• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the role of the physical environment in task interruptions in the healthcare settings. Many dangerous events such as airplane crash and medical errors are the result of human errors and, these errors are often the result of interruptions during a critical task of professional workers. In fact, the physical environment that determines accessibility and visibility among people affects interruptions significantly, but architectural studies have given little attention to the management of interruptions. Methods: Therefore, the researcher reviewed research literature in other fields to find out how the physical environment affected interruptions. Many studies were from management, human factors, and health care, but few from architecture. First the author examined the impact of interruptions, second described the social context of interruptions and the role of the physical environment. Results: Findings included that description of the physical environment was not very clear in studies from management and human factors, while little work had been done on interruptions in architecture. The author proposed study design that compensated shortcomings of each field by combining approaches from management, human factors, and architecture. Implications: Unit design strategies such as distributed nurse stations can affect interruptions and layout analysis such as space syntax analysis can evaluate visibility and accessibility of floor plans in the preliminary design phase.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

Background: Workflow interruptions during surgery may cause a threat to patient's safety. Workflow interruptions were tested to predict failure in action regulation that in turn predicts near-accidents in surgery and related health care. Methods: One-hundred-and-thirty-three theater nurses and physicians from eight Swiss hospitals participated in a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. The study participation rate was 43%. Results: Structural equation modeling confirmed an indirect path from workflow interruptions through cognitive failure in action regulation on near-accidents (p < 0.05). The indirect path was stronger for workflow interruptions by malfunctions and task organizational blockages compared with workflow interruptions that were caused by persons. The indirect path remained meaningful when individual differences in conscientiousness and compliance with safety regulations were controlled. Conclusion: Task interruptions caused by malfunction and organizational constraints are likely to trigger errors in surgery. Work redesign is recommended to reduce workflow interruptions by malfunction and regulatory constraints.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers A
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2003

In this paper, we propose a reliability evaluation method considering the momentary interruptions of power distribution systems. The results of research are concentrated on two parts. One is the analytic and probabilistic reliability evaluation of power distribution system considering the momentary interruptions and the other is the reliability cost evaluation that unifies the cost of sustained and momentary interruptions. This proposed reliability cost evaluation methodology is also divided into the analytic and probabilistic approach and the time sequential Monte Carlo method is used for the probabilistic method. The proposed methods are tested using the modified RBTS (Roy Billinton Test System) form and historical reliability data of KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation) system. Through the case studies, it is verified that the proposed reliability evaluation and its cost/worth assessment methodologies can be applied to the actual reliability studies.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.476-483
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• 1987

This paper analyzes centralized sampled-data control systems with feedback loops which are closed through a digital computer which generates deadbeat control law. Intermittant computer interruptions result in failure to update the desired deadbeat design procedures for the deadbeat control law under normal operation of the control computer and the assumption of any admissible computer interruption are resented. A method that guarantees asymptotic stability under all admissible computer interruptions also is presented.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.694-700
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• 1992

The digital computer control systems which are used in time sharing control or remote control may experience intermittent interruptions. Further it can be made unstable by the intermittent interruptions of a control computer. This paper presents a mathematical model with intermittent computer interruptions and an unstable output response through simulation. Also it presents to improve the control quality using extrapolation method in interrupt synchronizing feedback path.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2385-2391
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• 2018

This paper is devoted to detecting decomposition characteristics of Iodotrifluoromethane ($CF_3I$) under alternating current (AC) discharges or load current interruptions. The decomposition products are measured utilizing chromatography-mass spectroscopy. It is found that less than 1% $CF_3I$ gas decomposed after several interruptions at load current of 200 A or hundred times of AC discharges. However, under interruptions at a current of 400 A, more than 95% $CF_3I$ gas decomposed into carbon tetrafluoride ($CF_4$) and hexafluoroethane ($C_2F_6$). The equilibrium compositions based on Gibbs free energy minimization of $CF_3I$ was calculated to explain the decomposition mechanism.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.329-337
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• 2015

Background: The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints in Swiss operating room (OR) nurses, and to investigate how work-family conflict, work interruptions, and influence at work are related to lumbar and cervical back pain. Methods: Participants in this correlational questionnaire study included 116 OR nurses from eight different hospitals in Switzerland. Results: We found that 66% of the OR staff suffered from musculoskeletal problems. The most prevalent musculoskeletal complaints were lumbar (52.7%) and cervical pain (38.4%). Furthermore, 20.5% reported pain in the mid spine region, 20.5% in the knees and legs, and 9.8% in the hands and feet. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that work-family conflict (p < 0.05) and interruptions (p < 0.05) significantly predicted lumbar and cervical pain in OR nurses, while influence at work (p < 0.05) only predicted lumbar pain. Conclusion: These results suggest that reducing the work-family conflict and interruptions at work, as well as offering opportunities to influence one's workplace, help to promote OR nurses' health.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.88-104
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• 2024

Purpose: This study explored the suitability of interventions for medication interruption and intervention preferences. Methods: Two rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted with 18 expert panels comprising staff (or charge) nurses, nursing managers, and Quality Improvement (QI) team nurses working in a tertiary general hospital. For 47 situations involving the location of interruption, medication step, and source of interruption, the suitability of three interventions (no-interruption zone, medication safety vest, and education) was evaluated using a 5-point scale. Results: A total of 51 interventions for each situation were found appropriate by satisfying the degree of convergence and consensus. Patients or caregivers, peer nurses, doctors, telephones, and call bells were sources of interruption and were identified as appropriate for the application of interventions. 'Responding to requests and inquiries' by patients or caregivers showed high overall suitability. The nurses' preferred color for the intervention design (no-interruption zone, medication safety vest) is blue text on a yellow background. The priority groups for education related to medication interruptions were patients or caregivers, nurses, and non-nursing staff, in that order. Conclusion: Effective implementation of tailored intervention strategies that consider the specific characteristics of medication interruptions is crucial for mitigating interruptions and enhancing patient safety. Comprehensive educational programs aimed at reducing medication interruptions by improving awareness are necessary. Moreover, future research should evaluate these strategies in clinical settings to ensure their effectiveness in enhancing patient safety.

• Journal of Communications and Networks
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.387-396
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• 2004

One of the main problems associated with MANETs is that mobility and the associated route discovery and maintenance procedures of reactive routing protocols cause severe interruptions on real-time video streams. Some of these interruptions are too large to be concealed using any sort of video technology, resulting in communications breaks unpleasant for the final end user. We present a solution for enhanced video transmission that increases route stability by using an improved route discovery process based on the DSR routing protocol, along with traffic splitting algorithms and a preventive route discovery mechanism. We also present some video adaptative mechanisms that improve the overall performance of multipath routing in terms of video data replication and video packet splitting strategies. Combining our proposals, we achieve up to 97% less interruptions on communication with high mobility and over 1.2 dB of improvements in terms of video distortion.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2002.11b
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• pp.202-205
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• 2002

This paper presents the reliability evaluation methods considering the momentary voltage quality in power distribution systems. The voltage qualify phenomena deal with this paper are sustained and momentary interruptions and voltage sags. Conventional evaluation indices and methods are summarized for the sustained interruptions, and the assessment methodologies of momentary interruptions and voltage sags are proposed. The evaluation methods are divided into the analytical method and Time Sequential Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed methods are tested using the modified RBTS (Roy Billinton Test System) form and historical reliability data of KEPCO system.