• Korean Journal of Transplantation
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.193-199
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• 2017

Background: Although there more than 1,000 liver transplantations (LTs) are performed in Korea annually, their immense cost remains a great hurdle. Hence, in an attempt to reduce the medical costs of LT, a program was initiated at a public hospital affiliated with the Seoul National University Hospital. Methods: A total of 11 LTs have been successfully executed since the first LT performed at Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center in July 2011 through December 2014. Results: Nine patients (81.8%) were male and two (18.2%) were female. The mean age of patients was 53.4±11.4 years. Hepatitis B virus-related liver disease (n=6, 54.5%) was the most common causative disease, followed by alcoholic liver disease (ALD) (n=4, 36.4%). The actuarial 3-year survival rate was 90.9%. The median total medical cost of LTs was US $41,583 (calculated from operation to discharge), but only $11,860 was actually charged for patients with health insurance coverage. One female patient who had undergone deceased donor LT for alcoholic liver cirrhosis died during follow-up. This patient was non-compliant with the medical instructions after discharge, and finally expired due to septic shock at 10 months post-LT. Conclusions: In the public hospital, LT was successfully performed at a much lower cost. However, LT guidelines and peritransplant management protocols for patients with ALD must be established before escalating LT at public hospitals since ALD with poor compliance is one of the most common causes of complications at public hospitals.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.83-91
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• 2022

The goal of this study is to promote the spread of environmentally friendly agricultural products, which have been receiving a lot of attention lately, as a way to improve food safety and quality. As a result of the increased labor input, increased production costs, and an aging population, environmentally friendly agriculture is making it more difficult for farmers to expand their enterprises. In the meantime, consumers find it difficult to spread eco-friendly agricultural products due to their high expectations for safety and quality, as well as the desire to purchase products at a reasonable price. Previous studies have revealed differences in perceptions between eco-friendly agricultural producers and consumers. In light of this, this study divided consumers based on their characteristics (such as age, purchase history, health concerns, etc.), and different policies were proposed in order to increase purchasing factors for each group based on their characteristics. In order to gather information for this study, general citizens were asked about their perceptions of eco-friendly agricultural products, future purchase intentions and awareness, reliability, necessity, purpose, and information sources. A two-step clustering analysis was conducted using nominal and continuous variables simultaneously. The paper presents the three derived group differences (senior organic interest group, middle-aged organic interest group, and indifferent young organics) as well as group differences for the purchasing/non-purchasing factor analysis and policy improvement for each group. An eco-friendly agricultural product distribution proposal was made at the end of this article.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.76-84
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• 2022

Purpose: We compared cost-effectiveness parameters between inpatient and home-based hospice-palliative care services for terminal cancer patients in Korea. Methods: A decision-analytic Markov model was used to compare the cost-effectiveness of hospice-palliative care in an inpatient unit (inpatient-start group) and at home (home-start group). The model adopted a healthcare system perspective, with a 9-week horizon and a 1-week cycle length. The transition probabilities were calculated based on the reports from the Korean National Cancer Center in 2017 and Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service in 2020. Quality of life (QOL) was converted to the quality-adjusted life week (QALW). Modeling and cost-effectiveness analysis were performed with TreeAge software. The weekly medical cost was estimated to be 2,481,479 Korean won (KRW) for inpatient hospice-palliative care and 225,688 KRW for home-based hospice-palliative care. One-way sensitivity analysis was used to assess the impact of different scenarios and assumptions on the model results. Results: Compared with the inpatient-start group, the incremental cost of the home-start group was 697,657 KRW, and the incremental effectiveness based on QOL was 0.88 QALW. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the home-start group was 796,476 KRW/QALW. Based on one-way sensitivity analyses, the ICER was predicted to increase to 1,626,988 KRW/QALW if the weekly cost of home-based hospice doubled, but it was estimated to decrease to -2,898,361 KRW/QALW if death rates at home doubled. Conclusion: Home-based hospice-palliative care may be more cost-effective than inpatient hospice-palliative care. Home-based hospice appears to be affordable even if the associated medical expenditures double.

• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.285-292
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• 2016

There are efforts to optimize costs and maximize effectiveness of sports events with changing cognition. Proper organizational structure can be initiative to do these, so there are necessities of propose functional areas at the management perspective. With these background, the purpose of this study is to classify functional areas of Olympic at the management aspect. For this purpose, this study conduct four steps delphi research with total 7 experts. First step, experts conduct categorizing and itemizing based on 69 functional areas of 2016 Rio Olympic. Second step, experts provide opinion about first step results and third step, experts propose their point of view regarding to core issues. Fourth step, experts conduct group discussion for drawing final results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.86 no.6
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• pp.715-730
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• 2023

Broad studies have addressed the issue of structural element damage identification, however, rubber bearing, as a key component of load transmission between the superstructure and substructure, is essential to the operational safety of a bridge, which should be paid more attention to its health condition. However, regarding the limitations of the traditional bearing damage detection methods as well as few studies have been conducted on this topic, in this paper, inspired by the model updating-based structural damage identification, a two-stage bearing damage identification method has been proposed. In the first stage, we deduce a novel bearing damage localization indicator, called element relative MSE, to accurately determine the bearing damage location. In the second one, the prior knowledge of bearing damage localization is combined with sailfish optimization (SFO) to perform the bearing damage estimation. In order to validate the feasibility, a numerical example of a 5-span continuous beam is introduced, also the noise robustness has been investigated. Meanwhile, the effectiveness and engineering applicability are further verified based on an experimental simply supported beam and actual engineering of the I-40 Bridge. The obtained results are good, which indicate that the proposed method is not only suitable for simple structures but also can accurately locate the bearing damage site and identify its severity for complex structure. To summarize, the proposed method provides a good guideline for the issue of bridge bearing detection, which could be used to reduce the difficulty of the traditional bearing failure detection approach, further saving labor costs and economic expenses.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 2024

Faced with aging populations, declining resources, and limited agricultural productivity, rural areas in South Korea require innovative solutions. This study investigated the potential of drone-based vegetation indices (VIs) to analyze soybean growth patterns in open-field smart agriculture in Goesan-gun, Chungbuk Province, South Korea. We monitored multi-seasonal normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the normalized difference red edge (NDRE) data for three soybean lots with different irrigation methods (subsurface drainage, conventional, subsurface drip irrigation) using drone remote sensing. Combining NDVI (photosynthetically active biomass, PAB) and NDRE (chlorophyll) offered a comprehensive analysis of soybean growth, capturing both overall health and stress responses. Our analysis revealed distinct growth patterns for each lot. LotA(subsurface drainage) displayed early vigor and efficient resource utilization (peaking at NDVI 0.971 and NDRE 0.686), likely due to the drainage system. Lot B (conventional cultivation) showed slower growth and potential limitations (peaking at NDVI 0.963 and NDRE 0.681), suggesting resource constraints or stress. Lot C (subsurface drip irrigation) exhibited rapid initial growth but faced later resource limitations(peaking at NDVI 0.970 and NDRE 0.695). By monitoring NDVI and NDRE variations, farmers can gain valuable insights to optimize resource allocation (reducing costs and environmental impact), improve crop yield and quality (maximizing yield potential), and address rural challenges in South Korea. This study demonstrates the promise of drone-based VIs for revitalizing open-field agriculture, boosting farm income, and attracting young talent, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous future for rural communities. Further research integrating additional data and investigating physiological mechanisms can lead to even more effective management strategies and a deeper understanding of VI variations for optimized crop performance.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.596-603
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic performance of ultrasound (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology and core-needle biopsy (US-FNAC/CNB) for the diagnosis of laryngo-hypopharyngeal masses. Materials and Methods: This was a single-center prospective case series. From January 2018 to June 2019, we initially enrolled 40 patients with highly suspicious laryngo-hypopharyngeal masses on laryngoscopic examinations. Of these, 28 patients with the mass involving or abutting the pre-epiglottic, paraglottic, pyriform sinus, and/or subglottic regions were finally included. These patients underwent US examinations with/without subsequent US-FNAC/CNB under local anesthesia for evaluation of the laryngo-hypopharyngeal mass. Results: Of the 28 patients who underwent US examinations, a laryngo-hypopharyngeal mass was identified in 26 patients (92.9%). US-FNAC/CNB was performed successfully in 25 of these patients (96.2%), while the procedure failed to target the mass in 1 patient (3.8%). The performance of US caused minor subclinical hematoma in 2 patients (7.7%), but no major complications occurred. US-FNAC/CNB yielded conclusive results in 24 (96.0%) out of the 25 patients with a successful procedure, including 23 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 1 patient with a benign mass. In one patient with atypical cells in US-FNAC, additional direct laryngoscopic biopsy (DLB) was required to confirm SCC. Among the 26 patients who received US-FNAC/CNB, the time from first visit to pathological diagnosis was 7.8 days. For 24 patients finally diagnosed with SCC, the time from first visit to the initiation of treatment was 25.2 days. The mean costs associated with US-FNAC/CNB was $272 under the Korean National Health Insurance Service System. Conclusion: US-FNAC/CNB for a laryngo-hypopharyngeal mass is technically feasible in selected patients, providing good diagnostic performance. This technique could be used as a first-line diagnostic modality by adopting appropriate indications to avoid general anesthesia and DLB-related complications.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.26-34
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• 2024

Objectives: The successful implementation of the Port Safety Special Act is a very important matter. Now that one year has passed since its introduction, this study aims to review the achievements so far and identify future tasks. Methods: The provisions of the Special Act on Port Safety were analyzed and the latest literature related to port safety management was reviewed. In addition, an in-depth interview was conducted with a business owner. Results: The achievements over the past year are as follows. As business operators took greater responsibility for safety management, blind spots in safety were resolved to an extent. Specialized training for the port unloading industry was provided, and a safety management system was established for unloading docks. In addition, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries was able to intervene in the prevention of safety accidents at ports through the deployment of port safety inspectors. In 2022, the port industry accident frequency and death rate declined compared to the previous year. Conclusions: The "Port Safety Special Act" has become relatively well established in the port industry over the past year. However, since the Serious Disaster Punishment Act was implemented in January of the same year, there is a limit on determining what is necessarily the effect of the Special Act. Future tasks include unifying contracts centered on cargo handling companies, supporting safety management costs, increasing the number of port safety inspectors, producing reliable port disaster statistics, and cooperating between the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2023

Backgrounds/Aims: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-guided gallbladder drainage (ERGD) is an alternative to percutaneous cholecystostomy (PTC) for hospitalized acute cholecystitis (AC) patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed propensity score matched (PSM) AC hospitalizations using the National Inpatient Sample database between 2016 and 2019 to compare the outcomes of ERGD and PTC. Results: After PSM, there were 3,360 AC hospitalizations, with 48.8% undergoing PTC and 51.2% undergoing ERGD. There was no difference in median length of stay between the PTC and ERGD cohorts (p = 0.110). There was a higher median hospitalization cost in the ERGD cohort, $62,562 (interquartile range [IQR] $40,707-97,978) compared to PTC, $40,413 (IQR $25,244-65,608; p < 0.001). The 30-day inpatient mortality was significantly lower in hospitalizations with ERGD compared to PTC (adjusted hazard ratio 0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.1-0.41; p < 0.001). There was no difference in association with blood transfusions, acute renal failure, ileus, small bowel obstruction, and open cholecystectomy conversion (p > 0.05) between hospitalizations with ERGD and PTC. There was lower association of acute hypoxic respiratory failure (adjusted ratio [AOR] 0.46, 95% CI: 0.29-0.72; p = 0.001), hypovolemia (AOR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.49-0.82; p = 0.009) and higher association of lower gastrointestinal bleed (AOR 1.94, 95% CI: 1.48-2.54; p < 0.001) with ERGD compared to PTC. Conclusions: ERGD is a safer alternative to PTC in patients with AC. The risk complications are lower in ERGD compared to PTC but no difference exists based on mortality or conversion to open cholecystectomy.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.73-81
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• 2024

In South Korea, NO_X emissions are a major concern, leading to acid rain and smog, harming both the atmosphere and human health, particularly in urban areas. This study seeks to determine the most advantageous pavement material for NO_X reduction in urban areas and assess whether photocatalytic pavement blocks, proven to reduce NO_X emissions, can serve as a viable alternative to conventional cement pavement blocks. To achieve this, a comparative life cycle cost (LCC) analysis was conducted between photocatalytic pavement blocks and conventional cement pavement blocks installed for their NO_X reduction capabilities. The cost-saving benefits of NO_X reduction were monetized for photocatalytic pavement blocks. The analysis period was based on the least common multiple of the replacement cycles of both pavement materials: 30 years. The results revealed that while photocatalytic pavement blocks initially produce higher installation costs than cement pavement blocks, they offer greater cost savings in terms of total cost and net present value due to their NO_X reduction effect over the life cycle. Additionally, the cost-saving effects of photocatalytic pavement blocks are even more pronounced because their replacement period is 5 years longer than that of cement pavement blocks. This study holds significance in performing an LCC analysis of the previously unanalyzed photocatalytic pavement blocks while also demonstrating their potential as substitutes for cement pavement blocks.