• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.123-136
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• 2024

This study aimed to assess the mobility and thermal comfort of personal protective equipment (PPE) among female healthcare workers, taking into account wearers' physique and PPE protection levels. A total of 16 participants (age: 26.3 ± 8.3 y, height: 161.5 ± 7.3 cm, body weight: 57.1 ± 11.0 kg, BMI: 21.9 ± 3.6), representing diverse body types, underwent four PPE conditions: L (Low_Plastic gown ensemble), M (Medium_Tyvek 400), H (High_Tyvek 800J with Powered Air Purifying Respirator [PAPR]), and E (Extremely high_Tychem 2000 with PAPR, Bib apron, and Chemical-resistant gloves). The mobility protocol consisted of 10 different tasks in addition to donning and doffing. The 10 tasks were repeated twice at an air temperature of 24.3 ± 0.1℃, 59±4%RH. Findings revealed a disproportionate relationship between PPE protection and wearer discomfort. Significant differences in clothing microclimate and total sweat rate were observed between the lowest (L) and highest (E) protection levels (p < 0.01), while distinctions among medium levels were inconclusive. Subjective evaluations favored conditions H and L over M and E (p < 0.05), indicating reduced heat, and humidity, increased comfort, and lower exertion. Instances of mobility discomfort, specially in the small body type group, underscored the need for a suitable PPE size system for Korean adult female medical workers. Furthermore, enhancements in gloves, shoe cover, and PAPR hood designs are essential for improving ease of movement and preventing hindrance.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.293-301
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of bed angles and bed rest time combined with hemostatic methods on discomfort and hemorrhagic complications in patients after transfemoral cerebral angiography. Methods: Data were collected from 93 inpatients following transfemoral cerebral angiography, from April 20 to September 23, 2016. Patients were grouped according to bed angle ($0^{\circ}$ vs. $30^{\circ}$) and bed rest time combined with hemostatic methods (4-hour bed rest after manual compression vs. 2-hour bed rest after applying vascular closure device). Results: There was a significant group differences on discomfort (F=46.44, p<.001). The post-hoc analysis showed the lowest score of discomfort in those with bed angle $30^{\circ}$ and 2-hour bed rest. There was no difference in hemorrhagic complications among 4 groups. Conclusion: The postangiograpy discomfort can be effectively reduced with the least hemorrhagic complications by bed angle $30^{\circ}$ elevation and 2-hour bed rest after applying vascular closure device for those underwent transfemoral cerebral angiography.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.306-319
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• 2013

This study explores various issues of appearance management behavior for plus-size women in Korea with a focus on clothing. In-depth interviews and focused group interviews were conducted with 24 plus-size women. The interviews were recorded and the transcripts were analyzed based on grounded theory. Discomfort was the main phenomenon involving the experience of plus-size women related to appearance management. Psychological as well as physiological/physical discomfort, unmet needs (regarding clothing) and inconvenient shopping experiences were frequently mentioned. Causal conditions for discomfort were obesity, social stigma, and an underdeveloped clothing market for plus-size consumers. Interviewees developed strategies to cope with discomfort (suppressing clothing need, loss of interest in clothing, diversion from clothing needs, sole focus on physical comfort, dress-up and increase in shopping channels, and change in shopping patterns) that depended on contextual conditions (such as duration of obesity and attitudes of people) close to the interviewees. The discomfort of interviewees decreased or continued depending on if they became ambivalent about their obese condition, lost weight, or utilized plus-size specialty stores.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• 제16권6호
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• pp.658-664
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• 2006

Shock vibrations are usually experienced in vehicles excited by impulsive input, such as bumps. The frequency weighting functions of the current standards in ISO 2631 and BS 6841 are to help objectively predict the amount of discomfort of stationary vibration. This experimental study was designed to develop frequency weighting shape for shock vibration having various fundamental frequencies from 0.5 to 16Hz. The specks were produced from the response of single. degree-of-freedom model to a half-sine force input. Fifteen subjects used the magnitude estimation method to judge the discomfort of vertical shock vibration generated on the rigid seat mounted on the simulator. The magnitudes of the shocks, expressed in terms of both peak-to-peak value and un-weighted vibration dose values (VDVs) , were correlated with magnitude estimates of the discomfort. The frequency weighting shapes from the correlation were developed and investigated having nonlinearity due to the magnitude of the shock.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.6-17
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• 2000

Background : This study was attempted to provide a basic information necessary for the development of measures evaluating perceived discomfort of the patients under local anesthesia and the developments of nursing intervention and nursing standard. Method : The study subjects were a convenience sample of 100 surgical patients under local anesthesia. The researcher visited the patients directly and explained the purpose of the study to them. Then they were asked to fill out questionnaires which were developed and structured by the researcher, under their prior permission. Out patient's data were collected at recovery room after operation. Results : Factor analysis on measures evaluating the patients under local anesthesia showed that the measures consisted of eight factors including "explanation", "humane treatment", "motion limitation", "pain", "no togetherness", "waiting", "the environment of operating room", and "unkindness". When analyzing each of the factors regarding their degree of contribution to perceived discomfort, it was found that "waiting" was highest in terms of the degree. According to general chara-cteristics of the sampled patients, the factor of "explanation" contributed to perceived discomfort more in male patients than female ones. Regarding parts of medical examination, the patients of otorhinolaryngology felt perceived discomfort most because of the factor of "pain". Conclusion : To relieve perceived discomfort the patients under local anesthesia require providing individually systematized nursing services which can reduce perceived discomfort according to each of the factors. In doing so, an unlimited attention and much effort should be given to realize CQI reaching the dimension of increase in comfort as well as decrease perceived discomfort.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• 제15권6호
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• pp.38-43
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• 2007

In this paper, a study is described on finding a relationship between discomfort and body pressure distribution. In the first step, experiments were conducted to find correlation between pressure distribution and discomfort. The experiments of 12 people on 9 seats were performed. In the second step, parameters and correlation coefficients were determined between the measured body pressure distribution and median values of the subjective evaluations of 12 subjects using psychophysical power law.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.11-21
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• 1997

The purpose of this study is to obtain 3-dimensional isocomfort workspace using the robot kinematics, which is based on perceived discomfort in varying postures for manipulating four types of controls. Fifteen healthy male subjects participated in the experiment where their perceived discomfort in the given postures was measured, in which L32 orthogonal array was adopted. The shoulder flexion and adduction-abduction, elbow flexion, types of controls, and right/left hands were selected as experimental variables. The results showed that the shoulder flexion and adduction-abduction, elbow flexion, and types of controls significantly affected the perceived discomfort at .alpha. =0.01. Depending upon the types of control used, regression equations predicting perceived dis- comfort and three dimensional isocomfort workspace were suggested based on the experiemntal cata. Using the equations, driver's isocomfort workspace in his/her cabin for pushing operation was illustrated, in which the robot kinematics was employed to describe the translational relationships between the upper arm and the lower arm/hand. It was ecpected that isocomfort workspace could be used as a valuable guideline to design workplaces ergonomically.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.633-640
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• 2016

In a dual lens stereoscopic camera, a convergence point determines the stereopsis effects of a video. When a user zooms an object, a convergence point is fixed since it is not coupled with a zoom function. Due to the fixed convergence point, it is possible for a zoom to cause the excessive binocular disparity resulting in visual discomfort. In this paper, to solve this problem, we build the relational model including all phenomena possible to arise and propose the adjustment methods of a convergence point by the positions of a focus, an object and a convergence point. We also evaluate the experiments measuring a binocular disparity and the subjective test to investigate the visual comfort. The results show that one of the proposed methods produced more comfortable 3D images to viewers than the others.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• 제24권65호
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• pp.31-40
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• 2001

We Propose an improved shovel design to minimize physical discomfort and the risk of cumulative trauma disorder at shoveling tasks. The specifications of shovels in Korean standard data were scrutinized to check if they met the anthropometric specification of Korean population in 1997. We also applied "Body Map" pictograph and self-conscious checklist to field survey to analyze the discomfort of shoveling task. Thirty male subjects whose age were ranging from 18 to 65 voluntarily participated in the experiment. The measurement results show that shoveling workers were exposed to hazards of CTD's. Especially, when workers were involved in ditch digging and construction their trunk vend more than 120 degree. In order to compare the new designed shovel and the traditional K.S shovel, an analysis of variance was performed and we obtained very strong evidence that the new designed shovel was better in reducing physical discomfort. According to the results from electromyograrn experiment the new shovel contributed to improving subjective comfort level and reducing low back muscle fatigue. For futher study, the research may be extended to determine the relationship among shovel sharpness, type, digging motion and digging force.ing force.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 한국정밀공학회 2007년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.165-166
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• 2007