compensation for gastric and rectal cancers that occur in workers exposed to asbestos are anticipated in future.]]>
Academies and Institutes ; Aged ; Asbestos ; Biopsy ; Compensation and Redress ; Diagnosis ; Drinking ; Drug Therapy ; Endoscopy ; Gastrectomy ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Occupational Health ; Oxygen ; Power Plants ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Ships ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the high-resolution numerical simulation of the respiration-induced dynamic B0 shift in the head using generalized susceptibility voxel convolution (gSVC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Previous dynamic B0 simulation research has been limited to low-resolution numerical models due to the large computational demands of conventional Fourier-based B0 calculation methods. Here, we show that a recently-proposed gSVC method can simulate dynamic B0 maps from a realistic breathing human body model with high spatiotemporal resolution in a time-efficient manner. For a human body model, we used the Extended Cardiac And Torso (XCAT) phantom originally developed for computed tomography. The spatial resolution (voxel size) was kept isotropic and varied from 1 to 10 mm. We calculated B0 maps in the brain of the model at 10 equally spaced points in a respiration cycle and analyzed the spatial gradients of each of them. The results were compared with experimental measurements in the literature. RESULTS: The simulation predicted a maximum temporal variation of the B0 shift in the brain of about 7 Hz at 7T. The magnitudes of the respiration-induced B0 gradient in the x (right/left), y (anterior/posterior), and z (head/feet) directions determined by volumetric linear fitting, were < 0.01 Hz/cm, 0.18 Hz/cm, and 0.26 Hz/cm, respectively. These compared favorably with previous reports. We found that simulation voxel sizes greater than 5 mm can produce unreliable results. CONCLUSION: We have presented an efficient simulation framework for respiration-induced B0 variation in the head. The method can be used to predict B0 shifts with high spatiotemporal resolution under different breathing conditions and aid in the design of dynamic B0 compensation strategies.
Brain ; Compensation and Redress ; Head ; Human Body ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Methods ; Respiration ; Torso

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the current difficulties surrounding children's obesity management and evaluate the application of a mobile phone as a tool to overcome such difficulties of obesity management from the perspective of main caregivers of elementary school students. METHODS: The qualitative data were collected through 3 focus group interviews including 6 full-time housewives, 7 mothers with overweight children, and 4 working mothers. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach. RESULTS: The limitations of current children's obesity management included difficulty in diet management and exercise as well as challenges of setting goals and lack of support at the household and school levels. Mobile technology may be useful to overcome the current problems by providing real-time knowledge on diet management and physical activity, online compensation scheme according to goal setting, and interactive environmental supports at both household and school levels for promoting overall health. CONCLUSIONS: The mobile-based multiple support program may assist in overcoming the current limitations of child obesity management by providing tailored information and by creating a more supportive environment.
Caregivers ; Cell Phones ; Child ; Compensation and Redress ; Diet ; Family Characteristics ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Mothers ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Parents ; Pediatric Obesity

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the current difficulties surrounding children's obesity management and evaluate the application of a mobile phone as a tool to overcome such difficulties of obesity management from the perspective of main caregivers of elementary school students. METHODS: The qualitative data were collected through 3 focus group interviews including 6 full-time housewives, 7 mothers with overweight children, and 4 working mothers. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach. RESULTS: The limitations of current children's obesity management included difficulty in diet management and exercise as well as challenges of setting goals and lack of support at the household and school levels. Mobile technology may be useful to overcome the current problems by providing real-time knowledge on diet management and physical activity, online compensation scheme according to goal setting, and interactive environmental supports at both household and school levels for promoting overall health. CONCLUSIONS: The mobile-based multiple support program may assist in overcoming the current limitations of child obesity management by providing tailored information and by creating a more supportive environment.
Caregivers ; Cell Phones ; Child ; Compensation and Redress ; Diet ; Family Characteristics ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Mothers ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Parents ; Pediatric Obesity

BACKGROUND: The mandibular third molar (M3) is typically the last permanent tooth to erupt because of insufficient space and thick soft tissues covering its surface. Problems such as alveolar bone loss, development of a periodontal pocket, exposure of cementum, gingival recession, and dental caries can be found in the adjacent second molars (M2) following M3 extraction. The specific aims of the study were to assess the amount and rate of bone regeneration on the distal surface of M2 and to evaluate the aspects of bone regeneration in terms of varying degree of impaction. METHODS: Four series of panoramic radiographic images were obtained from the selected cases, including images from the first visit, immediately after extraction, 6 weeks, and 6 months after extraction. ImageJ software® (NIH, USA) was used to measure linear distance from the region of interest to the distal root of the adjacent M2. Radiographic infrabony defect (RID) values were calculated from the measured radiographic bone height and cementoenamel junction with distortion compensation. Repeated measures of analysis of variance and one-way analysis of variance were conducted to analyze the statistical significant difference between RID and time, and a Spearman correlation test was conducted to assess the relationship between Pederson’s difficulty index (DI) and RID. RESULTS: A large RID (> 6 mm) can be reduced gradually and consistently over time. More than half of the samples recovered nearly to their normal healthy condition (RID ≤ 3 mm) by the 6-month follow-up. DI affected the first 6 weeks of post-extraction period and only showed a significant positive correlation with respect to the difference between baseline and final RID. CONCLUSIONS: Additional treatments on M2 for a minimum of 6 months after an M3 extraction could be recommended. Although DI may affect bone regeneration during the early healing period, further study is required to elucidate any possible factors associated with the healing process. The DI does not cause any long-term adverse effects on bone regeneration after surgical extraction.
Alveolar Bone Loss ; Bone Regeneration ; Compensation and Redress ; Dental Caries ; Dental Cementum ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gingival Recession ; Molar ; Molar, Third ; Periodontal Pocket ; Retrospective Studies ; Tooth ; Tooth Cervix

The aim of this study is to analyze the current status and performance evaluation systems of faculty in Korean medical colleges and professional graduate medical schools (called medical schools). We developed a research tool based on previous studies and distributed it to 40 medical schools from July to October 2017. The response rate was 100%. We calculated the number of faculty members and analyzed the faculty evaluation systems and awareness according to national and private medical schools. As of 2017, the number of medical faculty in Korea was 11,111 (4,973 faculty were employed by their alma mater, which is 44.76% of the total), with non-medical doctor faculty accounting for 754 of the total. The medical schools reflect research achievements as most important for re-appointment and screening to promote faculty, and the area of education is secondary excepting clinical faculty of private medical schools. However, important issues in the faculty evaluation deal with the relevance of research achievement and the need for qualitative assessment. Some medical schools revised or have been revising the faculty evaluation system in areas such as minimum standards of education for promotion and separation of promotion and tenure review. Opening non-tenure track lines for faculty show positive effects such as increasing the number of positions for hire and easing the financial burdens of medical schools. Downfalls include inconsistencies between the responsibilities and actual practices of tenure not being available and the instability of faculty's status. In conclusion, medical schools need to prepare a faculty evaluation system that fits the position of faculty members and attempt to establish a reasonable compensation system.
Compensation and Redress ; Education ; Faculty, Medical ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Reward ; Schools, Medical ; Social Responsibility

The vestibular symptoms such as dizziness and imbalance that occurred after traumatic head/brain injury were caused by a combination of central factors such as abnormalities of white matter, diffuse axonal injury and microhemorrhage, and peripheral factors like decreased vestibulo-ocular reflex caused by the energy transmitted to the semicircular canal and otolith organs. These symptoms can affect on the patient's overall physical, cognitive, emotional, and quality of life. There have been reports that vestibular rehabilitation for the treatment of dizziness and imbalance after head trauma can promote vestibular compensation, stabilize of the gaze movements, and also affect the treatment outcomes of the associated injuries. The frequency, duration, and number of people participating in vestibular rehabilitation varied with each study, and physical therapy, occupational therapy, cognitive counseling, medication treatment, duration of treatment for associated injuries were also variable. Most studies have shown that many patients who get the vestibular rehabilitation have a significantly reduced time to return to work and sports activities, and may be able to speed up the recovery of vestibular symptoms. However, further research is needed on its long-term effects. In addition, patients with traumatic head/brain injuries are more susceptible to injuries of other organs as well as vestibular disorders, therefore consideration of treatment planning for associated injuries including precise evaluation mental support, and cognitive therapy is expected to be more effective with vestibular rehabilitation therapy.
Cognitive Therapy ; Compensation and Redress ; Counseling ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Diffuse Axonal Injury ; Dizziness ; Head ; Humans ; Occupational Therapy ; Otolithic Membrane ; Quality of Life ; Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular ; Rehabilitation ; Return to Work ; Semicircular Canals ; Sports ; White Matter

BACKGROUND: Motorcycles are one of the important members of commercial transportation because of the convenient use during congested traffic conditions and the ease of parking in narrow streets. This study investigates the characteristics of crashes and traffic signal violations caused by motorcycle couriers. METHODS: From the national compensation data, this study analyzed the traffic crashes caused by 671 motorcycle couriers. RESULTS: Among 671 injured couriers, 50.6% were aged less than 40 years, 49.2% run in a small business of < 5 employees, and 47.2% had work experience of < 6 months. Motorcycle crashes occurred mainly due to “rider overturned alone” (67.5%), in the daytime (73.5%), or on cloudy or clear days (77.2%). However, the violation rate caused by motorcycle couriers was high in couriers in a small business of < 5 employees (13.9%), with work experience of < 6 months (13.9%), on cloudy or clear days (12.4%), on an intersection (29.8%), in the type of “crash with a vehicle” (31.2%), or in a death accident (35.7%). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study can be used as a baseline in devising policies for preventing crashes of motorcycle couriers.
Compensation and Redress ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Motorcycles ; Occupational Injuries ; Small Business ; Transportation

The horse stable hand workers are one of the most important occupations in horse-racing industry. However, suicide problem of the horse stable hand workers in Korea has raised the necessity of new study on how these workers experience mental health problems such as occupational stress and depression in organizational situation. Therefore, this study investigated the occupational stress and depression level of the horse stable hand workers and identified the structural relationship in the horse-racing industry through a detailed interview. A total of 207 horse stable hand workers participated in this study, and occupational stress and depression level were surveyed using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) and Korean version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). The results of this study showed that the occupational stress level of horse stable hand workers was higher than the median of Korean population. The significant difference in occupational stress among the detail job grade was also identified. In addition, 34% of the horse stable hand workers showed high risk of depression, and job demand, organizational system, and inappropriate compensation as the subfactors of occupational stress were showed to mainly affect depression. Although there are some limitations according to the field survey, this study also has significant meaning in that it identifies the relationship between the occupational characteristics of the horse stable hand workers and the mental health. It will be necessary to study the diverse organizational situation and individual mental health for new occupations.
Compensation and Redress ; Depression ; Hand ; Horses ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Occupations ; Suicide

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to describe the types of diseases that developed in semiconductor workers who have registered with the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (KWCWS) and to identify potential common occupational characteristics by the type of claimed disease. METHODS: A total of 55 semiconductor workers with cancer or rare diseases who claimed to the KWCWS were compared based on their work characteristics and types of claimed diseases. Leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and aplastic anemia were grouped into lymphohematopoietic (LHP) disorder. RESULTS: Leukemia (n = 14) and breast cancer (n = 10) were the most common complaints, followed by brain cancer (n = 6), aplastic anemia (n = 6), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 4). LHP disorders (n = 24) accounted for 43%. Sixty percent (n = 33) of registered workers (n = 55) were found to have been employed before 2000. Seventy-six percent (n = 42) of registered workers and 79% (n = 19) among the registered workers with LHP (n = 24) were found to be diagnosed at a relatively young age, ≤40 years. A total of 18 workers among the registered semiconductor workers were finally determined to deserve compensation for occupational disease by either the KWCWS (n = 10) or the administrative court (n = 8). Eleven fabrication workers who were compensated responded as having handled wafers smaller than eight inches in size. Eight among the 18 workers compensated (44 %) were found to have ever worked at etching operations. CONCLUSION: The distribution of cancer and rare diseases among registered semiconductor workers was closely related to the manufacturing era before 2005, ≤8 inches of wafer size handled, exposure to clean rooms of fabrication and chip assembly operations, and etching operations.
Anemia, Aplastic ; Brain Neoplasms ; Breast Neoplasms ; Compensation and Redress ; Environment, Controlled ; Korea ; Leukemia ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Occupational Diseases ; Rare Diseases ; Semiconductors ; Workers' Compensation