• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.261-275
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Prior to implementing a positive list system (PLS), there is a need to establish acceptable daily intake (ADI) and maximum residue limit (MRL) for veterinary drugs that have been approved a few decades ago in South Korea. On top of that, chronic dietary exposure assessment of veterinary drug residues should be performed to determine whether the use of these veterinary drugs would cause health concerns or not. METHODS AND RESULTS: To establish the ADI, the relevant toxicological data were collected from evaluation reports issued by international organizations. A slightly modified global estimate of chronic dietary exposure (GECDE) model was employed in the exposure assessment owing to the limited residual data. Therefore, only the ADI of ephedrine was established due to insufficient data for the other veterinary drugs. Thus, instead of ADI, the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) value was used for the other drugs. Lastly, the hazard index (HI) was calculated, except for etizazole hydrochloride, due to the potential of mutagenicity. CONCLUSION(S): The HI values of ephedrine, menichlopholan, and anacolin were found to be as high as 6.4%, suggesting that chronic dietary exposure to the residues from these uses was unlikely to be a public health concern. Further research for exposure assessment of veterinary drug residues should be performed using up-todate Korean national health and nutrition examination survey (KNHANES) food consumption data. In addition, all relevant available data sources should be utilized for identifying the potentials of toxicity.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.206-215
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• 2014

Objectives: The hospital standardized mortality ratio (HSMR) has been widely used because it allows for robust risk adjustment using administrative data and is important for improving the quality of patient care. Methods: All inpatients discharged from hospitals with more than 700 beds (66 hospitals) in 2008 were eligible for inclusion. Using the claims data, 29 most responsible diagnosis (MRDx), accounting for 80% of all inpatient deaths among these hospitals, were identified, and inpatients with those MRDx were selected. The final study population included 703 571 inpatients including 27 718 (3.9% of all inpatients) in-hospital deaths. Using logistic regression, risk-adjusted models for predicting in-hospital mortality were created for each MRDx. The HSMR of individual hospitals was calculated for each MRDx using the model coefficients. The models included age, gender, income level, urgency of admission, diagnosis codes, disease-specific risk factors, and comorbidities. The Elixhauser comorbidity index was used to adjust for comorbidities. Results: For 26 out of 29 MRDx, the c-statistics of these mortality prediction models were higher than 0.8 indicating excellent discriminative power. The HSMR greatly varied across hospitals and disease groups. The academic status of the hospital was the only factor significantly associated with the HSMR. Conclusions: We found a large variation in HSMR among hospitals; therefore, efforts to reduce these variations including continuous monitoring and regular disclosure of the HSMR are required.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

Objectives : Medical service specialization could have positive effects on their profits and medical service quality. This study was to examine the relationship between medical service specializations and operational performance in hospitals. Methods : We used the National Inpatient Sample data provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2010 to 2013. The hospital operational performance was determined by measuring the specialization level of the hospital based on DRGs. Results : The information theory index was 2.38 in 2010, 2.38 in 2011, 2.37 in 2012, and 2.37 in 2013. A multiple regression model was constructed which showed that if the specialization level becomes higher, it decreases the length of stay per case with an increase in medical expense. Conclusions : Differentiation and concentrated medical service specialization strategy have had a positive effect on the operational performance of hospitals.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.140-151
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• 2023

This study investigated pesticide residues in 367 agricultural products from local food markets in Ulsan. Pesticide residues in these samples were analyzed using multi class pesticide multi-residue methods on the Korean Food Code for 350 pesticides using GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS. Residual pesticides were detected in 79 (21.5%) samples and exceeded maximum residual limits (MRLs) in 4 (1.1%) samples (chwinamul, narrow-head ragwort, green onion, apricot). The range of the hazard index (%) was 0.0000-63.1043%, and values for the pesticides that violated the MRLs were 63.1043 (green onion), 0.5417 (chwinamul), 0.0684 (apricot), and 0.0100 (narrow-head ragwort). This risk assessment study showed that the values of hazard index (%) were less than 100%, indicating that the consumption of these local agricultural food products was not harmful for human health.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.436-441
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• 2007

This study was carried out to evaluate health effects of aircraft noise using THI(Todai Health Index). The questionnaire survey was conducted around the Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, Korea from 8 August to 9 September. Study subjects, 614 residents, were divided into three groups following to the aircraft noise level: under 75WECPNL(area(1)), $75{\sim}80$WECPNL(area(2)) and $80{\sim}85$WECPNL(area (3)). Twelve scale scores are converted to dichotomous variables based on scale scores of 90 percentile value or 10 percentile value in the control group. Logistic regression analysis taking twelve scores converted as the dependent variables and WECPNL(area), age, gender as the independent variables is conducted. Significant dose-response relationships are found in the scale of MOUT, DEPR, NERV, LIFE, where p denotes significance probability of trend test. Factor analysis was carried out and 2 factors are extracted which may be called "somatic factor" and "mental factor". The dose-response relationship with these factors and noise exposure is not clear. But strangely the odds ratio of mental factor in area 2 is the highest and the annoyance of this area is also higher than other areas.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.103-111
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was NIHSS(National Institutes of Health stroke scale) to activities of Daily Living stroke patient. We designed a 17 item neurogic Examination NIHSS use in acute stroke therapy trials. In a study of stroke patient. Assessment were measured by the NIHSS and by the MBI (Modified Barthel Index) to evaluate activities of daily living(ADL). Fifty patients were subject in this study. Collected data analysis were completed by using t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis and Multiple regression analysis. The following were as follow; Among the test of NIHSS(National Institutes of Health stroke scale) was significantly correlated with changes in MBI(Modified Barthel Index) score in 50 stroke patients. Among the subitems of NIHSS, Pupillary Response, a level of consciousness, best motor arm, best motor leg were the best predictors of functional improvement.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.232-235
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• 2018

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the heat stress and semen quality among male workers in a steel industry in Iran and investigate the relationship between heat stress indices and semen parameters. Methods: The study was conducted on workers exposed (n = 30) and unexposed (n = 14) to heat in a steel industry. After obtaining a brief biography of the selected employees, scrotal temperature, oral temperature, and environmental parameters were measured, and their semen samples were analyzed according to the procedure recommended by the World Health Organization. The heat stress indices, including wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and predicted heat strain (PHS), in their workplace were calculated according to environmental parameters (ISO 7243:1989 and 7933:2004, respectively). Results: Time-weighted averages of WBGT and PHS ($35.76^{\circ}C$ and 491.56 $w/m^2{\frac{w}{m^2}}$, respectively) for the exposed group were higher than threshold limit values. The mean difference of environmental, physiological, and semen parameters (exception: pH of semen), and also WBGT and PHS indices were statistically significant (p < 0.05) between the two groups. Mean semen parameters were in the normozoospermic range. WBGT and PHS indices showed significantly "negative" correlation with physiological parameters (scrotal and oral temperature) and most semen parameters (semen volume, sperm morphology, sperm motility, sperm count; p < 0.05); moreover, the correlation of WBGT with these parameters was stronger than PHS. Conclusion: Semen parameters of the studied workers exposed to heat were in the borderline level of normozoospermic range, and their semen parameters were significantly lower than controls. For better assessment of occupational environment concerning physiological and semen parameters in steel industries, WBGT can be a more useful index.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.94-102
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to review existing assessment tools for patients with low back pain and improve them through combination. A total of 314 patients with low back pain participated. Their condition was assessed using the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ), the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPD), and the Back Pain Functional Scale (BPFS). Rasch analysis was applied to identify inappropriate items, item difficulties, and the separation index. In this study, the 'sex life' item of the ODQ (10 items) and the 'sleeping' item of the BPFS (12 items) showed misfit statistics, whereas all items of the QBPD (20 items) were appropriate. After combining the ODQ, QBPD and BPFS, Rasch analysis was applied. The 'pain intensity', and the 'sex life' item of the ODQ and the 'throw a ball' item of QBPD showed misfit statistics. These 3 items were retained for further analysis. The remaining 42 combined ODQ-QBPD-BPFS items were arranged according to difficulty. For all subjects, the most difficult item was 'pain intensity', whereas the easiest was 'take food out of the refrigerator'. As the separation index of 42 combined ODQ-QBPD-BPFS was higher than that of the three questionnaires separately, difficulty of items varied with some need for rearrangement. The results of this study confirmed the possibility and need for a new back pain disability assessment tool, and produced one. Further study is needed to refine the questionnaire in consideration of psychosocial and occupational factors.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.29-43
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• 2023

Background: In the rehabilitation of stroke patients, regular physical activity is very important not only as a treatment for maximal functional recovery but also as a strategy to prevent the recurrence of stroke. The purpose of this study was to objectively measure the amount of physical activity in people with stroke, and to examine the differences in motor and cognitive function according to a level of physical activity. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: Physical activity (GENEActiv), motor function (Fugl-Meyer Assessment), cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Korean version), and the Korean version of Modified Barthel Index were evaluated in adult stroke patients with hemiplegia. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the level of physical activity according to the motor and cognitive function. There was no statistically significant difference in motor and cognitive function according to the level of physical activity, but there was a statistically significant difference in the MBI (p<.01). Conclusion: As a result of the difference in the MBI according to the level of physical activity, it was found that the more moderate to vigorous physical activities are performed, the higher the independence in daily living. These results can be interpreted as that the more often you participate in physical activities such as physical therapy (gait training), the better your independence in ADL. Since regular physical activity participation of adult stroke patients can improve daily living performance, it is considered necessary to participate in physical activities such as continuous physical therapy.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.105-117
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• 2018

This study conducted health assessment and multivariate vegetation analysis using the riparian vegetation index in 30 sites of the Geumgang mainstream and Mihocheon to obtain practical data on the river management of the Geumgang. The result showed that the number of plant communities was 54. The flora was 75 families, 185 genera, 243 species, 2 subspecies, 21 varieties, 2 varieties, and 268 taxa. The riparian vegetation index was 38.3 (3.3; G-D1 ~ 66.7; G-U2, G-U4, and G-M3), and the health of the rivers in this area was evaluated as normal (grade C). The health of rivers was the highest in the upper stream of Geumgang mainstream and lowest in the downstream of Geumgang mainstream. The relationship between riparian vegetation index and chlorophyll-a content was low. The riparian vegetation was divided into five groups of Digitaria ciliaris colony group, Salix gracilistyla colony group, Erigeron annuus colony group, the group dominated by Humulus japonicus, Salix koreensis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, and Phragmites japonica colonies, and the group dominated by Conyza canadensis and Echinochloa crusgalli var. echinata colonies. They had the similar health conditions. The CCA analysis showed that the environmental factors affecting the distribution of vegetation were physical factors such as vegetation area, artificial structure area, waterway area, branch width, channel width, and bank height and the biological factors such as the number of species. As such, it is necessary to maintain the health condition through continuous monitoring where the health condition is high and to apply active measures such as ecological restoration where the health condition is low.