• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.245-255
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• 2023

This study aimed to exploring the pathophysiological mechanism of 7α,25-dihydroxycholesterol (7α,25-DHC) in osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis. 7α,25-DHC accelerated the proteoglycan loss in ex vivo organ-cultured articular cartilage explant. It was mediated by the decreasing extracellular matrix major components, including aggrecan and type II collagen, and the increasing expression and activation of degenerative enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 and -13, in chondrocytes cultured with 7α,25-DHC. Furthermore, 7α,25-DHC promoted caspase-dependent chondrocyte death via extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of apoptosis. Moreover, 7α,25-DHC upregulated the expression of inflammatory factors, including inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, nitric oxide, and prostaglandin E₂, via the production of reactive oxygen species via increase of oxidative stress in chondrocytes. In addition, 7α,25-DHC upregulated the expression of autophagy biomarkers, including beclin-1 and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 via the modulation of p53-Akt-mTOR axis in chondrocytes. The expression of CYP7B1, caspase-3, and beclin-1 was elevated in the degenerative articular cartilage of mouse knee joint with OA. Taken together, our findings suggest that 7α,25-DHC is a pathophysiological risk factor of OA pathogenesis that is mediated a chondrocyte death via oxiapoptophagy, which is a mixed mode of apoptosis, oxidative stress, and autophagy.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.381-401
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the perception of medical staff to propose an infected patient transport robot as a means of responding to infectious diseases. Methods: The data collected through the survey was analyzed through AHP analysis. The measurement tools used in this study were derived through the SERVQUAL model and Focus Group Interview(FGI), and consisted of four detailed questions for each of five classes: tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Results: As a result of the study, there are concerns about risk factors that may occur in areas where medical staff intervention is minimized. Above all, we confirmed the consensus that safety should be the top priority during the process of robots to transport patients. In particular, highlighted were the resolution of device errors that may occur during the process for transporting patients and easy provision of the first aid. Additionally, the ability to monitor patients and suppress infection factors turned out to be important, which was directly related to the simplification of the role of medical staff and work efficiency. Conclusion: As one of the means of effectively controlling infectious diseases in a pandemic situation, a robot to transport the infected patient was considered. However, in order to commercialize this, specific verification of the safety of medical staff and patients is needed, and empirical data on providing the first aid, patient monitoring, and infection factor suppression should be presented.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.7.1-7.14
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• 2023

Background: At present, no short standard questionnaire exists for assessing and comparing major work organization hazards in the workplaces of the United States. Methods: We conducted a series of psychometric tests (content validity, factor analysis, differential-item functioning analysis, reliability, and concurrent validity) to validate and identify core items and scales for major work organization hazards using the data from the 2002-2014 General Social Surveys (GSSs), including the Quality of Worklife (QWL) questionnaire. In addition, an extensive literature review was undertaken to find other major work organization hazards which were not addressed in the GSS. Results: Although the overall validity of the GSS-QWL questionnaire was satisfactory in the psychometric tests, some GSS-QWL items of work-family conflict, psychological job demands, job insecurity, use of skills on the job, and safety climate scales appeared to be weak. In the end, 33 questions (31 GSS-QWL and 2 GSS) were chosen as the least, but best validated core questions and included in a new short standard questionnaire (called the Healthy Work Survey [HWS]). And their national norms were established for comparisons. Furthermore, based on the literature review, fifteen more questions for assessing other significant work organization hazards (e.g., lack of scheduling control, emotional demands, electronic surveillance, wage theft) were included in the new questionnaire. Thus, the HWS includes 48 questions in total for assessing traditional and emerging work organization hazards, which covers seven theoretical domains: work schedule/arrangement, control, support, reward, demands, safety, and justice. Conclusions: The HWS is a short standard questionnaire for assessing work organization hazards which can be used as a first step toward the risk management of major work organization hazards in the workplaces of the US.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.148-157
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• 2019

Objective: To evaluate the current status of managing adverse reactions to iodinated contrast media (ICM) for computed tomography in referral hospitals in South Korea compared with hospitals in other countries. Materials and Methods: This survey investigation involved 59 Korean and 15 overseas hospitals using guideline-based questionnaires consisting of 24 items in 7 main categories related to managing adverse reactions to ICM. Results: Informed written consent with risk factor evaluation was appropriately performed in most of the Korean hospitals. There was considerable variability in assessing renal function across the hospitals; serum creatinine level was used as a reference in 76.4% of Korean hospitals. The Korean hospitals preferred a more stringent approach to determining normal renal function (p = 0.01), withholding metformin (p = 0.01), and fasting before ICM exposure (p < 0.001) compared with overseas hospitals. All the Korean hospitals had an emergency protocol and in-hospital system for adverse reactions to ICM. The Korean (87.7%) and overseas hospitals (100%) were similarly equipped with epinephrine (p = 0.332), but only 38.6% of Korean hospitals were equipped with a bronchodilator (p = 0.004). For patients with a previous hypersensitivity reaction to ICM, 62.3% of Korean hospitals pre-medicated with anti-histamine and corticosteroid according to the severity of the previous reaction, and changed the culprit ICM in 52.8%, while skin test was performed in 17%. Conclusion: In general, Korean referral hospitals were well-prepared regarding informed consent, protocol, and an in-hospital system for managing adverse reactions to ICM. Nevertheless, there was considerable variability in details and management, thus requiring standardization by reflecting current guidelines.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.1-28
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• 2012

This study conducted a qualitative analysis on the Korea's nuclear energy sector in 2030 through scenario-based strategic foresight method. Specifically, the relationships between environmental influencing factors of the future nuclear energy sector was examined from a multi-dimensional perspective on the basis of STEEP analysis and network analysis. In addition, scenario planning method was used with key uncertainty factors (KUF) to create three predictable strategic scenarios including optimistic, business as usual, and pessimistic. Common strategies that need to be urgently pursued as well as the maximum risk avoidance strategies for each scenario were also presented. This study further identified energy pricing, global economic trend, competitiveness in nuclear technology, and marketing capability as key uncertainty factors in the future nuclear energy industry sector. In order to furnish effective export strategy in the future nuclear energy sector, it was also suggested that government policy should adopt following measures as top priorities: securing nuclear safety technology, educating nuclear engineers, securing nuclear resources such as uranium, increasing nuclear capability and so on. The implications and limitations of this study were then discussed based on research findings.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2014

Shopping malls have become key players in the Indian retail space. Even in upcoming Indian towns, malls have been mushrooming. Raipur, the capital city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh has witnessed the growth over the last few years. However, this unplanned growth of malls in cities is expected to lead to oversupply of mall space in the near future, making things difficult for mall developers. The study is an attempt to identify appropriate strategies for mall developers to iron out such kinks. This paper presents 'shopping experience' as a tool to compete, succeed and explore its composition in terms of its constituent factors. The paper uses Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on a non-probability sample of 350 respondents. It condenses a set of twenty-two mall variables into five factors that directly influence the shopping experience. These factors included ambience, infrastructure, marketing focus, convenience and safety and security. In terms of significance, shoppers assigned different weightage to each of these factors. The study shed light on interesting insights regarding the expectations of mall shoppers in the city of Raipur. The results though interesting, may be extended to different social, economic and geographic contexts to check the universality. While strategizing, mall developers must assign proportionate effort on the factors based on the respective contribution to shopping experience. In light of intensifying competition in Raipur, the study is significant for future prospects of malls. In the absence of a scientific and objective basis, the developers run risk of making wrong investment and management decisions. This paper is a useful addition to the body of knowledge on management of shopping malls in India and is unique in terms of its focus on mall shoppers in the smaller Indian cities like Raipur.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.575-585
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop predictive models for pressure ulcer incidence using electronic health record (EHR) data and to compare their predictive validity performance indicators with that of the Braden Scale used in the study hospital. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted in a tertiary teaching hospital in Korea. Data of 202 pressure ulcer patients and 14,705 non-pressure ulcer patients admitted between January 2015 and May 2016 were extracted from the EHRs. Three predictive models for pressure ulcer incidence were developed using logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards regression, and decision tree modeling. The predictive validity performance indicators of the three models were compared with those of the Braden Scale. Results: The logistic regression model was most efficient with a high area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) estimate of 0.97, followed by the decision tree model (AUC 0.95), Cox proportional hazards regression model (AUC 0.95), and the Braden Scale (AUC 0.82). Decreased mobility was the most significant factor in the logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models, and the endotracheal tube was the most important factor in the decision tree model. Conclusion: Predictive validity performance indicators of the Braden Scale were lower than those of the logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards regression, and decision tree models. The models developed in this study can be used to develop a clinical decision support system that automatically assesses risk for pressure ulcers to aid nurses.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.97-104
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• 2021

Despite the practical limitations of calculating the amount of inflow and supply related to the operation of agricultural reservoirs, the role of agricultural reservoirs is gradually being emphasized. In particular, as interest in disaster safety has increased, the demand for preliminary measures to prepare for disasters has been rising, for instance, pre-discharging agricultural reservoirs for flood control. The aim of this study is to analyze the plans for the flood season reservoir operation considering pre-discharge period and water level limit. Accordingly, we optimized the simulation of daily storage using the ratio correction factor (RCFs) and analyzed the amount of inflow and supply using K-HAS. In addition we developed the drought determination coefficient (k) as a indicator of water availability and applied it for supplementing the risk level criteria in the Drought Crisis Response Manual. The results showed that it would be difficult to set the water level limit during the flood period in the situation of little water supply for flood control in agricultural reservoirs. Therefore, it is necessary to operate the reservoir management regulations after measures such as securing additional storage water are established in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.27-31
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• 2018

Classification of explosion hazard areas is very important in terms of cost and safety in the workplace handling flammable materials. This is because the radius of the hazardous area determines whether or not the explosion-proof equipment is installed in the electrical machinery and apparatus. From November 6, 2017, KS C IEC-60079-10-1: 2015 will be issued and applied as a new standard. It is important to understand and apply the difference between the existing standard and the new standard. Leakage coefficients and compression factors were added to the leakage calculation formula, and the formula of evaporation pool leakage, application of leakage ball size, and shape of explosion hazard area were applied. The range of the safety factor K has also been changed. Also, in the radius of the hazardous area, the existing standard applies the number of ventilation to the virtual volume, but the revised standard is calculated by using the leakage characteristic value. In this study, we investigated the differences from existing standards in terms of ventilation and dilution and examined the effect on the radius of the hazard area. Comparisons and analyzes were carried out by applying revised standards to workplaces where existing explosion hazard locations were selected. The results showed that even if the ventilation and dilution were successful, the risk radius was not substantially affected.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.191-201
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• 2010

The breakwaters are designed by considering the cost optimization because a human risk is seldom considered. Most breakwaters, however, were constructed without considering the cost optimization. In this study, the optimum return period, target failure probability and the partial safety factors were evaluated by applying the cost optimization to the rubble mound breakwaters in Korea. The applied method was developed by Hans F. Burcharth and John D. Sorensen in relation to the PIANC Working Group 47. The optimum return period was determined as 50 years in many cases and was found as 100 years in the case of high real interest rate. Target failure probability was suggested by using the probabilities of failure corresponding to the optimum return period and those of reliability analysis of existing structures. The final target failure probability is about 60% for the initial limit state of the national design standard and then the overall safety factor is calculated as 1.09. It is required that the nominal diameter and weight of armor are respectively 9% and 30% larger than those of the existing design method. Moreover, partial safety factors considering the cost optimization were compared with those calculated by Level 2 analysis and a fairly good agreement was found between the two methods especially the failure probability less than 40%.