• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.14-33
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• 2022

Purpose: To examine whether the Patient Experience Assessment (PEA) has led to perceptible changes at the ground level of health care, as a way of evaluating PEA as a policy intervention for quality improvement. Methods: Four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted, each comprising six to eight participants who were employees responsible for patient experience at their respective hospitals. The primary focus of the FGDs was on questions such as: 1) How do hospitals respond to PEA? 2) What significant changes were observed after the implementation of PEA? 3) What were the unintended consequences of implementing PEA, if any? 4) What areas of improvement have been identified for maximizing the potential of PEA? Results: Two broad themes emerged out of the FGDs: changes observed post implementation of PEA, and areas for improvement of PEA. Four significant changes were reported by participants: changes in perception and attitude regarding patient experience in hospital employees, increased active involvement by the hospital leadership, enhanced efforts to improve patient experience, and increased cooperation between such activities. Furthermore, eight areas of improvement were identified, which have been grouped in three categories: improving the process of data collection for PEA, introducing additional catalysts to facilitate further changes, and paying attention to structure- and patient-level constraints that must be addressed in parallel. Conclusion: The implementation of PEA led to perceptible changes within hospitals, which implies that it can serve as an effective catalyst for improving patient experience. A number of areas of improvement that would aid in maximizing the potential of PEA were also identified.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.11
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• pp.203-226
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• 2006

A highly sophisticated expertise and systematic and integrated management of security operation are essential for a crowded stadium. a special object of security guarding. Nonetheless, the recent incident in a singing concert hall reveals the overall problem like the lacking safety management system. lacking deployment of professional security personnel, absence of safety manuals and safety measures, as well as the lack of professionalism of private sector security companies. In this study, we presented three categories that needed improvement, like the legal and institutional improvement, improvement of policy and improvement of operation which are required to set up the model to operate the optimal private sector security duties. For the revision of law and institution for a better and more desirable method, we discussed the revision of related laws and regulations pursuant to the security operation at places where events are held, including the revision of law on security guarding work, regulation on common housing management, uniformity of security guarding, and law on performance. For the improvement of policies, we discussed the introduction of security consultants, strengthening the security instructor system, expansion of relevant organizations, establishment of mutual cooperation, privatization of profitable events, improvement of awareness about the security activities provided by private sector, policy for the professionalism of private security operation, expansion of security exhibition and seminar. For the improvement of operation. we discussed professional security techniques. such as the technique of security consulting, the application of CPTED technique, the technique for the integration of system, the method of operation, the establishment of a system to support public security operations and volunteers, establishment of a manual for security guarding performance, modernization and high tech-oriented equipment, organization of security guarding entity in which the industry, academic society and government participates together.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.615-622
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to evaluate microbial contamination of melons in Korea. A total of 123 samples including melon fruits, leaves, seeds, soils, and irrigation water were collected from farms and markets to detect total aerobic bacteria, coliform, Escherichia coli, and pathogenic bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus. Samples were collected from Iksan and Nonsan farms to monitor bacterial levels on pre-market melons. The total aerobic and coliform bacteria on melon cultivation were between 0.43 and 6.65 log CFU $g^{-1}$, and 0.67 and 2.91 log CFU $g^{-1}$, respectively. Bacillus cereus, a fecal coliform, was detected in soils and melon leaves from Iksan farm at 2.95, 0.73 log CFU $g^{-1}$, respectively, and in soils from Nonsan farm at 3.16 log CFU $g^{-1}$. Market melon samples were collected to assay bacterial load on melon being sold to consumers. The contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria in agricultural markets, big-box retailers, and traditional markets were 4.82, 3.94, 3.99 log CFU $g^{-1}$, respectively. The numbers of coliform in melon on the markets ranged from 0.09 to 0.49 log CFU $g^{-1}$. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus were not detected in any samples. The count of total aerobic bacteria on melon seeds ranged from 0.33 to 3.34 log CFU $g^{-1}$. This study found that irrigation water, soil, manure and various farm work activities including post-harvest processes were latent sources of microbial contamination. These results suggest that hygienic management and monitoring of soil, water, and agricultural material should be performed to reduce microbial contamination in melon production.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartC
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• v.10C no.3
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• pp.281-286
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• 2003

Nowadays, a patient's private medical data which is exposed to the outside world has a severe effect on not only the patient's private life but also his/her social activities and environment. So, it is important to securely protect the patient's private medical data from the illegal manipulation. This paper studies the method to store the electronic prescription information in an IC card. For that, an access control for users, such as a doctor, a nurse, a medical institute member, a pharmacy, a pharmacist, or a patient, is proposed to access the data stored in an IC card. The certificate is issued using the Crypto API of a certificate management model supported by Windows 2000. The public/private key is created by the Cryptographic Service Provider program, and the electronic prescription is signed using the digital signature. The proposed system, therefore, can improve the quality of medical services by securing the safety and integrity of the electronic prescription, stored in an IC card.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2016

One of the most powerful health management practices is the use of antibiotics, but their use is being restricted because of health safety issues. The swine industry has been looking for various alternatives to antibiotics and increasingly considers the use of dietary factors like feed ingredients, feed additives, feed formulation practices, or feeding methods, instead of using antibiotics to improve pig health and performance. Among other alternatives to antibiotics, spray-dried plasma may be a candidate. Spray-dried plasma is a blood product that provides bioavailable nutrients and physiologically active components such as immunoglobulins, glycoproteins, growth factors, peptides, etc. It is an excellent protein source with balanced and highly digestible amino acids. Several beneficial physiological activities depend on components of spray-dried plasma, such as immune competence (antibacterial activity), modulation of microbiota and/or immune system, integrity of intestinal barrier function, etc. These beneficial effects can contribute to improvement of pig performance and health by modulation of microbiota in the digestive tract and/or immune system. Therefore, it is suggested that spray-dried plasma has great potential as an antibiotics alternative.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 2020

Background: Previous studies have shown varying results between lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESIs) performed with particulate versus non-particulate corticosteroids. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in pain relief and functional improvement between particulate and nonparticulate lumbosacral TFESIs in patients who had undergone both injections, sequentially. Methods: This was a self-controlled, retrospective study of 20 patients who underwent both a methylprednisolone and a dexamethasone TFESI to the same vertebral level and side. Primary outcomes included pain relief according to the visual analogue scale (VAS) and functional improvement determined by a yes/no answer to questions regarding mobility and the activities of daily living. Post-injection data was recorded at 2, 3, and 6 months. Results: A decrease in VAS scores of -3.4 ± 3.0 (mean ± standard deviation), -3.1 ± 3.1, and -2.8 ± 3.4 was seen for the methylprednisolone group at 2, 3, and 6 months, respectively. Similar decreases of -3.9 ± 3.5, -3.4 ± 2.8, and -2.3 ± 3.4 were seen in the dexamethasone group. There was no significant difference in pain relief at any point between the two medications. The percentage of subjects who reported improved function at 2, 3, and 6 months was 65%, 51%, and 41%, respectively, for the methylprednisolone group and 75%, 53%, and 42% for the dexamethasone group. Conclusions: These findings support the use of non-particulate corticosteroids for lumbosacral TFESIs in the context of documented safety concerns with particulate corticosteroids.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.213-218
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• 2011

This study simulates and compares the evacuation time and characteristics according to the living patterns on board a training ship which was launched in Dec. 2005, on the viewpoint of the various activities being possible on board a cruise ship. Based on interviews with personnels on board, 3 living patterns are set as representative living conditions; Pattern A(all personnels are positioned at their cabins), Pattern B(all personnels are positioned at lecture rooms, offices or else), Pattern C(all personnels are positioned at restaurant or cafeteria). The simulation results show that Pattern B is comparatively ideal because the evacuation time is short and there is less delay of personnels' movement on each deck. On the contrary, Pattern C is evaluated as the worst because the average evacuation time took more than 360 seconds and the bottle-neck happened at Upper deck. As a result, this study proposes the needs of various countermeasures against the fire and/or disaster, considering the various living patterns on cruiser(s) and/or passenger ship(s).

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.6 no.1_2
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• pp.150-160
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• 1999

Background : Because hospitals had to faced with financial hardship, we have to have more effective hospital management. In this study, we tried to improve job performance and to reduce cost maintaining safety in fields of patients care. Methods : Central Supply Room(CSR) staffs taught strategy of material cost reduction to middle level managers and staffs 14 times. All staffs and voluntary service workers, working in 33 nursing units, participated in this activity. We developed questionnaire to check the degree of participate in cost reduction activity and job performance in CSR, and quality improvement in the wards. Two hundred questionnaires were distributed and 197 returned. Results : Because CSR staffs developed new items and every item was managed at each department, stocks of each department were reduced. Overall, by comparing before and after cost reduction activity, almost 1.2 billion won reduced for one year. Staffs' loyalty and spirits of cost reduction were improved by changing clothes and duty environment. Furthermore, these activity improved patients' satisfaction. Conclusion : We suggest that CSR activity in a university hospital contributes to improve job performance and to reduce cost without any problem in patient care.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.183-193
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• 1997

The amount and kinds of radionuclide contained in waste volume should be known to prepare for occupational exposure management, perform safety assessment and finally to license a repository. Although the volume of filters and resins are small, activities of them comprise most of the radioactivity that made during power generation. This study aims at developing a method of estimating the radionuclide accumulation at the filters and resins of coolant systems. In this study, accumulated amount of radionuclides is estimated by a computer program which makes use of instantaneous decontamination factor, DF, instead of average DF. A FORTRAN program was developed for the estimation. Data from in-plant source-term measurements at Rancho-Seco nuclear power plant in the United States are employed for verification of the estimating method. And experimental data are employed, too. The instantaneous-DF-method showed smaller error than the average-DF-method. Accumulated amount of radionuclides can be calculated with only the DF and the radionuclide concentration, which are measured periodically according to the operating guide. However, especially, when the operating condition of nuclear power plant changes rapidly, the measuring term of DF and radionuclide should be shortened to ensure the accurate estimation.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.6 no.1 s.19
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• pp.87-91
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• 2006

Since water leakage and cracks are not the source of serious problems such as long-term lowering of performance and durability of a stricture, including damages to operating facilities of a structure, damages to internal finishing materials, exhibition, and goods, and pollution of residential environment, they might have led to development of positive coping skills; however, an instant loss of lives or property due to earthquake, explosion, typhoon, or a fire was indeed neglected. In these days, repair materials for leakage cannot help but being taken in temporary way without any noticeable countermeasure. This kind of repair is socially criticized many times that is defective construction even if this costs a lot. It was not arrange the standard for construction methods of sealer of injection type for leakage maintenance, even it has been used various type of construction methods for leakage part. In conclusion, we suggest that the construction methods of sealer of injection type for leakage maintenance for leakage to establish the leakage repairing technology as increase of structure demand. Therefore, it would be possible to provide a stage-by-stage solution by developing systematic research activities among the industry, schools, and research institutes to spread maintenance management techniques globally through technical solution to water leakage and cracks, acquisition of structural safety with prolonged durability for life cycle, reduction of water leakage repair expense s, and so on.