• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.64-86
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• 2010

Korea has had problems with the price and supply of essential drugs such as Gleevec for leukemia, Fuzeon for HIV/AIDS, and Tamiflu for both avian flu and swine flu. The shortage or refusal of patented drugs supply is imposing a heavy burden in not only developing countries but also developed countries. Thinking over the serious results, we need to concern about the limited access to patented drugs by multinational drug companies' patent monopoly especially for pandemic and life threatening diseases. The effective response regarding to pandemic and life threatening diseases. The effective response regarding to pandemic situation requests collaborative and unbiased provisions of all countries in the world, however, sometimes patent monopoly may hinder the efforts. Compulsory licensing has been considered to be a useful alternative to the abuse of patent rights. However, the Korean experiences of compulsory licensing have left some controversial issues in connection with the availability of it in Korea. 'Flexibility' allowed in TRIPS and Doha Declaration has not come into effect in Korea for several reasons. Although the situation shows the limitations of compulsory licensing as a pharmaceutical supply policy, it is clear that compulsory licensing still has the possibilities of enhancing the access to medicines of all countries in need. Through searching the institutionalization process and experiments of compulsory licensing in Korea, this article explores the possibilities and the limits.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2017

The objective of this study is the evaluation of the performance of a large-scale respirometer (LSR) of 17.7 L in the determination of the methane generation rate constant (k) values. To achieve this objective, a comparison between anaerobic (GB21) and LSR tests was conducted. The data were modeled using a linear function, and the resulting correlation coefficient ($R^2$) of the linear regression is 0.91. This result shows that despite the aerobic conditions, the biodegradability values that were obtained from the LSR test produced results that are similar to those from the GB21 test. In this respect, the LSR test can be an indicator of the anaerobic biodegradability for landfill waste. In addition, the results show the high repeatability of the tests with an average coefficient of variance (CV) that is lower than 10%; furthermore, the CV for the LSR is lower than that of the GB21, which indicates that the LSR-test method could provide a better representation of waste samples. Therefore, the LSR method allows for both the prediction of the long-term biodegradation potential in a shorter length of time and the reduction of the sampling errors that are caused by the heterogeneity of waste samples. The k values are $0.156y^{-1}$ and $0.127y^{-1}$ for the cumulative biogas production (GB21) and the cumulative oxygen uptake for the LSR, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.14-24
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to construct and test a hypothetical model of self-management in patients with hemodialysis based on the Self-Regulation Model and resource-coping perspective. Methods: Data were collected from 215 adults receiving hemodialysis in 17 local clinics and one tertiary hospital in 2016. The Hemodialysis Self-management Instrument, the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire, Herth Hope Index and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used. The exogenous variable was social context; the endogenous variables were cognitive illness representation, hope, self-management behavior, and illness outcome. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were performed. Results: The hypothetical model with six paths showed a good fitness to the empirical data: GFI=.96, AGFI=.90, CFI=.95, RMSEA=.08, SRMR=.04. The factors that had an influence on self-management behavior were social context (${\beta}=.84$), hope and cognitive illness representation (${\beta}=.37$ and ${\beta}=.27$) explaining 92.4% of the variance. Self-management behavior mediated the relationship between psychosocial coping resources and illness outcome. Conclusion: This research specifies a more complete spectrum of the self-management process. It is important to recognize the array of clinical resources available to support patients' self-management. Healthcare providers can facilitate self-management through collaborative care and understanding the ideas and emotions that each patient has about the illness, and ultimately improve the health outcomes. This framework can be used to guide self-management intervention development and assure effective clinical assessment.

• Journal of Korea Game Society
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.89-98
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• 2015

The artificial intelligence (AI) of Non-Player Companions (NPC), especially opponents, is a key element to adjust the level of games in game design. Smart opponents can make games more challenging as well as allow players for diverse experiences, even in the same game environment. Since game users interact with more than one opponent in most of today's games, collaboration control of opponent characters becomes more important than ever before. In this paper, we introduce a cooperative strategy based on the A* algorithm for enemies' AI in the Pac-Man game. A survey from 17 human testers shows that the levels with our collaborative opponents are more difficult but interesting than those with either the original Pac-Man's personalities or the non-cooperative greedy opponents.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.235-249
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate how interprofessional education has been designed, implemented, and evaluated in undergraduate programs in nursing through a systematic review. Methods: The literature was searched using the PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane central databases to identify interventional studies including teaching-learning activities among nursing students and other disciplines in English between January 2000 and May 2017. Thirty studies were selected for the analysis. Results: Twenty-four studies out of 30 were designed as a pre-post, no control group, quasi-experimental study design. Interprofessional education learners were primarily engaged in medicine, physical therapy, dentistry, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and respiratory therapy. Patient care related activity was the most frequently selected topic and simulation was the most common teaching-learning method. Evaluation of learning outcomes was mainly based on the aspects of teams and collaboration, professional identity, roles and responsibilities, patient care, and communication skills. Nursing students in 26 out of the 30 reviewed studies were found to benefit from interprofessional education, with outcome effects primarily related to changes in learning outcomes. Conclusion: The development and integration of interprofessional education with collaborative practices may offer opportunities in nursing education for training professional nurses of the future.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.135-139
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• 2014

Purpose: Adult Korean patients on chronic dialysis have a 9-year survival rate of 50%, with cardiovascular problems being the most significant cause of death. The 2011 annual report of the North American Pediatric Renal Trials and Collaborative Studies group reported 3-year survival rates of 93.4% and relatively poorer survival in younger patients. Methods: In this study, we have reviewed data from Korean Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease Registry from 2002 to 2010 to assess survival rates and causes of death in Korean children on chronic dialysis. Results: The overall estimated patient survival rates were 98.4%, 94.4%, and 92.1% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. No significant difference was observed in survival rates between patients on peritoneal dialysis and those on hemodialysis. Patients for whom dialysis was initiated before 2 years of age (n=40) had significantly lower survival rates than those for whom dialysis was initiated at 6-11 years of age (n=140). In all, 26 patients had died; the mortality rate was 19.9 per 1,000 patient years. The most common causes of death were infections and comorbidities such as malignancy and central nervous system (CNS) or liver diseases. Conclusion: The outcomes observed in this study were better than those observed in adults and comparable to those observed in pediatric studies in other countries. To improve the outcomes of children on chronic dialysis, it is necessary to prevent dialysis-related complications such as infection, congestive heart failure, or CNS hemorrhage and best control treatable comorbidities.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.283-291
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• 2016

Over the past decade, hospice and palliative care in Japan have progressed rapidly under the national policies supported by the Cancer Control Act. The numbers of palliative care units/inpatient hospices, hospital palliative care teams, and clinics with a home hospice function have been steadily increasing. The increasing numbers of physicians, nurses, and pharmacists have been certified as specialists in palliative care by national associations. Collaborative efforts have been made to standardize and disseminate educational programs and training opportunities in undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education. Research activities in Japan have markedly contributed to the growing body of evidence, especially in the fields of terminal delirium, terminal dehydration, palliative sedation, care for dying patients, prognostication, communication, psycho-oncology, and regional palliative care programs. This review focuses on major palliative care settings, specialty, national associations, education, and research in palliative care in Japan.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of Problem-based Learning (PBL) in an interdisciplinary college class. This class was run under the theme of 'Nurse Social Content Creators' (NSCC) in the Korean Nurses Association (KNA)'s industry-university collaborative project designed to promote a positive image of nurses among the public. Methods: Study 1 examined changes in perception about nurses among the PBL participants before and after the program. A one-group pre-post test experimental design was applied, and the data were analyzed using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Study 2 identified differences of perceptions of nurses between people who had observed the PBL final presentation and people who had not. A post-test-only with nonequivalent group experimental design was used, and the data were analyzed using a Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Study 1 revealed a significant increase of positive perceptions towards nurses. Study 2 revealed a significant difference between the PBL presentation audience group and the control group. Students who had observed the PBL program showed more positive perceptions of nurses than students who had not. Conclusion: This research is an important study with high practicality in the area of media studies as well as in nursing. The PBL teaching method was proven to be effective in enhancing perceptions of nurses.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.293-302
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• 2023

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the epidemiological trends and challenges in managing tuberculosis (TB) in livestock in Korea from 2013 to 2022. Tuberculosis, caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, is a significant zoonotic disease affecting cattle, deer, and other domesticated animals. Despite the initiation of a test-and-slaughter eradication policy in 1964, TB has continued to persist in Korean livestock, particularly in cattle and deer. This study used data from the Korea Animal Health Integrated System and provincial animal health laboratories to analyze TB incidence in various livestock including different cattle breeds and deer species. The results from 2013 to 2022 showed a peak in TB cases in 2019 with a subsequent decline by 2022. The study highlighted a significant incidence of TB in Korean native cattle and the need for amore inclusive approach towards TB testing and control in different cattle breeds. Additionally, the study underscored the importance of addressing TB in other animals such as goats, wildlife, and companion animals for a holistic approach to TB eradication in Korea. The findings suggest that while the test-and-slaughter strategy has been historically effective, there is a need for adaptation to the current challenges, and learning from successful eradiation stories on other countries like Australia. A collaborative effort involving an expanded surveillance system, active private sector participation, and robust government support essential for the efficient eradication of TB in livestock in Korea.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2024

Background: The rising incidence of dialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has underscored the need for collaboration between plastic surgeons and nephrologists, particularly concerning preoperative and postoperative management for facial reconstruction. This collaboration is essential due to a scarcity of comprehensive information in this domain. Methods: A study initiated in January 2015 involved 10 ESRD cases on dialysis undergoing Mohs micrographic surgery for facial skin cancer, followed by reconstructive surgery under general anesthesia. To ensure surgical safety, rigorous measures were enacted, encompassing laboratory testing, nephrology consultations, and preoperative dialysis admission. Throughout surgery, meticulous control was exercised over vital signs, electrolytes, bleeding risk, and pain management (excluding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Postoperative assessments included monitoring flap integrity, hematoma formation, infection, and cardiovascular risk through plasma creatinine levels. Results: Adherence to the proposed guidelines yielded a notable absence of postoperative wound complications. Postoperative plasma creatinine levels exhibited an average decrease of 1.10 mg/dL compared to preoperative levels, indicating improved renal function. Importantly, no cardiopulmonary complications or 30-day mortality were observed. In ESRD patients, creatinine levels decreased significantly postoperatively compared to the preoperative levels (p< 0.05), indicating favorable outcomes. Conclusion: The consistent application of guidelines for admission, anesthesia, and surgery yielded robust and stable outcomes across all patients. In particular, the findings support the importance of adjusting dialysis schedules. Despite the limited sample size in this study, these findings underscore the effectiveness of a collaborative and meticulous approach for plastic surgeons performing surgery on dialysis-dependent patients, ensuring successful outcomes.