• Journal of Korean language education
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.85-104
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of listening comprehension ability, self-efficacy, comprehension anxiety, and exposure time on Korean language understanding. In order to achieve our goal, listening examinations and surveys were conducted among 95 students from a university in Thailand, studying Korean language. As a result, it was revealed that the most influential factor on one's listening ability was self-efficacy. In addition, when the correlation between listening self-efficacy and other factors was examined, it was shown that there existed a statistically significant relationship. Particularly, listening comprehension anxiety had the most significant correlation with listening self-efficacy. Similarly, cognitive strategy demonstrated a significant correlation with listening self-efficacy. On the other hand, the effects of self-efficacy and other factors on listening scores such as the degree and types of strategy that students used were also studied. The findings revealed that, in most cases, strategy-intensive group's test results were influenced more by exposure time, while the less intensive group's scores were influenced more by their self-efficacy. Finally, after analyzing the effects of time spent on conversing with friends and watching Korean television on listening self-efficacy, it was discovered that both factors had statistically significant relationships with listening self-efficacy. Through this study, such results can be integrated and applied to education in various ways. The most important part for listening comprehension ability is enhancing self-efficacy and in order to do so, the appropriate education methods should be used to reduce listening comprehension anxiety, stimulate strategy use, and increase listening exposure time.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.81-88
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• 2007

Among deteriorations of concrete due to environmental exposure, carbonation problems of concrete structures have increased in urban and underground structures. But conventional carbonation-prediction equations that were proposed by foreign references, can not be applied directly to the prediction of carbonation for domestic concrete structures. The purpose of this study is to propose a prediction equation of carbonation depth by considering domestic exposure conditions of concrete structures. For the derivation of the equation, conventional carbonation-prediction equations are analyzed. Through considering the relationship between results of prediction equation and those of various domestic field survey data, the so-called correction factors for different domestic exposure condition of concrete structures are derived. Finally, a carbonation-prediction equation of concrete structures under domestic exposure conditions is proposed with consideration for concrete strength in core and correction factors.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.83-91
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to compare the exposure levels to emotional labor, occupational and socio-psychological stress, and fatigue for workers engaged in the fields of beauty business (make-up, skin, nail, and hair). For this purpose, a survey was carried out and a statistical analysis was performed for 813 persons As a result, emotional labor was found to be linked with 3 factors of emotional control, emotional dissonance, and positive emotional expression. The exposure level of emotional control was found to be high in the area of hair care and that of positive emotional expression was high in the area of nail care. Based on evaluation of Occupational Stress Scale(KOSS), the stress were found to be highest among workers engaged in the field of make-up and lowest among those in the field of nail. The exposure level of psychosocial stress was found to be the highest in the area of make-up and the lowest in the area of nail care. The exposure level of fatigue was found to be the highest in the area of make-up and the lowest in the area of nail care, showing a difference in the exposure level of stress by area of beauty business. The study confirmed that there is a difference in the exposure level related to emotional labor, job stress, psychosocial stress, and fatigue by area of beauty business.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.269-277
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to understand the mechanism of cardiovascular disease (CVD) caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals. We investigated changes in the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, which is strongly related to CVD, and in levels of other CVD risk factors, with a special emphasis on the roles of catecholamines and oxidative stress. The results revealed that neither body mass index (BMI) nor waist and hip circumferences were associated with exposure to hazardous chemicals. Among metabolic syndrome criteria, only HDL-cholesterol level increased on exposure to hazardous chemicals. Levels of epinephrine (EP) and norepinephrine (NEP) were not influenced by exposure to hazardous chemicals; however, the total antioxidative capacity (TAC) reduced because of increased oxidative stress. Both hazardous chemical exposure level and metabolite excretion were related to EP, NEP, and the oxidative stress index (OSI). Logistic regression analysis with these factors as independent variables and metabolic syndrome criteria as dependent variables revealed that EP was associated with blood pressure, and NEP with metabolic syndrome in the chemical-exposed group. In conclusion, the results suggest that reactive oxygen species generated and oxidative stress due to exposure to hazardous chemicals act as mediators and cause changes in the physiological levels of EP and NEP to increase blood pressure. This ultimately leads to the development of CVD through increase in cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood glucose levels by lipid peroxidation.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2019

Objectives: This study examined the safety of tattoo ink by analyzing the phenol contents in tattoo inks and its risk assessment of selected phenol. Methods: A sample of 30 tattoo inks was purchased, the phenol contents were analyzed, and a risk assessment on dermal exposure from tattooing was carried out. Hazard identification was collected from toxicity data on systemic effects caused by dermal exposure to phenol, and the most sensitive toxicity value was adopted. Exposure assessment ($Exposure_{phenol}$) was calculated by applying phenol contents and standard exposure factors, while dose-response assessment was based on the collected toxicity data and skin absorption rate of phenol, assessment factors (AFs) for derived no-effect level ($DNEL_{demal}$). In addition, the risk characterization was calculated by comparing the risk characterization ratio (RCR) with $Exposure_{phenol}$ and $DNEL_{dermal}$ Results: The phenol concentration in the 30 products was from 1.4 to $649.1{\mu}g/g$. The toxicity value for systemic effects of phenol was adopted at 107 mg/kg. $Exposure_{phenol}$ in tattooing was from 0.000087 to 0.040442 mg/kg. $DNEL_{dermal}$ was calculated at 0.0072 mg/kg (=toxicity value 107 mg/kg ${\div}$ AFs 650 ${\times}$ skin absorption rate 4.4%). Thirteen out of 30 products showed an RCR between 1.02 and 5.62. The RCR of all red inks was above 1. Conclusions: Phenol was detected in all of the 30 tattoo inks, and the RCR of 13 products above 1 indicates a high level of risk concern, making it necessary to prepare safety management standards for phenol in tattoo inks.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.115-126
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and characteristics of occupational blood and body fluid exposure for operating room personnel during surgical procedures and identify risk factors. Methods: A self-report questionnaire was used to survey 519 operating room personnel who participated in 132 surgeries in an acute care hospital in Seoul between April 12 and 20, 2006. Results: The response rate was 82% (530/646) and analyzed total 519 except for improper 11 questionnaires. Exposure rate was 45.5% (60/132) during operations and 20.4% (106/519) for operating room personnel. By job categories, the exposure rate was as follows; anesthesiologists and nurses 31.2% (44/141), operators and assistants 22.1% (32/145), circulating nurses 12.0% (11/92), scrub nurses 11.4% (14/123). The mucous membrane-eye exposure with a high risk of transmitting infection was 6.6% (7/106) and the most frequent route of exposure was blood and body fluid touching unprotected skin. In multivariate analysis, the risk factors of exposure were services, duration of operation, a patient who had a peripheral arterial catheter line, and job category. Conclusion: Educational programs and appropriate use of personal protective equipment are necessary to prevent operating room personnel from being exposed to blood and body fluid.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.30-43
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to enhance health management and prevention strategies for precocious puberty by comparing the knowledge, motivation, and behaviors related to reducing exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) between mothers of children with precocious puberty and those of typically developing children. Methods: Participants were 66 mothers of children with precocious puberty from a hospital and 71 mothers of typically developing children from an elementary school. The research questionnaire assessed knowledge of EDCs, motivation, self-efficacy, and behaviors towards reduced exposure to EDCs, in addition to general characteristics of children with precocious puberty. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation. Results: There were statistically significant differences in self-efficacy (p=.015) and behavior (p=.001) regarding reduced exposure to EDCs between the two groups. Behaviors toward reduced exposure to EDCs were positively associated with knowledge of EDCs, motivation, and self-efficacy among mothers of children with precocious puberty. Additionally, these behaviors correlated positively with knowledge of EDCs, motivation, self-efficacy, and the child's birth weight and waist circumference among mothers of typically developing children. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that mothers of children with precocious puberty exhibited less proactive behavior in reducing exposure to EDCs compared to mothers of typical children. Therefore, it is important to foster interest in the impact of environmental factors, beyond characteristic factors, on behaviors aimed at reducing exposure to EDCs.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.384-389
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• 2023

Background: Exposure to welding fume is associated with adverse effects on worker health. The use of various control measures can reduce levels of exposure and the resulting health effects. However, little is known about the factors that may influence workers' use of control measures in the workplace and their perceived intervention needs. This study aimed to investigate workers' and other stakeholders' views on ways to improve the use of welding fume control measures in Australian workplaces. Methods: We conducted a series of online focus group discussions and individual interviews with participants who have some occupational involvement in welding, whether as workers, employers or industry representatives, union representatives, or regulators. A semi-structured question guide was used, and all discussions and interviews were recorded and transcribed for analysis. Results: Five focus group discussions and five individual interviews were conducted with a total of 21 participants. Three major themes emerged. The first addressed the current awareness of welding fume harms and concern about exposure; the second focussed on the current use of control measures, and barriers and facilitators to their use; and the last centred around intervention needs and the contents of a potential effective intervention. Conclusion: Improving the use of control measures to prevent exposure to welding fume requires knowledge around the barriers and facilitators of control, use, and the intervention needs of stakeholders. This study has provided such knowledge, which will facilitate the design and implementation of an intervention to reduce welding fume exposure and ultimately protect the health of workers.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

Low-dose radiation exposure has received considerable attention because it reflects the general public's type and level of exposure. Still, controversy remains due to the relatively unclear results and uncertainty in risk estimation compared to high-dose radiation. However, recent epidemiological studies report direct evidence of health effects for various types of low-dose radiation exposure. In particular, international nuclear workers' studies, CT exposure studies, and children's cancer studies on natural radiation showed significantly increased cancer risk among the study populations despite their low-dose radiation exposure. These studies showed similar results even when the cumulative radiation dose was limited to an exposure group of less than 100 mGy, demonstrating that the observed excess risk was not affected by high exposure. A linear dose-response relationship between radiation exposure and cancer incidence has been observed, even at the low-dose interval. These recent epidemiological studies include relatively large populations, and findings are broadly consistent with previous studies on Japanese atomic bomb survivors. However, the health effects of low-dose radiation are assumed to be small compared to the risks that may arise from other lifestyle factors; therefore, the benefits of radiation use should be considered at the individual level through a balanced interpretation. Further low-dose radiation studies are essential to accurately determining the benefits and risks of radiation.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.233-238
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• 2023

This study was conducted to confirm the safety of the operator's radiation exposure in the micro PET-CT image acquisition experiment using the ¹⁸F-FDG. The usage of ¹⁸F-FDG and the exposure dose of handlers were measured at University B in Metropolitan City A, which uses ¹⁸F-FDG for micro PET-CT image acquisition. As a result of the measurement, the exposure dose is far below the effective dose limit of radiation workers, 50 mSv per year, and the equivalent dose limit of 500 mSv per year for hands, feet, and skin. has been measured Since these exposure doses can be further increased according to the number of times of use of ¹⁸F-FDG, it is judged that the exposure dose compared to the handling amount of ¹⁸F-FDG shown in this study can be used as reference data. In addition, as changed environments such as the use of materials other than unopened RI are occurring in education and research environments, such as the use of ¹⁸F-FDG at University B, radiation exposure with more interest in safety management by checking the factors of radiation exposure of the handler concerned We will always do our best to reduce it.