• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2017

'The worstest environment disaster', 'World's first biocide massacre', 'Home-based Sewol ferry disaster' are all phrases attached to the recent humidifier disinfectant disaster. In the spring of 2011, four of 8 pregnant women including 1 adult man passed away at a university hospital in Seoul due to breathing failure. Epidemiologic investigation conducted by the Korean CDC soon revealed the inhalation of humidifier disinfectant, which had been widely used in Korea during the winter, to be responsible for the disease. As well as lung fibrosis hardening of the lungs, other diseases including asthma, rhinitis, skin disease, liver disease, fetal disease or cancers have been researched for their relation with exposure to the products. By February 9, 2017, 5,342 cases had registered for health problems and 1,131 of them were already dead (20.8% mortality rate). Based on studies by government agencies and a telephone survey of the general population by Seoul National University and civic groups, around 20% of the general public of Korea has used these products. Since the market release of the first product by SK Chemical in 1994, over 7.1 million items from around 20 brands were sold up to 2011. Most of the products were manufactured by well-known large conglomerates such as SK, Lotte, Samsung, Shinsegye, LG, and GS, as well as some European companies including UK-based Reckitt Benckiser and TESCO, the German firm Henkel, the Danish firm KeTox, and an Irish company. Even though this disaster was unveiled in 2011 by the Korean government, the issue of the victims was neglected for over five years. In 2016, an unexpected but intensive investigation by prosecutors found that Reckitt Benckiser manipulated and concealed animal tests for its own brand and brought several university experts and company employees to court. The matter was an intense social issue in Korea from May to June with a surge in media coverage. The prosecutor's investigation and a nationwide boycott campaign organized by victims and environmental groups against Reckitt Benckiser, whose product had been used by more than 70% of victims, led to the producer's official apology and a compensation scheme. A legislative investigation organized after the April 2016 national election revealed the producers' faults and the government's responsibility, but failed to meet expectations. A special law for the victims passed the National Assembly in January 2017 and a punitive system together with a massive environmental epidemiology investigation are expected to be the only solutions for this tragedy. Sciences of medicine, toxicology and environmental health have provided decisive evidence so far, but for the remaining problems the perspectives of social sciences such as sociology and jurisprudence are highly necessary, similar to with the Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon events. It may not be easy to follow this issue using unfamiliar terminology from medical and chemical science and the long, complicated history of the event. For these reasons the author has attempted to write this article in a question and answer format to render it easier to follow. The 17 questions are: Q1 What is humidifier disinfectant? Q2 What kind of health problems are caused by humidifier disinfectant? Q3 How many victims are there? Q4 What is the analysis of the 1,112 cases of death? Q5 What is the problem with the government's diagnostic criteria and the solution? Q6 Who made what brands? Q7 Has there been a recall? What is still on sale? Q8 Was safety not checked by any producers? Q9 What are the government's responsibilities? Q10 Is it true that these products were sold only in Korea? Q11 Why and how was it unveiled only in 2011 after 17 years of sales? Q12 What delayed the resolution of the victim issue? Q13 What is the background of the prosecutor's investigation in early 2016? Q14 Is it possible to report new victim cases without evidence of product purchase? Q15 What is happening with the victim issue? Q16 How does it compare with the cases of Minamata disease and Wonjin Rayon? Q17 Are there prevention measures and lessons?

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.430-437
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• 2005

Purpose: The objectives of this study were - First, to determine the normal range of left ventricular end diastolic volume (EDV), end systolic volume (ESV) and election fraction (EF) from gated myocardial perfusion SPECT for Quantitative Gated SPECT (QGS) and 4D-MSPECT (4DM), respectively. Second, to evaluate the relationships between values produced by both software packages. Materials & Methods: Tc-99m MIBI gated myocardial perfusion SPECT were performed for 77 patients (mean age: $49.6{\pm}13.7y$, n=37(M), 40(F)) with a low likelihood (<10%) of coronary artery disease (CAD) using dual head gamma camera (E.CAM, Siemens, USA). Left ventricular EDV, ESV and EF were automatically measured by means of QGS and 4DM, respectively. Results: in QGS, the mean EDV, ESV and EF for all patients were $78.2{\pm}25.2ml,\;27.4{\pm}12.9ml\;and\;66.6{\pm}8.0%$ at stress test respectively, not different from rest test (p>0.05). In 4DM, the mean EDV, ESV and EF for all patients were $89.1{\pm}26.4ml,\;29.1{\pm}12.8ml\;and\;68.5{\pm}6.7%$ at stress test. Most cases in 4DM, there was no significant difference statistically between stress and rest test (p>0.05). But statistically significant difference was found in EF ($68.5{\pm}6.7%$ at stress vs $70.9{\pm}8.0%$ at rest, p<0.05). Correlation coefficients between the methods for EDV, ESV and EF were comparatively high (0.95, 0.93, 0.71 at stress test and 0.95, 0.90, 0.69 at rest test, respectively). However, Bland-Altman plots showed a large range of the limit value of agreement for EDV, ESV and EF between both methods ($-30ml{\sim}10ml,\;-12ml{\sim}8ml,\;-14%{\sim}11%$ at stress test and $-32ml{\sim}5ml,\;-13ml{\sim}13ml,\;-18%{\sim}12%$ at rest test). Conclusion: We found the normal ranges of EDV, ESV and EF for patients with a low likelihood of CAD in both methods. We expect these values will be a good reference to interpret gated myocardial perfusion SPECT. Although good correlation was observed between both methods, they should not be used interchangeably. Therefore, when both programs are used at the same site, it will be important to apply normal limits specific to each method.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.273-275
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• 2017

It has been forty years since the implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) in South Korea. Following the 1977 legislature mandating medical insurance for employees and dependents in firms with more than 500 employees, South Korea expanded its health insurance to urban residents in 1989. Resultantly, total expenses of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) have greatly increased from 4.5 billion won in 1977 to 50.89 trillion won in 2016. With multiple insurers merging into the NHI system in 2000, a single-payer healthcare system emerged, along with separation policy of prescribing and dispensing. Following such reform, an emerging financial crisis required injections from the National Health Promotion Fund. Forty years following the introduction of the NHI system, both praise and criticism have been drawn. In just 12 years, the NHI achieved the fastest health population coverage in the world. Current medical expenditure is not high relative to the rest of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The quality of acute care in Korea is one of the best in the world. There is no sign of delayed diagnosis and/or treatment for most diseases. However, the NHI has been under-insured, requiring high-levels of out-of-pocket money from patients and often causing catastrophic medical expenses. Furthermore, the current environmental circumstances of the NHI are threatening its sustainability. Low birth rate decline, as well as slow economic growth, will make sustainment of the current healthcare system difficult in the near future. An aging population will increase the amount of medical expenditure required, especially with the baby-boomer generation of those born between 1955 and 1965. Meanwhile, there is always the problem of unification for the Korean Peninsula, and what role the health insurance system will have to play when it occurs. In the presidential election, health insurance is a main issue; however, there is greater focus on expansion and expenditure than revenue. Many aspects of Korea's NHI system (1977) were modeled after the German (1883) and Japanese (1922) systems. Such systems were created during an era where infections disease control was most urgent and thus, in the current non-communicable disease (NCD) era, must be redesigned. The Korean system, which is already forty years old, must be redesigned completely. Although health insurance benefit expansion is necessary, financial measures, as well as moral hazard control measures, must also be considered. Ultimately, there are three aspects that we must consider when attempting redesign of the system. First, the health security system must be reformed. NHI and Medical Aid must be amalgamated into one system for increased effectiveness and efficiency of the system. Within the single insurer system of the NHI must be an internal market for maximum efficiency. The NHIS must be separated into regions so that regional organizers have greater responsibility over their actions. Although insurance must continue to be imposed nationally, risk-adjustment must be distributed regionally and assessed by different regional systems. Second, as a solution for the decreasing flow of insurance revenue, low premium level must be increased to an appropriate level. Likewise, the national reserve fund (No. 36, National Health Insurance Act) must be enlarged for re-unification preparation. Third, there must be revolutionary reform of benefit package. The current system built a focus on communicable diseases which is inappropriate in this NCD era. Medical benefits must not be one-time events but provide chronic disease management. Chronic care models, accountable care organization, patient-centered medical homes, and other systems that introduce various benefit packages for beneficiaries must be implemented. The reimbursement system of medical costs should be introduced to various systems for different types of care, as is the case with part C (Medicare Advantage Program) of America's Medicare system that substitutes part A and part B. Pay for performance must be expanded so that there is not only improvement in quality of care but also medical costs. Moreover, beneficiaries of the NHI system must be aware of the amount of their expenditure through a deductible payment system so that spending can be profiled and monitored. The Moon Jae-in Government has announced its plans to expand the NHI system; however, it is important that a discussion forum is created so that more accurate analysis of the NHI, its environments, and current status of health care system, can take place for reforming NHI.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.2
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• pp.27-48
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• 2004

Robert Rauschenberg's artistic career has often been regarded as having reached its culmination when the artist won the first prize at the 1964 Venice Biennale. With this victory, Rauschenberg triumphantly entered the pantheon of all-American artists and firmly secured his position in the history of American art. On the other hand, despite the artist's ongoing new experiments in his art, the seemingly precocious ripeness in his career has led the critical discourses on Rauschenberg's art to the artist's early works, most of which were done in the mid-1950s and the 1960s. The crux of Rauschenberg criticism lies not only in focusing on the artist's 50's and 60's works, but also in its large dismissal of the significance of the imagery that the artist employed in his works. As art historians Roger Cranshaw and Adrian Lewis point out, the critical discourse of Rauschenberg either focuses on the formalist concerns on the picture plane, or relies on the "culturalist" interpretation of Rauschenberg's imagery which emphasizes the artist's "Americanness." Recently, a group of art historians centered around October has applied Charles Sanders Peirce's semiotics as art historical methodology and illuminated the indexical aspects of Rauschenberg's work. The semantic inquiry into Rauschenberg's imagery has also been launched by some art historians who seek the clues in the artist's personal context. The first half of this essay will examine the previous criticism on Rauschenberg's art and the other half will discuss the artist's 1955 work Rebus, which I think intersects various critical concerns of Rauschenberg's work, and yet defies the closure of discourses in one direction. The categories of signs in the semiotics of Charles Sanders Peirce and the discourse of Jean-Francois Lyotard will be used in discussing the meanings of Rebus, not to search for the semantic readings of the work, hut to make an analogy in terms of the paradoxical structures of both the work and the theory. The definitions of rebus is as follows: Rebus 1. a representation or words or syllables by pictures of object or by symbols whose names resemble the intended words or syllables in sound; also: a riddle made up wholly or in part of such pictures or symbols. 2. a badge that suggests the name of the person to whom it belongs. Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged. Since its creation in 1955, Robert Rauschenberg's Rebus has been one of the most intriguing works in the artist's oeuvre. This monumental 'combine' painting($6feet{\times}10feet$ 10.5 inches) consists of three panels covered with fabric, paper, newspaper, and printed reproductions. On top of these, oil paints, pencil and crayon drawings connect each section into a whole. The layout of the images is overall horizontal. Starting from a torn election poster, which is partially read as "THAT REPRE," on the far left side of the painting. Rebus leads us to proceed from the left to the right, the typical direction of reading in a Western context. Along with its seemingly proper title. Rebus, the painting has triggered many art historians to seek some semantic readings of it. These art historians painstakingly reconstruct the iconography based on the artist's interviews, (auto)biography, and artistic context of his works. The interpretation of Rebus varies from a 'image-by-image' collation with a word to a more general commentary on Rauschenberg's work overall, such as a work that "bridges between art and life." Despite the title's allusion to the legitimate purpose of the painting as a decoding of the imagery into sound, Rebus, I argue, actually hinders a reading of it. By reading through Peirce to Rauschenberg, I will delve into the subtle anxiety between words and images in their works. And on this basis, I suggest Rauschenberg's strategy in playing Rebus is to hide the meaning of the imagery rather than to disclose it.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.42
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• pp.293-313
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• 2016

The target stimulating human's sensitivity can include several things; the first is human like us including beautiful women and cute babies. The next ranking is the dog animal that established itself as a human's companion. It is the 3B law(beauty, baby, beast - much used in the ad or election due to the positive image) that is widely used in the advertising. This relationship is being expressed in the art history for a long time. Dogs that have lived a history more than 10 thousand years with humans hunted, protected flock of sheep, and kept the farmer's house and property. They have been human's assistants and companion who entered into the modern urban culture. Like this, dogs have adapted to several situations endlessly such as the nomadic life, farming, country life, and urban life. This paper will explore the close relationship of humans and companion animals through various icons of dogs and pups that appeared through a number of artists' skills. The companion animal means an animal that lives with people, which means the relationship of round-trip rather than the one-way relation those each other gives a help. Therefore, there artist tries to examine the figure of great hunter for survival, highly evaluated figure as the royal dignity, and the mascot-like figure delivering the daily happiness to modern people as presenting joy through a discussion of the 'countenance', a visual signal of the dogs and pups. They have been influenced by screen and popular media in 20C. Snoopy, a main character of and the movie <101 Dalmatians> made a success on the theater and television when Beagle and Dalmatian were prevalent. These main characters make audience feel happy involuntarily. Like this, the continuous and old friendship of the human and dogs will be confirmed again through the icon of dogs and pups consisting of the communication of artists and readers in the modern shape art, and it is hoped to be a psychological stabilizing effect to modern people living in the intense modern society. Therefore, it is expected this study paper will be reborn as a new text and be expanded as an effective communication in the journey of dogs and human in the future in investigating the communion of dogs and human.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.34
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• pp.132-160
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• 2006

The main purpose of this study is based on the comparative analysis over news framing of the family headship(Hoju) abolition in Korean society. This study examined the newspaper articles involving the Hoju abolition, which had been printed on the three major dailies, Chosun, Kukmin, Hankyoreh through February of 1990 to July of 2005. First, the news articles were analyzed and classified on the basis of their lengths, news types, main characters, news framing and systematic framing. Second, the articles that this study looked into were divided into the five major periods when the issue of the Hoju abolition in Korean society surfaced as a main social agenda to be discussed. Third, the main differences between the noticeable frame and unnoticeable frame in each period were analyzed through the three different perspectives which can also can be sub-divided into the six different attributes. This study found that the Hoju abolition as an attribute had developed into political, legal and social fields. The analysis of the research shows that the articles related to the patriarchy abolition showed more dominant frame which reflected the social change or the general tendency of the times. However, the analysis indicates that the articles in the level of an attribute included more dominant frame which mirrored a male chauvinism society. It also points out that the articles contained more dominant frame which was be used as a standard to find out the readers' political inclination. The articles also showed the dominant frame which included the revision and legal process of family laws before presidential or general election campaigns. The study also found that there were major differences among the three dailies. First of all, Chosun, regarded the Hoju as a custom by stressing that 'it is necessary to keep Hoju system to intensify the role and crisis of family if the Hoju will be abolished'. However, Hankyoreh recognized the issue as an important one to improve feminism and female rights by maintaining that 'it is the time to balance the inequality out between men and women with the abolition of patriarchy'. Finally, Kukmin treated the issue as an first step to acknowledge the dignity of females by emphasizing that 'a revision of the law is essential to accept the changing ethics of the times'.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.1640-1648
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the antioxidant activity of bamboo (Sasa borealis) leaf extract by measuring electron donating ability, superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity, reducing power, and lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity. Two crude extracts by water or 70% EtOH and five fractions of n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous from the crude extract of 70% EtOH were prepared for this study. The crude extracts of water and 70% EtOH yielded 8.5% and 11.4%, respectively and the yields of n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions were 5.1% to 0.6%. Total polyphenol contents of the water and the 70% EtOH crude extracts were not significantly different; however, their total flavonoid contents were significantly greater in the 70% EtOH than in the water crude extract. Total polyphenol contents were the highest in chloroform fraction followed by ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions and total flavonoid contents were the highest in ethyl acetate fraction followed by chloroform and n-hexane fractions. The two crude extracts as well as the five fractions showed election donating ability, SOD-like ability, reducing power, and lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity. Most of the antioxidant activities of each crude extract or fractions increased proportionally with the concentration. These results indicate that bamboo (Sasa borealis) leaf extracts show antioxidant activities due to its substantial content of polyphenol including flavonoid. Thus, it could be concluded that crude extracts by water or 70% EtOH and the fractions from the 70% EtOH extract, especially chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol, would be useful as natural antioxidant substances.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.225-232
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• 2004

Purpose : Transient wall motion abnormality and contractile dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV) can be observed in patients with coronary artery disease due to post-stress myocardial stunning. To understand clinical characteristics of stress induced LV dysfunction, we have compared the findings of exercise stress test, myocardial perfusion SPECT and coronary angiography between subjects with and without post-stress LV dysfunction. Materials and Methods : Among subjects who underwent exercise stress test, myocardial perfusion SPECT and coronary angiography within a month of interval, we enrolled 36 patients with post-stress LV election fraction (LVEF) was $\geq5%$ lower than rest (stunning group) and 16 patients with difference of post-stress and rest LVEF was lesser than 1 %(non-stunning group) for this study. Treadmill exercise stress gated myocardial perfusion SPECT was performed with dual head SPECT camera using 740 MBq Tc-99m MIBI and coronary angiography was also performed by conventional Judkins method. Results : Stunning group had a significantly higher incidence of hypercholesterolemia than non-stunning group(45.5 vs. 7.1%, p=0.01). Stunning group also had higher incidence of diabetes mellitus and lower incidence of hypertension, but these were not statistically significant. Stunning group had larger and more severe perfusion defect in stress perfusion myocardial SPECT than non-stunning group(extent 18.2 vs. 9.2%, p=0.029; severity 13.5 vs. 6.9, p=0.040). Stunning group also had higher degree of reversibility of perfusion defect, higher incidence of positive exercise stress test and higher incidence of having severe stenosis ($80{\sim}99%$) in coronary angiography than non-stunning group, but these were not statistically significant. In stunning group, all of 4 patients without perfusion defect had significant coronary artery stenosis and had received revascularization treatment. Conclusion : Patients with post-stress LV dysfunction had larger and more severe perfusion defect and severe coronary artery stenosis than patients without post-stress LV dysfunction. All of the patients without perfusion defect in stunning group had significant coronary artery stenosis and needed revascularization. Therefore, we suggest that invasive diagnostic procedures and therapeutic interventions might be needed in patients with post-stress LV dysfunction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.247-259
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• 1993

The fishing experiment was carried out by the training ship Saebada in order to analyse the mesh selectivity for trawl cod-end, in the Southern Korea Sea and the East China Sea from June. 1991 through August, 1992. The trawl cod-end used in this experiment has the trouser type of cod-end with cover net. and the mesh selectivity was examined for the five kinds of the opening of mesh in its cod-end part. A total of 163 hauls, of which having mesh size 51.2mm ; A 89, 70.2mm ; B 54, 77.6mm ; C 55, 88.0mm ; D 52 and 111.3mm ; E 20 were used respectively. Selection curves and selection parameters were calculated by using a logistic function, S=1/(1+exp super(-(aL+b)) ). The mesh election master curves were estimated by S=1/(1+exp super(-[a(L/M)+$\beta$]) ). and the optimum mesh size were calculated with (L/M) sub(50) of master curve. In these cases 'a' and '$\alpha$' are slope, 'b' and '$\beta$' are intercept. 'L' is body length of the target species of fishes, 'M' is the mesh size, and 'S' denotes mesh selectivity. In this report, the four species of compressed form fishes were taken analized according to fish shape, and 'S' denotes mesh selectivity. In this report, the four species of compressed form fishes were taken analized according to fish shape, and the results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. Red seabream Pagrus major(Temminct et Schlegel) and yellow porgy Dentex tumifrons(Temminct et Schlegel) ; Selection rate in each mesh size of A, B, C, D and E were 99.7%, 97.5%, 91.4%, 76.7% and 57.8% respectively. Selection parameters 'a' and 'b' of mesh sizes C, D and E were 2.65 and -28.62, 4.40 and -77.73, 2.31 and -46.99, and their selection factors were 1.39, 2.10, 1.83 respectively. Selection parameters of master curve '$\alpha$' and '$\beta$' were 3.05 and -5.65 respectively, and (L/M) sub(50) was 1.85. The optimum mesh size of Red seabream was 141mm. 2. Filefish Thamnaconus modestus (Gunther) ; Selection rate in each mesh size of A, B, C, D and E were 99.6%, 98.3%, 91.2%, 80.0% and 48.6% respectively. Selection parameters 'a' and 'b' of mesh sizes C, D and E were 5.82 and -55.10, 2.92 and -36.90, 3.91 and -63.09, and their selection factors were 1.35, 1.44, 1.45 respectively. Selection parameters of master curve '$\alpha$' and '$\beta$' were 3.02 and -4.32 respectively, and (L/M) sub(50) was 1.43. The optimum mesh size was 129mm. 3. Target dory Zeus faber Valenciennes ; Selection rate in each mesh size of A, B, C, D and E were 99.7%, 100%, 83.2%, 91.6% and 65.0% respectively. Selection parameters 'a' and 'b' of mesh sizes C, D and E were 3.85 and -32.46, 4.19 and -57.38, 2.45 and -40.03, and their selection factors were 1.09, 1.56, 1.47 respectively. Selection parameters of master curve '$\alpha$' and '$\beta$' were 2.64 and -3.53 respectively, and (L/M) sub(50) was 1.34. The optimum mesh size was 127mm. 4. Butterfish Psenopsis anomala (Temminct et Schlegel) ; Selection rate in each mesh size of A, B, C, D and E were 99.2%, 34.1%, 46.5%, 14.3% and 2.4% respectively. Selection parameters 'a' and 'b' of mesh sizes B, C and D were 5.35 and -71.70, 5.07 and -69.25, 3.31 and -62.06 and their selection factors were 1.91, 1.75, 2.13 respectively. Selection parameters of master curve '$\alpha$' and '$\beta$' were 3.16 and -6.24 respectively, and (L/M) sub(50) was 1.98. The optimum mesh size was 71mm.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.177-201
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• 2011

Myanmar had fallen behind other southeast asian nations since Burmese way to Socialism settled down. However, historically second election in Myanmar hold in 2011 and dramatic changes in areas such as Special Economic Zone announcement, the very huge inflows of foreign direct investment in a year of 2009, the infrastructure building projects, a permit of the right to strike for Labour Organization in Myanmar etc. Particularly, Foreign investments and trade with neighbouring countries are actively growing and also with Korea. But investments of Korea in Myanmar relatively are not diversity, with limited sectors such as mining and sewing manufacturing. In this point of view, this paper is trying to make implications for strategies of entry and investments of Korea in Myanmar by using previous papers related to Myanmar economies, trade and foreign investments with updated statistical data. The implications for Korea is that recently Myanmar economy is in its early stages of development. Although it can occur huge demand of railway, road, communications and constructions related to social infrastructures essentially needed for development of a country, these sectors relatively need huge investments. On the other hands, textile and sewing industry relatively need smaller investments in which investors can utilize low labour cost and a position for export to third countries. But those firms which set up for those purpose in Myanmar might have trouble creating domestic markets in future. Moreover, due to demand which occur in the early stage of growth in Myanmar, trade volume tend to increase and trading is also possible to invest but Myanmar still have lots of problems with infrastructure such as road and logistics and we need to make pre-survey for the costs and benefits of our products Finally, Myanmar government is trying to promote and encourage some of industries such as export-oriented industry, import substitution industry and labour-intensive industry. It can also means they will accumulate capital which can be sources for Myanmar economic growth.