• Title/Summary/Keyword: COVID-Pandemic

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Healthcare Workers' Mental Health in Pandemic Times: The Predict Role of Psychosocial Risks

  • Carla Barros;Pilar Baylina;Ruben Fernandes;Susana Ramalho;Pedro Arezes
    • Safety and Health at Work
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.415-420
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    • 2022
  • Background: Healthcare workers perform an emotionally exhausting daily work activity, making them prone to occupational hazards, namely psychosocial ones. This study aims to assess the impact of psychosocial risk factors on healthcare workers' mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional study was developed between May and June of 2021 with 479 healthcare workers from Portuguese hospitals. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale was used to assess mental health, and psychosocial risks were assessed through the Health and Work Survey - INSAT. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the psychosocial risk factors related to anxiety, depression, and stress. Subsequently, a multiple linear regression was performed to identify the models that better explained psychosocial risk factors' relationship with anxiety, depression, and stress. Results: Data showed a strong exposure to psychosocial risks. Work pace and intensity, work relationships, and emotional demands stood out with higher global average percentages for yes answers to "exposure and discomfort." The analysis of the b values and p-values from the multiple linear regression shows that some cross-sectional psychosocial risks are predictors of anxiety and stress dimensions, and other psychosocial risks differ in the two mental health dimensions. However, it is important to highlight that healthcare workers still showed great joy and pleasure in performing their work activities. Conclusion: Support network development in the work environment is needed to prevent healthcare workers' emotional stress and promote their psychological well-being. Therefore, new research is essential to understand the psychosocial risks that affect healthcare workers and assess the less visible effects of work-health relationships.

Remote digital monitoring during the retention phase of orthodontic treatment: A prospective feasibility study

  • Sangalli, Linda;Savoldi, Fabio;Dalessandri, Domenico;Visconti, Luca;Massetti, Francesca;Bonetti, Stefano
    • The korean journal of orthodontics
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    • v.52 no.2
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    • pp.123-130
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    • 2022
  • Objective: To evaluate if a remote digital monitoring system added at the end of orthodontic treatment could positively influence the retention phase by reducing the occurrence of misfit of removable appliances, number of emergency appointments (EA), and orthodontic relapse. Methods: Twenty-seven patients who completed active orthodontic treatment were divided into the study and control groups. In addition to the standard chairside follow-up appointments at month 1 (T1), month 3 (T2), month 6 (T3), the study group patients were monitored using Dental Monitoring® with monthly intra-oral scans. Occurrence of misfit of removable retainers, number of EAs, and intercanine width change were recorded for both groups. Differences in EAs and retainer fit were assessed using the chi-square test. Intra-group and inter-group differences in the intercanine width were assessed with Friedman test and Mann-Whitney U test, respectively (α = 0.05). Results: The study group showed a significantly lower occurrence of misfit of removable retainers (p = 0.027) compared to the control group. No significant inter- and intra-group difference was found in the EAs and intercanine width change at each time-point. Conclusions: Integrating remote monitoring systems, such as Dental Monitoring®, to the retention phase of the orthodontic treatment may lower the occurrence of misfit of removable retainers. However, a small sample size and a short observation period limit the strength of this evidence. These preliminary results tentatively suggest that remote monitoring technologies may be beneficial, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the regularity of in-office visits might be disrupted.

Optomechanical Design and Structure Analysis of Prototype Siderostat for Testing Local Volume Mapper Telescope Control System

  • Lee, Sunwoo;Han, Jimin;Ahn, Hojae;Kim, Changgon;Yang, Mingyeong;Ji, Tae-geun;Lee, Sumin;Kim, Taeeun;Pak, Soojong;Konidaris, Nicholas P.;Drory, Niv;Froning, Cynthia S.;Hebert, Anthony;Bilgi, Pavan;Blanc, Guillermo A.;Lanz, Alicia E.;Hull, Charles L;Kollmeier, Juna A.;Ramirez, Solange;Wachter, Stefanie;Kreckel, Kathryn;Pellegrini, Eric;Almeida, Andr'es;Case, Scott;Zhelem, Ross;Feger, Tobias;Lawrence, Jon;Lesser, Michael;Herbst, Tom;Sanchez-Gallego, Jose;Bershady, Matthew A;Chattopadhyay, Sabyasachi;Hauser, Andrew;Smith, Michael;Wolf, Marsha J;Yan, Renbin
    • The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.46 no.1
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    • pp.38.4-39
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    • 2021
  • The Local Volume Mapper (LVM), for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey V, consists of four 16 cm telescopes with three fiber spectrographs in the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. With the fixed telescopes on optical tables, the Alt-Alt mounted siderostats point and guide targets during spectrograph exposures. We are developing the integrated LVM instrument control software. Considering international travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, we decided to make a simplified version of siderostat to test the LVM telescope control system in Korea. The prototype siderostat consists of two aluminum flat mirrors, optomechanical housing structures made by aluminum profiles, and the Planewave L-350 mount. We designed the optical mirrors and the optomechanical structure of the siderostat. From structural analysis at various pointing cases, we estimated the tilt misalignments of mirrors within 4 arcsec, which would affect the telescope pointing errors.

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The Effect of OTT Characteristics on Perceived Value, User Satisfaction and Continuous Use Intention in OTT: Focusing on the Moderating Effect of Hedonic Innovativeness (OTT 특성이 지각된 가치, 사용자만족 및 OTT 지속이용의도에 미치는 영향 - 쾌락적 혁신성 조절효과를 중심으로)

  • Park, Hyunsun;Kim, Sanghyun;Sohn, Changyong
    • Journal of Digital Convergence
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.169-180
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    • 2022
  • As people spend more time indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, content consumption is increasing, leading to the rapid demand for Over The Top(OTT) services. Thus, this study attempted to verify impacts of OTT traits on the value, satisfaction, and continuous use intention perceived by users. Through the survey, 437 responses were collected, and analysis was conducted using AMOS 26.0. Results found that the traits of OTT service had a positive effect on perceived value that had a positive effect on user satisfaction and continuous use intention. User satisfaction was also found to have a positive effect on the intention to continue using OTT services. Moreover, hedonic innovation moderated the relationships between OTT traits and perceived value with exception of ubiquity. The findings provide valuable information for OTT service providers in understading users' behaviors.

A Study on Sustainable Greenspace based on Urban Remodeling Design of an Old Apartment Building

  • Myung Sik Lee;Seung Ryeol Min
    • International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.179-193
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    • 2023
  • It is undeniable that urban greenspace is the soul of a city. Conventional urban greenspace such as parks, community gardens, playgrounds etc. located within a city reduce the negative effects of pollution, play a major role in the survival of the urban ecosystem, and promote healthy lifestyles. Today, 55% of the world's population lives in urban areas, which is expected to increase to 68% by 2050. Projections show that urbanization and the gradual migration to urban areas combined with the fast growth of the world's population, could add another 2.5 billion people to urban areas by 2050 and almost 90% of this increase will take place in Asia(UN, 2018). As a result, many plots in the cities are and will continue to be occupied with buildings to provide residential support to the increased population. This will dangerously decrease urban greenspaces. Moreover, worldwide, food crisis, energy crisis, and social crisis is posing a great threat to the existence of mankind. Additionally, the COVID - 19 has introduced a new lifestyle where from work culture to community configuration has drastically transformed. In this scenario, residential buildings will have to serve more than just providing privacy and shelter. As urban greenspaces are being occupied by concrete residential buildings, these buildings will have to compensate for the percentage of urban green they are destroying and the issues they are imposing in the process. The goal of this thesis is to design, architecturally define and, categorize comprehensive 'sustainable Greenspace'(S.G.S) for the multi-family housing scenario. These will be different than the conventional green (veranda, rooftop green) we commonly see in residential buildings. An old, dilapidated apartment building will be the target of remodeling to fulfill the purpose of this thesis.

Policy Suggestions to Retain Skilled Migrant Fishermen in Korea : Focus on Offshore Fishing (숙련 외국인 어선원 확보를 위한 제도 개선 방안 : 연근해 어업을 중심으로)

  • Chaemin Hyun;Seori Choi
    • The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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    • v.54 no.1
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    • pp.1-22
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    • 2023
  • With the restriction of foreigners' entry into Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fishery industry faced significant challenges in supplying migrant workers. In response to this, there is growing interest in methods that could facilitate the stable employment of migrant workers. This paper investigates whether the current system used for the employment of migrant workers in the fishery industry, which is highly dependent on them, adequately performs its function of providing a stable and skilled workforce amid the intensified labor shortage resulting from decreasing numbers of households with employment in the fishery and the aging Korean fishermen. To this end, past studies and government documents pertaining to the current system were analyzed, and a survey targeting the owners of offshore fishing boats that employ migrant workers was conducted. A total of 147 owners of fishing boats responded to the survey, and the data of 499 migrant workers employed by them were used for the analysis. The analysis indicated that the migrant fishermen had difficulty in acquiring minimum scores for the change of visa status according to the criteria for the Skilled Worker Points System. Furthermore, distinct differences were found between the characteristics and working conditions of migrant workers employed through the Employment Permit System (EPS) and the Foreign Seamen System. Based on this result, this paper suggests the reorganization of the skilled migrant worker system in the fishery industry and the expansion of the regional specialized visa pilot project.

Rare Disaster Events, Growth Volatility, and Financial Liberalization: International Evidence

  • Bongseok Choi
    • Journal of Korea Trade
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    • v.27 no.2
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    • pp.96-114
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    • 2023
  • Purpose - This paper elucidates a nexus between the occurrence of rare disaster events and the volatility of economic growth by distinguishing the likelihood of rare events from stochastic volatility. We provide new empirical facts based on a quarterly time series. In particular, we focus on the role of financial liberalization in spreading the economic crisis in developing countries. Design/methodology - We use quarterly data on consumption expenditure (real per capita consumption) from 44 countries, including advanced and developing countries, ending in the fourth quarter of 2020. We estimate the likelihood of rare event occurrences and stochastic volatility for countries using the Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method developed by Barro and Jin (2021). We present our estimation results for the relationship between rare disaster events, stochastic volatility, and growth volatility. Findings - We find the global common disaster event, the COVID-19 pandemic, and thirteen country-specific disaster events. Consumption falls by about 7% on average in the first quarter of a disaster and by 4% in the long run. The occurrence of rare disaster events and the volatility of gross domestic product (GDP) growth are positively correlated (4.8%), whereas the rare events and GDP growth rate are negatively correlated (-12.1%). In particular, financial liberalization has played an important role in exacerbating the adverse impact of both rare disasters and financial market instability on growth volatility. Several case studies, including the case of South Korea, provide insights into the cause of major financial crises in small open developing countries, including the Asian currency crisis of 1998. Originality/value - This paper presents new empirical facts on the relationship between the occurrence of rare disaster events (or stochastic volatility) and growth volatility. Increasing data frequency allows for greater accuracy in assessing a country's specific risk. Our findings suggest that financial market and institutional stability can be vital for buffering against rare disaster shocks. It is necessary to preemptively strengthen the foundation for financial stability in developing countries and increase the quality of the information provided to markets.

Factors Contributing to Recommendation Intention of Foreign Tourists in Times of Crisis: A Moderated Moderation Analysis

  • Ko-Woon Kim;Seung-Gee Hong
    • Journal of Korea Trade
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    • v.27 no.1
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    • pp.42-59
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    • 2023
  • Purpose - As a leading source of foreign exchange and investment, tourism has grown in importance as a component of international trade. Accordingly, in recent decades much attention has been directed toward attracting foreign tourists and, in turn, positively affecting the recommendation intentions of foreign tourists. Despite such interests, there remains a dearth of empirical research on this issue. Moreover, prior research has focused primarily on the simple main effect of a certain factor on recommendation intentions. Therefore, the present study aims to (1) investigate the effect of overall satisfaction on the recommendation intentions of foreign tourists, and (2) examine the potential moderating effects of personal factors (i.e., age and destination image) on the association between overall satisfaction and recommendation intention. Design/methodology - Using a moderated moderation analysis of the data drawn from the 2018 International Visitor Survey conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization, this study proposes the three-way interaction effects of overall satisfaction, age, and destination image on recommendation intention. Findings - The findings of the study indicate that overall satisfaction is positively associated with recommendation intention and this relationship becomes stronger among younger tourists. The findings further indicate that the moderating effect of age on the relationship between overall satisfaction and recommendation intention depends on changes in the image of the destination. Specifically, the destination image exerts a positive moderating impact on the influence of age that moderates the overall satisfaction and recommendation intention relationship. Originality/value - Considering that the tourism economy has been severely affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic, this study contributes to a more accurate understanding of the factors affecting the recommendation intention, especially in times of crisis.

Preliminary Teachers' Perception of Elementary Classes Based on Edutech: focusing on K Teachers' College (에듀테크 기반 초등수업에 대한 예비교사들 인식: K교육대학교의 사례를 중심으로)

  • Tecnam Yoon
    • The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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    • v.9 no.2
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    • pp.127-132
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    • 2023
  • The rapid development and progress of information and communication technology are bringing about changes in the field of education, and innovative methods in teaching-learning have been introduced and applied a lot in the actual field starting with the pandemic. Reflecting this trend, the purpose of this study is to examine the perception of prospective elementary school teachers on the use of edutech, which is widely used in the educational field after COVID-19. To this end, I analyzed the results of 7 major ideas selected at the Edutech Utilization Competition held by K University of Education and the focus group interview conducted with 2 pre-service teachers. As a result of the analysis, it was found that prospective elementary school teachers valued the necessity and importance of edutech-based classes. In addition, they were positively aware of the educational effect of edutech-based classes. To sum up, it could be predicted that edutech classes are also linked to the policies and plans of the Ministry of Education, and will play an important role in effectively guiding future learners while achieving the goals set by the curriculum.

Research on the Zero Trust Trend Analysis and Enterprise Security Enhancement (제로트러스트 동향 분석 및 기업 보안 강화 연구)

  • Min Gyu Kim;Chanyoung Kang;Sokjoon Lee
    • Smart Media Journal
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    • v.12 no.5
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    • pp.46-57
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    • 2023
  • As the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of IT technology have led to the gradual popularization of remote and telecommuting, cloud computing technology is advancing, and cyber attack techniques are becoming more sophisticated and advanced. In response to these trends, companies are increasingly moving away from traditional perimeter-based security and adopting Zero Trust to strengthen their security. Zero Trust, based on the core principle of doubting and not trusting everything, identifies all traffic and grants access permissions through a strict authentication process to enhance security. In this paper, we analyze the background of Zero Trust adoption and the adoption policies and trends of countries that are proactively promoting its implementation. Additionally, we propose necessary efforts from governments and organizations to strengthen corporate security and considerations for companies when applying Zero Trust.