• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.23 no.3 s.31
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• pp.338-344
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• 1990

This study investigated the symptoms, medical and occupational history of 424 workers of 5 reactive dye Industries in the Inchon area in Korea. The study was performed on March 6 and July 19, 1989. The tests applied to the subjects were : serum total IgE, specific IgE, skin prick test with 7 inhalatory antigens, pulmonary function test, chest X-ray, methacholine test, and bronchoprovocation test. The workers were classified according to these tests into 4 groups (healthy, realtively healthy, need careful medical observation, and occupational asthma), and were compared in terms of the group characteristics and the symptom prevalence. The prevalece of occupational asthma of workers in reactive dye was 5.9% Significant differences were observed among the 4 groups. The groups were significantly different in the variables of sex and duration of smoking among their general characteristics ; and dyspnea, wheezing, chest pain, cough, nasal symptoms and sore throat among symptoms ; asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases with respect to their past medical history. This study suggests that we should pay special attention to the workers exposed to the risk of occupational asthma.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.50-56
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• 2013

Objectives: The present study investigated cytotoxicity and DNA damage in human lung cells in vitro. Methods: Neodymium oxide and lanthanum oxide were dispersed by ultrasonic treatments. The assay was performed with MRC-5 (Human male fetus lung cell). Cytotoxicity and comet assay of lanthanum oxide and neodymium oxide were measured after 24 and 48 hours incubation. Results: After 24 hours of exposure to rare earth metals, the cytotoxicities of lanthanum oxide in more than $1{\mu}M$ concentration groups were significantly increased when compared to the control group, but the cytotoxicities of neodymiun oxide in more than $100{\mu}M$ concentration groups were statistically increased. After 48 hours exposure, cytotoxicities of both materials were statistically increased in $100,000{\mu}M$ concentration groups. Olive tail moments of the lanthanum oxide treated group were significantly increased when compared to the control group. Conclusions: The cytotoxicity of lanthanum oxide was higher than that of neodymium oxide. The DNA of MRC-5 cells treated with lanthanum oxide for 48 hours were significantly damaged.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.81-90
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• 2006

The Strain Index(SI) has been commonly used to evaluate the musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) of upper extremities. Recently, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists(ACGIH) adopted the Threshold Limit Value for hand activity level (HAL TLV) focused on the hand, wrist, and forearm. The MSDs risks of 37 repetitive works conducted at an automobile climate control system manufacturing factory were evaluated using both the HAL TLV and the SI, and the results by two methods were compared. Also, measured repetitive frequencies of upper limbs joint were mesured using electromyogram and electrogoniometer. The evaluation results of the HAL were related with the repetitive frequency data of upper limbs joint by electrogoniometer, and the NPF was related with %MVC of ECU. The evaluation result of HAL TLV was highly related with the SI score(r=0.66, p<0.01). Of total 37 tasks, 25 tasks(67.6%) were exceeded the TLV and 34 tasks(91.9%) exceeded the SI limit. Although there was a high relationship between the HAL TLV and SI score, the HAL TLV underestimated the risk in comparison with the SI. The correlation coefficients(r) between the HAL TLV data and the repetitive frequency of upper limbs joint were 0.45~0.55(p<0.01). The MSD symptoms was significantly different between high risk groups and low risk groups evaluated by HAL TLV(p<0.01), but was not different between two groups by SI. In conclusion, the HAL TLV is a proper tool for repetitive works.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.130-136
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• 2014

Objectives: To evaluate the pulmonary toxicity of Korean Chrysotile(KC), the lung function and the number of fibers in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of Sprague-Dawley rats instilled with KC were estimated. Materials: Rats were administered 1 mg KC by a single intratracheal instillation. At each time point(5 days, 5 weeks, 10 weeks), the lung function of the rats was analyzed by pressure transducer and the amount of asbestos in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the rats was calculated by transmission electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Results: The lung function of the rats at 5 days after instillation of KC was confirmed to be degraded. However, after 5 weeks the test groups showed a tendency to recover lung function. Still, after 10 weeks the lung function of the test groups had not recovered completely. The number of fibers in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the rats instilled with KC rapidly decreased. At 5 weeks the number of fibers had reduced to approximately 1/2 of that found at 5 days. Over time, at 10 weeks it had rapidly decreased to 1/100 that found at 5 days. Conclusions: Korean chrysotile fibers rapidly decreased in the lungs of rats, but the lung function of rats instilled KC does had not completely recovered by 10 weeks.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.83-88
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• 2019

The 7,993 cases of Survey Report of Fatal Industrial Accidents conducted jointly by the MEOL and the KOSHA for the recent seven years(2007-2013) were categorized according to personal and occupational characteristics, industry types, business sizes, job types, activities at the time accident, types of accidents, material agents(assailing materials), unsafe conditions, and unsafe acts. And it is found that among the 72.2 percent of fatal occupational accidents in the construction and manufacturing industries are caused by falling, sticking, bumping and being caught under objects & overturning. For this study, through the empirical analysis on causes of fatal industrial accidents, was used to identity high risk groups based on total data of 7,993 victims of occupational accidents. An annual fatal occupational injury (FOI) rate per 10,000 workers was about 0.47‱. The middle-aged group and the elderly group showed the highest FOI rates per 10,000 workers (0.73‱, 0.80‱), and the daily workers showed the highest FOI rate (1.46‱), and the craft and related trades workers showed the highest FOI rate (2.17‱). In case of industry type the mining industry (7.26‱) showed the highest FOI rate, followed by the sewerage, waste management, materials recovery and remediation activity industry (3.91‱) and the construction industry (2.71‱). The primary high risk target group that requires a strategy designed to reduce fatal occupation injuries caused by falling and bumping & contact(collision) is the construction industry, and the secondary high risk target group in the construction industry is classified as the equipment, machine operating and assembling workers in the construction industry, those aged 50 years old and above need the prevention measures against bumping & contact(collision) and being caught under an object & falling(objects), while those aged less than 50 years old need prevention measures against falling(persons).

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.254-259
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• 2019

Background: This cross-sectional study assessed the sleep quality using the ActiGraph and investigated the relationship between the parameters of sleep assessment and the type of shift work in Korean firefighters. Methods: The participants were 359 firefighters: 65 day workers (control group) and 294 shift workers (shift work group: 77 firefighters with 3-day shift, 72 firefighters with 6-day shift, 65 firefighters with 9-day shift, and 80 firefighters with 21-day shift). Sleep assessments were performed using the ActiGraph (wGT3X-BT) for 24 hours during day shift (control and shift work group) and night shift and rest day (shift work group). The participants recorded bed time and sleep hours during the measurement period. Results: Sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and percentage of wake after sleep onset during night work were lower in the shift work group than control group (p < 0.05). Sleep efficiency decreased in night shift and increased in rest day, whereas wake after sleep onset increased in night shift and decreased in rest day (p < 0.05). Among shift work groups, sleep efficiency of 6-day shift was higher in day shift, and sleep efficiency of 21-day shift was lower in night shift than other shift groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We found that the sleep quality in night shift of the shift work group was poorer than the control group. As to the type of shift work, sleep quality was good in 6-day shift and poor in 21-day shift. Thus, fast rotating shift such as 6-day shift may be recommended to improve the sleep quality of the firefighters.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.91-100
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• 2021

Purpose : This study aims to investigate the awareness of occupational therapists among managers and directors of adult day care centers in Korea to explore the cause of the low employment rate of these therapists and offer the results as basic data that can be used to expand occupational therapy at adult day care centers. Methods : This study collected data by conducting an online questionnaire with managers and directors of adult day care centers located in Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daejeon, Gwangju, and Ulsan. A total of 70 completed questionnaires were divided into two groups a 'group with experience in occupational therapy information (OT experience)' and a 'group with no experience in occupational therapy information (OT inexperience)' and analyzed. Results : First, the 'OT experience' was found to have higher levels of awareness of the scope of work of occupational therapists than the 'OT inexperience'. Second, significant differences were found in the degree of awareness and necessity of occupational therapists and plans to employ occupational therapists later between the 'OT experience' and the 'OT inexperience'. Third, it was shown that there were significant correlations between whether the respondents were familiar with occupational therapy and the degree of awareness and necessity of occupational therapists and plans to employ occupational therapists later. Conclusion : Based on these findings, the following measures are recommended to expand the area of occupational therapy in adult day care centers, the need for occupational therapists should be mentioned in the health and welfare-related education for workers at these adult day care centers, policies such as a medical fee system for occupational therapy at these adult day care centers should be prepared.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.23-34
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• 2012

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of task oriented activity and modified constraint induced movement therapy (mCIMT) on Quality of Life (QOL) for patients with stroke. Methods : Thirty stroke patients were participated voluntarily and were assigned randomly into task oriented activity and mCIMT groups. The QOL of both groups were assessed using Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SS-QOL). Results : The QOL showed a statistically meaningful difference for both groups (p<.05), but after the intervention, the both groups showed no statistically meaningful difference in terms of the QOL (p>.05). Conclusion : We found that task oriented activity and mCIMT improve the QOL of patients with stroke through increasing their affected upper extremity function and movement. It is expected that task oriented activity and mCIMT will have a positive effect on the QOL of stroke patients by applying them to clinic with occupational therapy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.336-344
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was performed to assay the effect of neodymium oxide on the generation of reactive oxygen species and DNA oxidative damage by intratracheal instillation. Methods: Two groups of rats were exposed to neodymium oxide($Nd_2O_3$) via intratracheal instillation with doses of 0.5 mg and 2.0 mg, respectively. At two days and at 12 weeks after exposure, the contents of neodymium oxide in the lung, liver, kidney, heart and brain, leukocyte, olive tail moment, ROS, RNS, lactate dehydrogenase, albumin, cytokine and MDA from BALF were measured. Results: Neodymium oxide contents in the liver, kidney, heart, and brain were detected at less than $1{\mu}g/g$ tissue concentration. However, in the lungs at four weeks the highest amount were detected and then found to be drastically reduced at 12 weeks. ROS and RNS in bronchoalveolar lavage increased in concentration dependently at two days, four weeks and 12 weeks after neodymium oxide instillation. However, ROS and RNS decreased with the passage of time. At two days the total number of WBC in BALF in the high concentration group was significantly increased, and at four weeks the total number of WBC were significantly increased in the low and high concentration groups(p<0.01). At two days after exposure, the LDH of the low and high concentration groups was significantly increased. At 12 weeks, only the LDH of the high concentration group was significantly increased compared to in the control group(p<0.01). As a result of Comet assay, after two days, damage to the DNA of the low and high concentration groups was observed. Conclusions: Intratracheal instillation of neodymium oxide induces the generation of ROS and DNA damage in rats.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.193-202
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• 2023

Purpose: We investigated the effects of transcranial stimulation and task-oriented training on upper extremity and cognitive function in chronic stroke patients. Methods: A total of 30 patients were randomly divided into transcranial stimulation and task-oriented training groups (TT) and task-oriented training groups (TO). The TT group performed 30 min 5 times a week for 4 weeks in task-oriented training combined with transcranial direct current stimulation. The TO group performed 30 min 5 times a week for 4 weeks in task-oriented training. To measure upper extremity function, the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test, Manual Function Test, and Cognitive Function Test were performed using the Stroop Test and the Trail Making Test. Results: There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) before and after training in both groups, and the TT group showed significant improvement in both groups. Conclusion: In this study, we confirmed transcranial stimulation and task-oriented training in upper extremity function and cognitive function in patients with chronic strokes.