• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.169-179
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to investigate occupational and individual risk factors and working conditions in relation to musculoskeletal symptoms in street cleaners. Investigation was conducted through a survey of 395 male street cleaners employed by the government office in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Chung-Nam from July to August of 2009. The control group was comprised of 143 male drivers and security guards. Risk factors for musculoskeletal symptoms in street cleaners were investigated by multiple logistic regression analysis and also evaluated ergonomic risk factors by assessing working conditions of 4 street cleaners. As a result of symptom questionnaires, all of the prevalent rates of musculoskeletal symptoms in street cleaners had significantly higher results than those of the control group(p<0.05). On binary logistic regression analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms, street cleaners showed significant higher odds ratio as 18.84(95%CI: 6.56-54.12) in the arm/elbow, 10.49(95%CI: 4.29-25.65) in the hand/wrist compared to the control group. Both absence of rest breaks and exposure to ergonomic risk factors showed to be important internal risk factors of musculoskeletal symptoms among street cleaners. The exposure levels of QEC(Quick exposures checklist) in street cleaners were revealed to be higher on the shoulder/arm, wrist/hand, and neck than back, or from stress. The findings appear to show that street cleaners were high-risk group of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore street cleaners require a holistic interventional strategy, including adequate arrangement of rest breaks, improvement of working tools and control of individual risk factors such as obesity and smoking.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.536-541
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• 1992

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is a type of diffuse interstitial lung disease that primarily affects the small conducting airways and characterized by the presence of granulation tissue plugs within the lumen of small airways often extending into alveolar ducts. It is associated with a number of different causes, including a variety of infections, fume exposures, drugs, collagen diseases and idiopathic. Recently we have experienced one patient with idiopathic BOOP. The patient was a 58 year old man presented with 2 months' history of dry cough and exertional dyspnea. The phyical examination showed inspiratory crackles at both lower lung field. Chest X-ray showed bilateral multiple patchy alveolar density. Pulmonary function studies showed a moderate degree of restrictive lung disease. Open lung biopsy carried out and revealed findings characteristic of BOOP. There was a dramatic response clinically and radiologically to high dose predinisolone therapy. Chest X-ray and pulmonary function test under-taken one year later showed marked improvement. New lesion on chest PA was developed during the period of tapering of prednisolone dose, but it was soon disappeared after increasing of prednisolone dose. One year later, he is well without steroid therapy.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.201-215
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• 1993

The health status of workers in a foundry was analyzed in a study which consisted of evaluations of respiratory health together with environmental measurements. The results from environmental measurements showed values exceeding permissible exposure limits. A t-test was done with log transformed and untransformed data to examine the statistical significance for the noncompliance with exposure standards. For the analysis of categorical health outcomes, $\chi$-square test with 2 $\times$ 2 tables and logistic regression analysis were employed. For continuous variables, multiple linear regression was done against assessed risk factors. Pros and cons of different parameters in the compliance (or noncompliance) testing were presented. Respiratory function did not show any relation with occupational exposures, which may be due to the healthy worker effects. Strategies for controlling time dependent covariates were discussed in relation to the healthy worker effect. The scope of statistical analysis in occupational health studies is still limited in Korea without a suitable external comparison group such as credible vital statistics for the whole nation. Internal comparisons between different exposure status often result in unstable estimates of effect, and proportional morbidity study is discussed as an alternative potential research tool.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 2000

The performance of an electrometer directly affects on the accuracy and precision in radiation dosimetry. This study is to list of the quality control for maintaining performance and to perform evaluation tests of an electrometer. Performance tests selected include proper polarizing voltages, warm-up and equalization time, leakages, long-term stability, linearity, and effect of ambient conditions. An electrometer connected with a rigid stem ionization chamber was evaluated with a Strontium-90 check device. Bias voltage was measured directly on the input socket. Equalization time is the time required for reaching threshold of charged state after the power is on or the bias voltage is changed. Pre- and post-signal leakages are defined as the accumulation of signal with no exposure and after exposure, respectively. Over three months period, the electrometer's long-term stability was measured by comparison of the temperature-pressure corrected readings. Linearity was expressed as the deviation of readings from multiple short exposures from one continuous exposure. Effect of ambient conditions was expressed as the zero drift of the electrometer over 17-34$^{\circ}C$ temperature ranges. For two nominal values, 300 and 500 volts, measured voltages were lower by 2.5 and 5.8%, respectively. The warm-up time, 20 minutes, was longer than the lamp time by 9 minutes and the equalization time was less than 1 minute. Without exposure, the zero-drift was 0.002 scale-unit in 15 minutes and the leakage after 10 minutes exposure was minimal. The IQ-4 was stable over 99.4% for three-month periods. Deviation from the linearity was 0.9% for measurement scale, 0.000-9.991. Over 17-34$^{\circ}C$ temperature range, the zero-drift was minimal, less than 0.2%. For a clinically-used electrometer, a list for the basic peformance evaluations is proposed. By running this program, the measurement error using an electrometer can be reduced and in turn the improvement in accuracy and precision of radiation dosimetry can be achieved.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2009

Objectives : We evaluated the health effects of exposure to BTEX(Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, m,p-Xylene, o-Xylene) in the Taean area after the Hebei Spirit oil spill. Methods : We used a questionnaire survey to look for health effects among 80 pregnant women 2 to 3 months following the Hebei Spirit oil spill. Their BTEX exposures were estimated using the CALPUFF method. We then used a multiple logistic regression analysis to evaluate the effects of BTEX exposure on the women s health effets. Results : Pregnant women who lived near the accident site reported more symptoms of eye irritation and headache than those who lived farther from the site. There was a trend of decreasing symptoms with an increase in distance from the spill site. Pregnant women exposed to higher ambient cumulative levels of Xylene were significantly more likely to report symptoms of the skin(OR 8.01 95% CI=1.74-36.76) in the first day after the accident and significantly more likely to report abdominal pain(OR 3.86 95% CI=1.02-14.59 for Ethylbenzene, OR 6.70 95% CI=1.82-24.62 for Xylene) during the 1st through 4th days following the accident. Conclusions : This study suggests that exposure to BTEX from an oil spill is correlated with an increased risk of health effects among pregnant women. This implies the need to take proper measures, including the development of a national policy for environmental health emergencies and a plan for studying the short- and long-term chronic health effects associated with such spills.