths. Substituting BSR with EI rate in statistical models not only results in better predictions but also makes it possible to forecast a potential wave and help the local community react proactively to a rapid increase in confirmed cases.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.120-132
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• 2022

Recently, the rapid increase in vacant houses in urban areas has caused various problems such as worsening urban landscape, causing safety accidents, crime accidents, and hygiene problems. According to the Statistics Korea Future Population Estimation results, the growth rate of Korean population and households is expected to continue to decrease, which is likely to lead to an increase in the occurrence of vacant houses. If the problem caused by the occurrence of vacant houses is neglected, it causes not only a physical decline such as a deterioration of the residential environment but also a social and economic decline. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to grasp the spatial distribution characteristics of vacant houses at the local level considering the existence of regional characteristics and spatial influence. Therefore, in this study, in order to measure global spatial autocorrelation, the analysis was conducted centering on the old downtown area of Busan, where there are many vacant houses through Moran's I and Geographically Weighted Regression(GWR). In addition, the distribution of vacant houses in different spatial units in Eup_Myeon_Dong and Census was analyzed to evaluate the possibility of Modifiable Areal Unit Problem(MAUP), which differ in the results of spatial analysis as the spatial analysis units change. As a result of the analysis, the occurrence of vacant houses by Eup_Myeon_Dong in the old downtown area of Busan had spatial heterogeneity, and the spatial analysis results of vacant houses were different as the spatial analysis units were different. Accordingly, in order to understand the exact distribution characteristics of vacant house occurrence, spatial dimensions using the GWR model should be considered, and it is suggested that consideration of the MAUP is necessary.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.550-556
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• 2020

Over the past years, the role of ports in the global network of supply chains has becoming increasingly important, not merely as a physical location for loading and unloading goods, but also as an essential center of economic activity where additional value is added to cargo. Due to the overall growing importance of ports, each country has chosen to adopt hub growth as a primary economic strategy. Northeast Asia in particular, due to its high population density, experiences intense competition between its ports. Busan's port, as a result, has used the establishment of Distripark in order to attract high and stable trade volume, and compete more effectively with other ports in the region. This study estimates the unit cost of the logistic process for the all principal cargos handled at Busan New Port, with the findings revealing that unit cost increases gradually starting with chemical products, LME bulk goods, automobile parts, LME containers, general cargoes, and LME inland transportation goods coming in last. Future research will look more closely at all all categories of cargo handled in the Distrpark of Busan New Port, thereby enabling us to better understand the value created by the port, and how to best implement effective trade volume-attraction strategy.