• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.50-63
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• 1997

Background : A pressure sore was defined as any skin lesion caused by unrelieved pressure and resulting in damage to underlying tissue. The health care institutions in the United States were reported the incident rate of pressure sores ranging from 6 to 14 %. Intensive Care Unit needed highest quality of care has been found over 40% incidence rate of pressure sore. Also, Annual expenditures for the care of pressure sores in patients in the United States have been estimated to be $7.5 billion; furthermore, 50 percent more nursing time is required to care for patients with pressure sore in comparison to the time needed to implement preventive measures against pressure sore formation. However, In Korea, there were little reliable reports, or researches, about incidence rates of pressure sore in health care institution including intensive care unit and about the integrated approach like CQI action team for risk assessment, prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. Therefore, this study was to develop pressure sore risk assessment tool and the protocol for prevention of pressure sore formation through CQI action team activities, to monitor incident rate of pressure sore and the length of sore formation for patients at high risk, and to approximately estimate nursing time for sore dressing during research period as the effect of CQI action team. Method : CQI action team in intensive care unit, launched since early 1996, reviewed the literature for the standardized risk assessment tool, developed the pressure sore assessment tool based on the Braden Scale, tested its validity, compared on statistics including incidence rate of pressure sore for patients at high risk. Throughout these activities, CQI action team was developed the protocol, called as St. Marys hospital Intensive Care Unit Pressure Sore Protocol, shifted the emphasis from wound treatment to wound prevention. After applied the protocol to patients at high risk, the incident rate and the period of prevention against pressure development were tested with those for patients who received care before implementation of protocol by Chi-square and Kaplan-Meier Method of Survival Analysis. Result : The CQI action team found that these was significant difference of in incidence rate of pressure sores between patients at high risk (control group) who received care before implementation of protocol and those (experimental group) who received it after implementation of protocol (p<.05). 25% possibility of pressure sore formation was shown for the patients with 6th hospital day in ICU in control group. In experimental group, the patients with 10th hospital day had 10% possibility of pressure sore. Therefore, there was significant difference(p<.05) in survival rate between two groups. Also, nursing time for dressing on pressure sore in experimental group was decreased as much as 50% of it in control group. Conclusion : The collaborative team effort led to reduced incidence, increased the length of prevention against pressure sore, and declined nursing care times for sore dressing. However, there have had several suggestions for future study. The preventive care system for pressure sore should be applied to patients at moderate, or low risk throughout continuous CQI team activities based on Bed Sore Indicator Fact Sheet. Hospital-wide supports, such as incentives, would be offered to participants for keeping strong commitment to CQI team. Also, Quality Information System monitoring incidents and estimating cost of poor quality, like workload (full time equivalence) or financial loss, regularly in a hospital has to be developed first for supporting CQI team activities as well as empowering hospital-wide QI implementation. Being several limitations, this study would be one of the report cards for the CQI team activities in intensive care unit of an acute hospital and a trial of quality improvement of health care in Korea.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.10-22
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• 2011

Human health risk assessment for petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) contaminated sites is challenging as total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) is not a single compound but rather a mixture of numerous substances. To address this concern, several TPH fractionation approaches have been proposed and used as an effective management tool for the POL-contaminated sites in many countries. In Korea, there are also recognized needs to establish a reliable and cost-effective human health risk assessment strategy based on the TPH fractionation method. In order to satisfy the social and institutional demand, this study suggested that the comprehensive risk assessment strategy based on a newly modified TPH fractionation method with 10 fractions, the Korean Standard Test Method (KSTM)-based analytical protocol and a stepwise risk assessment framework should be introduced into the domestic contaminated land management system. Under the proposed strategy, POL-contaminated sites can be effectively managed in terms of human health protection, and remedial cost and time can be determined reasonably. In addition, more researches required to increase our understanding of environmental risks and improve the domestic management system were proposed.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.18-30
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• 2015

As the speed of networks that subscribers can use has greatly increased, demand for high-quality broadcast content, such as from Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and Video on Demand (VoD), is likewise increasing. Therefore, while broadcasters are increasing content and channels, they are striving to improve consumer quality of experience (QoE) to differentiate themselves from competitors, including by producing higher physical-quality content. Recently, subjective measurement methods have been internationally standardized as the most reliable approach for measuring and evaluating IPTV QoE. However, a majority of these methods are performed in experimental environments and are based on the extremely brief viewing period of approximately ten seconds using original reference videos. It is actually difficult to apply standard evaluation methods based on a ten-second viewing interval to assess real broadcast watching of IPTV or other services that involve a longer time (i.e., more than thirty minutes). In this paper, we therefore propose a method that accommodates actual viewing environments. Using the mean opinion score, we experimentally analyze the effects of evaluation interval changes under actual conditions in which IPTV service is provided. In addition, we propose improvements by applying the results into actual live broadcast IPTV service and by analyzing consumer service QoE.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 2012

Purpose : Dental trauma is frequently unpredictable. The initial assessment and urgent treatment are essential for dentists to save the patient's teeth. Mobile-phone-assisted teleconsultation and telediagnosis for dental trauma could be an aid when a dentist is not available. In the present in-vitro study, we evaluated the success rate and time to transfer images under various conditions. Materials and Methods : We analyzed the image quality of cameras built into mobile phones based on their resolution, autofocus, white-balance, and anti-movement functions. Results : The image quality of most built-in cameras was acceptable to perform the initial assessment, with the autofocus function being essential to obtain high-quality images. The transmission failure rate increased markedly when the image size exceeded 500 kB and the additional text messaging did not improve the success rate or the transmission time. Conclusion : Our optimal protocol could be useful for emergency programs running on the mobile phones.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.381-392
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to develop a research protocol that provides standardized conditioning stimuli in effectively evoking emotion-specific responses in children. The protocol targets five specific emotions(i.e., happiness, sadness, anger, distress, and boredom) by introducing study participants to a combination of music, color, stories, and dolls. This research protocol also includes a self-report emotion assessment scale specially developed for this study to verify the types of emotion induced. Evaluation of the method entailed triangulation of the results from the subjects' self-reported emotional state corresponding to each conditioned stimulus as well as behavioral observations conducted by researchers. Findings suggest that this new protocol effectively evokes five emotions in correspondence to the way it was intended for appropriate emotion induction. Additionally, results showed that female children than male children are more likely to feel boredom; and school-aged children were more likely to react to sadness than pre-school children.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.45-57
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a blood glucose control protocol for medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: The subjects were recruited from medical ICU adult patients whose blood glucose levels exceeded 200 mg/dL in two consecutive tests. The experimental group (n=62) received the modified Yale (MY) insulin protocol, whereas the control group (n=64) was treated with the conventional insulin therapy methods. Results: In the experimental group, the mean blood glucose levels (p<.001) and the time to reach the target range of glucose (p<.001) decreased significantly while the incidence rates of a target range of glucose of 100-140 mg/dL (p<.001) increased significantly as compared to the control group. However, no statistically significant differences were found in the incidence of hypoglycemia(p=.644), or the number of glucose tests (p=.236) between the groups. The length of stays in the ICU (p=.001), ventilator care days (p=.038), and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (p=.029) in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group. Conclusion: Application of the protocol was effective in improving the state of blood glucose control in medical ICU patients. Therefore, this protocol is expected to be used as a part of nursing intervention in critical care nursing.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.116-138
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• 2024

This study presents a new tool and protocol to assess the impact of 'Marine Invasive and Harmful Species' (MIHS) on marine environments and socio-economic aspects. It addresses shortcomings in the Marine Ecosystems Conservation and Management Act in South Korea by proposing an impact assessment framework divided into marine environmental and socio-economic groups. Six distinct evaluation categories are included in each group, and a semi-quantitative five-step scale is utilized to provide a flexible approach, addressing a variety of issues from ecological disturbances to effects on health and property. The assessment tool is applied through a systematic five-stage process based on the Delphi method. This approach posters collaboration among a diverse sets of experts and stakeholders, enabling a comprehensive evaluation that incorporates various perspectives. The study also examines strategies to effectively manage uncertainties and improve the consistency of the outcomes. The application of this assessment protocol is expected to be crucial in quantifying the ecological damage caused by MIHS and in identifying management and prevention priorities. The ultimate aim of this evaluation process is to aid decision-makers in developing strategies to preserve the marine ecosystem and mitigate socio-economic impacts.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.04a
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• pp.77-82
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• 2009

Many countries have been interested in sustainable development of buildings for environmental preservation. Thus it is significant to assess building envelopes in terms of $CO_2$ emissions owing to Kyoto Protocol. In this paper, a Double Skin Facade(DSF) installed in a general office building was assessed by $CO_2$ emissions(one of the performance-based assessment). To predict $CO_2$ emissions caused by the building energy consumption, the dynamic simulation program(Energy Plus) and $CO_2$ emission factor was used. Because DSF has various airflow regimes, pre-simulation runs were conducted to decide proximate optimal airflow regimes depending on seasonal variation. It is shown that the DSF can achieve 17.1-36.5% of annual energy savings.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.767-788
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• 2015

A steel shear wall with double-tapered links and in-plane reference was developed for assisting the assessment of the structural condition of a building after an earthquake while maintaining the original role of the wall as a passive damper device. The double-tapered link subjected to in-plane shear deformation is designed to deform torsionally after the onset of local buckling and works as an indicator of the maximum shear deformation sustained by the shear wall during an earthquake. This paper first examines the effectiveness of double-tapered links in the assessment of the structural condition under various types of loading. A design procedure using a baseline incremental two-cycle loading protocol is verified numerically and experimentally. Meanwhile, in-plane reference links are introduced to double-tapered links and greatly enhance objectivity in the inspection of notable torsional deformation with the naked eye. Finally, a double-layer system, which consists of a layer with double-tapered links and a layer with rectangular links made of low-yield-point steel, is tested to demonstrate the feasibility of realizing both structural condition assessment and enhanced energy dissipation.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2003

New breeding method by genetic engineering is expected as a key technology to solve food shortage due to the growing world population in the year 2000s. Many genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were already developed and the commercial cultivation had started. The first GMO, Flavr Savr tomato, which rotted at a much slower pace than ordinary ones, was developed in US in 1994. Since then, over than 70 different agricultural products including corn, cotton, soybean, papaya, potato, and squash made with genetically modified plants are reportedly on sale worldwide. Supporters favor the GMOs because they have greater yields, longer shelf lives and stronger resistance to disease and insects. On the other hand, opponents say that the supporters ignore a potential danger that they may damage the environment as well as human beings. To assure the safe development and use of GMOs as food and other biotech products, the possible risks on biological environment and human health should be throughly examined and regulated by developer and government. Because the biosafety problem is a global, environmental, and trade issue, a new international treaty is under development. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was adopted at the 1 st Extraordinary Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity which was held at Mont-real, Canada, Jan. 29th, 2000. The adoption of the Protocol is seen as a breakthrough in that it is based on the" Precautionary Principle" despite scientific uncertainties surrounding potential risks that GMOs may inflict on human health and the environment and that it has laid the ground for introduction of specific steps to handle international trading of GMOs. In this paper, the authors would like to introduce the current status and perspective of environmental and human risk assessment of GMOs.t of GMOs.