• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.250-258
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• 2023

The effectiveness of mindfulness techniques in addressing mental health conditions in workers is uncertain. However, it could represent a therapeutic tool for workers presenting with such conditions. Our objective was to assess the effects of mindfulness-based practices for workers diagnosed with mental health conditions. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Participants included were workers with a mental health condition. Interventions included any mindfulness technique, compared to any nonmindfulness interventions. Outcomes were scores on validated psychiatric rating scales. A total of 4,407 records were screened; 202 were included for full-text analysis; 2 studies were included. The first study (Finnes et al., 2017) used Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) associated or not with Workplace Dialogue Intervention (WDI), compared to treatment as usual. At 9 months follow-up, for the ACT group, depression scores improved marginally (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.06, p = 0.021), but anxiety scores were worse (SMD: 0.15, p = 0.036). Changes in mental health outcomes were not statistically significant for the ACT + WDI group. In the second study (Grensman et al., 2018), no statistically significant change in mental health scales has been observed after completion of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared to cognitive behavioral therapy. Substantial heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. This systematic review did not find evidence that mindfulness-based practices provide a durable and substantial improvement of mental health outcomes in workers diagnosed with mental health conditions.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2024

Speech recognition technology is continuously advancing and widely used in various fields. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of speech data quality on speech recognition models by dividing the dataset into the entire dataset and the top 70% based on Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). Utilizing Seamless M4T and Google Cloud Speech-to-Text, we examined the text transformation results for each model and evaluated them using the Levenshtein Distance. Experimental results revealed that Seamless M4T scored 13.6 in models using data with high SNR, which is lower than the score of 16.6 for the entire dataset. However, Google Cloud Speech-to-Text scored 8.3 on the entire dataset, indicating lower performance than data with high SNR. This suggests that using data with high SNR during the training of a new speech recognition model can have an impact, and Levenshtein Distance can serve as a metric for evaluating speech recognition models.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.877-883
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• 2023

For safe operation of ships and management of marine fisheries farms, the data set that extracts the boundaries of marine fisheries farms can provide information on obstacles in the vessel's navigation path in advance by examining whether it matches the fishing ground permit area. In addition, it can be used to determine whether fish farms are operating to compensate for damage caused by marine accidents, and the relevant local government can use it to manage fishing grounds. It is also highly utilized as basic data to identify obstacles for safe navigation of ships. In this study, Sentinel-2 satellite image data from the European Space Agency (ESA) was used to extract the boundaries of fish farms. From the video image, the fish farm's status data by cycle was divided into five zones: Busan-Ulsan area, Geoje-Changwon area, Goseong-Tongyeong area, and Namhae-Sacheon area. Through the image highlighting process, the farm boundary data and meta data were processed and extracted.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.51-69
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• 2024

Objectives This scoping review aimed to suggest a Korean medicine approach by analyzing domestic and international clinical studies targeting the thoracic sympathetic ganglia. Methods This study was conducted based on Arksey and O'Malley's five steps and guided by the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews checklist and appendix. We searched seven electronic databases for studies on thoracic sympathetic ganglia reported untill August 23, 2023. The search terms used were 'thoracic sympathetic chain', 'thoracic paravertebral sympathetic ganglia', and 'thoracic paravertebral ganglion'. Results One hundred twenty-nine studies were finally selected. 90 papers were non-comparative studies (69.8%). The most common disease or symptom was hyperhidrosis (n=109, 66.9%), associated with the T1-7 levels of thoracic sympathetic ganglia (n=107, 65.6%). There were 17 studies (13.2%) of percutaneous approaches targeting the thoracic sympathetic ganglia, five studies (3.1%) targeting the mid-lower thoracic sympathetic ganglia. Conclusions This study broadly analyzed trends in domestic and international research targeting the thoracic sympathetic ganglia and attempted to propose a future Korean medicine approach. Further studies are needed.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.132-152
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to identify and evaluate interprofessional education (IPE) interventions for healthcare professional students in East Asian countries. Methods: The reporting of this study followed the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. A literature search was conducted using seven electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklists were also used to appraise the quality of the included studies. The outcomes of IPE interventions were classified based on a modified Kirkpatrick model. Results: This review included 30 studies predominantly conducted in Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. The prevalent research design was a one-group pre-posttest design, and most IPE interventions occurred as single events. Approximately 70% of the studies involved students from two healthcare professions, mainly nursing and medicine. Simulations, group discussions, and lectures have emerged as the most common teaching methodologies, with almost half of the studies leveraging a combination of these techniques. The IPE content primarily focused on interprofessional teamwork, communication, and clinical patient care situations; these included the management of septic shock. The effectiveness of the IPE interventions was mainly evaluated through self-reported measures, indicating improvements in attitudes, perceptions, knowledge, and skills, aligning with Level 2 of the modified Kirkpatrick model. Nonetheless, the reviewed studies did not assess changes in the participants' behavior and patient results. Conclusion: IPE interventions promise to enhance interprofessional collaboration and communication skills among health professional students. Future studies should implement rigorous designs to assess the effectiveness of IPE interventions. Moreover, when designing IPE interventions, researchers and educators should consider the role of cultural characteristics in East Asian countries.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.115-135
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• 2018

The growing interest in the privacy paradox involving discussions about discrepancy between attitude and behavior led to an increase in the number of studies on the topic. An in-depth theoretical review of the privacy paradox is essential to promote qualitative growth of domestic research in the privacy paradox. In this study, we conducted literature review of existing domestic studies in the privacy paradox. The results of this study showed that the quantity and the quality of research showed marked improvement. Earlier studies primarily focused on the existence of the privacy paradox phenomenon, but existing studies on the causes of the phenomenon gradually increased. Despite the use of various methodologies and analytical tools to investigate the causes of the privacy paradox, research in privacy paradox remains in its infancy. Further efforts are needed to achieve qualitative growth, and further studies should be conducted to introduce the behavioral economic approach. This approach posits that bounded rationality could contribute to a clear understanding of the privacy paradox and the academic development of the privacy field.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.290-304
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• 2023

Background: Innovative Alzheimer's disease drugs received approval in the United States in 2021 and 2023. This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of these novel treatments, elucidate their mechanisms of action, and compare their impact on cognitive function improvement with approved drugs. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of pivotal clinical studies related to Alzheimer's disease treatments in PubMed/Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases from January 1st, 2020 to December 31st, 2022. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results: A total of 14 studies were included in this systematic review. When compared to the placebo, the new drugs did not exhibit a statistically significant effect on MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) (mean difference= -0.04, 95% confidence intervals [CIs]: -0.31, 0.23, N=3662, I²=0%). However, they demonstrated a significant impact on ADAS-cog (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale) (standardized mean difference= -0.15, 95% CIs: -0.2, -0.1, N=6710, I²=17%). When compared to the approved drugs, the new drugs showed a statistically significantly lower effect on MMSE (test for subgroup difference Chi²=23.13, N = 5870, p<0.00001) but showed only a trend of decreased efficacy on ADAS-cog (Chi²=1.16, N = 8670, p=0.28). Conclusion: New drugs yielded diverse clinical endpoint results compared to the placebo, and in comparison to existing approved drugs, they exhibited lower efficacy in improving cognitive function. The safety profile of these new drugs, as reported in clinical trials, was generally well-tolerated.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.215-223
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• 2024

Purpose: Patients who receive frequent blood transfusions are at an elevated risk of developing hepatic fibrosis due to iron overload in the liver. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of transient elastography (TE) (FibroScan^®) for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with pediatric cancer. Methods: We enrolled 106 consecutive cases of acute leukemia in individuals under 21 years of age. The participants were followed for 2 years. Based on their serum ferritin (SF) levels, the patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (SF≥300 ng/mL) and group 2 (SF<300 ng/mL). A liver FibroScan^® was performed, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among the various parameters in the liver function test (LFT), alkaline phosphatase was significantly higher in a subgroup of patients aged 5-8 years in group 2 compared to those in group 1. The indices of liver fibrosis determined by TE, including the FibroScan score, controlled attenuation parameter score, steatosis percentage, and meta-analysis of histological data in viral hepatitis score, as well as indirect serum markers of liver fibrosis such as the aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio, Fibrosis 4 score, and AST to platelet ratio index, did not differ significantly between the two groups. The association between the TE results and LFT parameters was only significant for ALT. Conclusion: Transfusion-associated iron overload does not have a significant correlation with severe liver fibrosis. FibroScan^® is not a sensitive tool for detecting early stages of fibrosis in survivors of pediatric leukemia.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.221-228
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• 2024

Predicting insurance claims is a key task for insurance companies to manage risks and maintain financial stability. Accurate insurance claim predictions enable insurers to set appropriate premiums, reduce unexpected losses, and improve the quality of customer service. This study aims to enhance the performance of insurance claim prediction models by applying ensemble learning techniques. The predictive performance of models such as Random Forest, Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), XGBoost, Stacking, and the proposed Dynamic Weighted Ensemble (DWE) model were compared and analyzed. Model performance was evaluated using Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), and the Coefficient of Determination (R²). Experimental results showed that the DWE model outperformed others in terms of evaluation metrics, achieving optimal predictive performance by combining the prediction results of Random Forest, XGBoost, LR, and LightGBM. This study demonstrates that ensemble learning techniques are effective in improving the accuracy of insurance claim predictions and suggests the potential utilization of AI-based predictive models in the insurance industry.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.83-90
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• 2024

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines has been a remarkable advancement. However, the efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of these vaccines in individuals with liver cirrhosis require careful evaluation due to their compromised immune status and potential interactions with underlying liver disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in liver cirrhosis patients. In the present study, we searched international databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science. The search strategy was carried out by using keywords and MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms. STATA ver. 15.0 (Stata Corp., USA) was used to analyze the data statistically. The analysis was performed using the randomeffects model. We also used the chi-square test and I² index to calculate heterogeneity among studies. For evaluating publication bias, Begg's funnel plots and Egger's tests were used. A total of 4,831 liver cirrhosis patients with COVID-19 were examined from 11 studies. The rate of hospitalization in the patients with liver cirrhosis was 17.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9%-44%). The rate of fever in the patients with liver cirrhosis was 4.5% (95% CI, 0.9%-8.1%). The rate of positive neutralizing antibodies in the patients with liver cirrhosis was 82.5% (95% CI, 69.8%-95.1%). Also, the rates of seroconversion after the second vaccination in patients with liver cirrhosis and the control group were 96.6% (95% CI, 92.0%-99.0%), and 99.7% (95% CI, 99.0%-100.0%), respectively. COVID-19 vaccines have demonstrated promising efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety profiles in individuals with liver cirrhosis, providing crucial protection against COVID-19-related complications.