• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.250-258
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between nursing work environment, patient safety culture, and patient safety nursing activities in hemodialysis units at primary care centers. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 116 nurses working in hemodialysis units at 22 primary care centers were enrolled as participants. They were selected them by the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using structured questionnaires that included questions on general characteristics, nursing work environment, patient safety culture, and patient safety nursing activities. Results: The nursing work environment was relatively good; however, the patient safety culture and patient safety nursing activities were poor. A positive correlation was found between nursing work environment, patient safety culture, and patient safety nursing activities. Factors that affect patient safety culture were rated high in the order of nursing work environment and patient safety nursing activities, and factors affecting patient safety nursing activities were rated high in the order of patient safety culture and age. Conclusion: This study showed that the development of tailored patient safety training for nurses in hemodialysis units working in primary care and administrative support from those institutions are needed. In particular, strategies accounting for nurses' characteristics such as age are required to strengthen patient safety nursing activities.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.124-128
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• 2020

Output power of photovoltaic (PV) modules installed outdoors decreases every year due to environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet irradiations. In order to promote the installation of PV modules, the reliability must be guaranteed. One of the important factors affecting reliability is intermetallic compounds (IMC) layer formed in ribbon solder joint. For this reason, various studies on soldering properties between the ribbon and cell have been performed to solve the reliability deterioration caused by excessive growth of the IMC layer. However, the IMC layer of the PV module interconnected by multi-wires has been studied less than using the ribbon. It is necessary to study soldering characteristics of the multi-wire module for improvement of its reliability. In this study, we analyzed the growth of IMC layer of the PV module with multi-wire and the degradation of output power through damp-heat test. The fabricated modules were exposed to damp-heat conditions (85 ºC and 85 % relative humidity) for 1000 hours and the output powers of the modules before and after the damp-heat test were measured. Then, the process of dissolving ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) as an encapsulant of the modules was performed to observe the IMC layer. The growth of IMC layer was evaluated using OM and FE-SEM for cross-sectional analysis and EDS for elemental mapping. Based on these results, we investigated the correlation between the IMC layer and output power of modules.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.241-245
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• 2021

Background: It has been reported that a new type of headache may develop as a result of face mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical features of face mask-related headache during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out on healthcare workers at the Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University. The number of workers at our university was established. Sample size was calculated using the G*Power program. A questionnaire consisting of questions relating to pre-existing headache, an aggravation in headache, and de-novo headache was filled out by 3 neurologists with all participants. Results: Data was collected from a total of 375 participants, after the exclusion of 5 individuals who refused to participate. Out of all participants, 26 (6.9%) used a filtering mask, 274 (73.1%) used a surgical mask, 75 (20.0%) participants used a combination of both masks. The number of participants with preexisting headache was 114 (30.4%) had pre-existing headache. Of those with pre-existing headache, 77 (67.5%) healthcare workers had reported an aggravation in their headache after mask use. De-novo headache was observed in 116 (30.9%) of participants. De-novo headache characteristics included throbbing in 17 (14.7%) participants and pressing in 99 (85.3%) participants. In addition, symptoms such as tachypnea, sleep disturbance, and fatigue were found to be significantly higher. Conclusions: This study indicates that healthcare workers develop headaches due to use of masks during the COVID-19 outbreak.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.77-88
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the dental hygiene students and professors' knowledge and attitudes related to medical ethics and their level of perception of professional ethics education. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study of 330 students and professors in the field of dental hygiene using a structured questionnaire. The sub-factors of knowledge and attitudes related to medical ethics were classified into patient relations, medical and social relations, and individual specialized fields, and analyzed for comparison. Results: In the university curriculum, the professional ethics completion rate was 34.8% for students and 22.1% for professors, but 98.5% of respondents said that professional ethics is important. Their knowledge and attitudes related to medical ethics were average, ranging from 5 points to 3.37 points, followed by "relationships with patients (3.75 points)", "medical and social relations (3.19 points)", and "individual specialties (3.16 points)." Conclusions: Students and professors who major in dental hygiene recognize the importance of professional ethics, but the level of knowledge and attitude related to medical ethics has been found to be moderate. Therefore, it is suggested that medical ethics, including professional ethics, should be treated as an essential subject in the university curriculum.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2021

Objectives: The aim of this scoping review was to analyze research trends about mental health of nurses working in Korean medicine (KM) hospitals in Republic of Korea. Methods: Searches were conducted using four electronic databases including Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Korean Studies Information Service System, Research Information Sharing Service, Korea Citation Index to collect relevant studies. The search date was March 4, 2021. All studies published up to the search date were considered. Observational studies reporting mental health outcomes of nurses working at KM Hospital were included. Results: A total of 11 cross-sectional observation studies were included. Four of them compared mental health of nurses working on KM and Western medicine (WM). Commonly reported outcomes related to mental health were job satisfaction, role conflict, and work stress. As a result of meta-analysis based on a 5-point Likert scale, the following factors were related to mental health of KM nurses: job satisfaction (2.844±0.067 points), role conflict (3.678±0.058 points), work stress (3.142±0.021 points), turnover intention (3.483±0.028 points), and burnout (3.180±0.033). Compared to WM nurses, KM nurses had significantly less work stress (p=0.000), role conflict (p=0.039), and job satisfaction (p=0.000). Conclusions: Mental health problems of nurses are known to be very common. Although improving them is an important social task, studies on mental health of KM nurses remain insufficient. Based on findings of this study, more cooperation between nurses and KM doctors should be made to improve the mental health of KM nurses, especially their job satisfaction in the future. The Korean Society of Oriental Neuropsychiatry needs to pay more attention to this topic.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 2021

Objective: Limited ankle dorsiflexion is related to ankle injuries. There are various exercises to increase the flexibility of the gastrocnemius for improving the passive range of motion in ankle dorsiflexion. However, to performances in daily activities and athletic sports and higher efficiency of walking and running, both ankle dorsiflexion passive and active range of motion are needed. To investigate the effects of combined gastrocnemius stretching and tibialis anterior resistance exercise on ankle kinematics (passive and active range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion) and tibialis anterior muscle activity in subjects with limited ankle dorsiflexion. Design: Cross-sectional single-group repeated measures design. Methods: Fourteen subjects with limited ankle dorsiflexion were recruited (in the right ankle in 7 and the left ankle in 7). All subjects performed gastrocnemius stretching alone and tibialis anterior resistance exercise after gastrocnemius stretching. The passive and active range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion were measured after interventions immediately. The tibialis anterior activity was measured during active range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion measurement. Results: There was no significant difference of ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion between gastrocnemius stretching alone and the tibialis anterior resistance exercise after gastrocnemius stretching. The tibialis anterior resistance exercise after gastrocnemius stretching significantly increased active range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion compared to gastrocnemius stretching alone (p<0.05). The tibialis anterior resistance exercise after gastrocnemius stretching significantly increased tibialis anterior activity better than did gastrocnemius stretching alone. Conclusions: Thus, subjects with limited ankle dorsiflexion should be encouraged to perform tibialis anterior resistance exercises.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.244-248
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• 2021

Background: Sunburn is the main avoidable cause of skin cancer. Beach lifeguards spend many hours exposed to the effects of solar radiation during their work day, precisely at times of the year when levels of solar irradiation are highest. The aim of this study is to quantify the risk to beach lifeguards of sun exposure. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in the Western Costa del Sol, southern Spain, during the summer of 2018. The research subjects were recruited during a skin cancer prevention course for beach lifeguards. All participants were invited to complete a questionnaire on their habits, attitudes, and knowledge related to sun exposure. In addition, ten were specially monitored using personal dosimeters for three consecutive days, and the results were recorded in a photoprotection diary. A descriptive analysis (mean and standard deviation for the quantitative variables) was performed, and inter-group differences were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Two hundred fifteen lifeguards completed the questionnaire, and 109 met the criteria for inclusion in this analysis. The mean age was 23.8 years (SD: 5.1), 78.0% were male, 71.5% were phototype III or IV (Fitzpatrick's phototype), and 77.1% had experienced at least one painful sunburn during the previous summer. The mean daily personal ultraviolet exposure per day, the minimal erythema dose, and the standard erythema dose, in J/m², were 634.7 [standard deviation (SD): 356.2], 2.5 (SD: 1.4) and 6.35 (SD: 3.6), respectively. Conclusion: Beach lifeguards receive very high doses of solar radiation during the work day and experience correspondingly high rates of sunburn. Intervention strategies to modify their sun exposure behavior and working environment are necessary to reduce the risk of skin cancer for these workers and to promote early diagnosis of the disease.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2021

Objective: To control the rate at which body weight drops, forefoot initiates floor contact with the limb relatively extended at each joint. However, when the knee joints could not extend enough with going down the stairs, the forefoot cannot be contact initially. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between forefoot and whole foot in initial contract on soleus and tibialis anterior for health young adults when descending stairs. Design: A cross-sectional observational study design. Methods: Fifteen healthy young adults participated in this study. To compare between forefoot and whole foot in initial contact when going down the stairs, this study measured muscle activation on soleus and tibialis anterior. This study used the paired t-test to analyze the collected data and compare the supporting conditions. Results: After analyzing, the muscle activation of soleus was not statistically significant difference as 25.16% at forefoot initial contact and 24.37% at whole foot initial contact when descending stairs (p>0.05). However, the muscle activation of tibialis anterior muscle was significantly difference was 49.19% at forefoot contact and 71.55% at whole foot contact. Conclusions: The results of this study was that the muscle activation of the tibialis anterior was a higher at whole foot contact than that at fore foot contact when descending stairs. This study suggests that the landing strategy of the initial contact is a beneficial effect at the forefoot contact to maintain the postural balance and the muscle performance effectively when descending stairs in individuals with healthy young adults.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.212-216
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• 2021

Objective: Mirror therapy is one of the promising methods suggested for the upper limb rehabilitation of stroke patients. While mirror therapy was presented to be effective in improving motor function of stroke patients, problems were raised as preceding studies had various methods in applying mirror therapy. Some studies even reported no effect in mirror therapy. Our supposition for the reason of such problems was a decrease of attention on the illusive image during mirror therapy of stroke patients, and we aimed to observe this. Design: A cross-sectional preliminary study. Methods: Three hemiplegic acute patients were recruited for the traditional mirror therapy. It lasted for 30 minutes, and 12 different tasks were asked to perform. All procedures were video-recorded, and Observer XT was used to analyse mirror-gazing time, gaze-distracted time, preparation time, frequency of mirror gazing, frequency of distraction, frequency of preparation for treatment. Results: Subjects spent an average of 4-5 minutes having instructions about the mirror therapy intervention (preparation duration), an average of 11 minutes watching the mirror during therapy (mirror-gazing duration), and the rest of 14-15 minutes looking around the environment (gaze-distracted duration). During the mirror therapy, the number of distracted moments (frequency of distraction) was eight times more than focusing on the mirror (frequency of mirror gazing). Conclusions: Once the patient looks at the mirror, it only lasts about 5 seconds on average. Thus, we confirmed that patients could not concentrate on the illusion during the session and therefore it may have affected the effectiveness of the therapy.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 2021

Purpose: This study is to investigate the muscle activity based on real-time visual feedback training methods by rehabilitative ultrasound image in elderly and correlation between Heckmatt scale grade, muscle tone and thickness. Design: Cross-sectional study: Pilot study Methods: 6 elderly participated in the study with 2 conditions. Under the condition of rehabilitation ultrasound imaging equipment, all subjects performed voluntary maximal muscle contraction of the quadriceps 3 times using visual feedback based on Rehabilitative Ultrasound Imaging 1.0 (RUSI 1.0). Under the condition of only ultrasound images, all subjects performed voluntary maximal muscle contraction of the quadriceps 3 times using ultrasound image-based visual feedback. The muscle thickness and tone of the quadriceps were measured and the grades were classified by Heckmatt scale and all variables were comparative analyzed. Results: Heckmatt scale grade showed a negative correlation with muscle thickness at relaxation (p<0.05), and a negative correlation with the difference value obtained by subtracting muscle thickness at relaxation from muscle thickness at contraction in ultrasound image condition (p<0.05). The muscle tone during relaxation showed a negative correlation with the muscle thickness during relaxation (p<0.05). Conclusion: In the case of voluntary maximum muscle contraction of the quadriceps muscle in the elderly, it can be seen that the muscle thickness is getting larger when the RUSI 1.0-based visual feedback is provided than with only ultrasound image provided. And the lower Heckmatt scale grade is, the thicker the muscle is, and the lower the muscle tone is.