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Many Korean local governments have enacted ordinances that enable resident participation in the supervision of public construction projects, yet an implementation gap persists between the legal framework and actual engagement. This study thus examined causes of and strategies for residents’ participation in defect reporting and the role of resident supervisor using a sequential embedded design. Administrative data from local governments were analyzed, followed by 94 survey data from resident representatives. Awareness about the defect reporting and role of resident supervisor was low, while support and intention for participation were higher. Awareness, perceived ordinance effectiveness, and support for resident participation were associated with intention, whereas financial rewards showed no significant association. These results suggest that insufficient awareness and trust—not lack of motivation—are the primary barriers, indicating the need to shift from offering rewards to targeted communication, procedural transparency, and capacity-building. This study’s contribution is its mixed-methods empirical assessment of this gap, informing the design of resident-participation policies by prioritizing awareness campaigns, procedural transparency, and training for resident supervisors.

In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) holders that employ a chip-type specimen stage have been widely utilized in recent years. The specimen on the microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based chip is commonly prepared by focused ion beam (FIB) milling and ex-situ lift-out (EXLO). However, the FIB-milled thin-foil specimens are inevitably contaminated with Ga + ions. When these specimens are heated for real time observation, the Ga + ions influence the reaction or aggregate in the protection layer. An effective method of removing the Ga residue by Ar + ion milling within FIB system was explored in this study. However, the Ga residue remained in the thin-foil specimen that was extracted by EXLO from the trench after the conduct of Ar + ion milling. To address this drawback, the thin-foil specimen was attached to an FIB lift-out grid, subjected to Ar + ion milling, and subsequently transferred to an MEMS-based chip by EXLO. The removal of the Ga residue was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy.

Focused ion beam method, which has excellent capabilities such as local deposition and selective etching, is widely used for micro-electromechanical system (MEMS)-based in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample fabrication. Among the MEMS chips in which one can apply various external stimuli, the electrical MEMS chips require connection between the TEM sample and the electrodes in MEMS chip, and a connected deposition material with low electrical resistance is required to apply the electrical signal. Therefore, in this study, we introduce an optimized condition by comparing the electrical resistance for C-, Pt-, and W- ion beam induced deposition (IBID) at 30 kV and electron beam induced deposition (EBID) at 1 and 5 kV. The W-IBID at 30 kV with the lowest electrical resistance of about 30 Ω shows better electrical properties than C- and Pt-IBID electrodes. The W-EBID at 1 kV has lower electrical resistance than that at 5 kV; thus, confirming its potential as an electrode. Therefore, for the materials that are susceptible to ion beam damage, it is recommended to fabricate electrical connections using W-EBID at 1 kV.

Construction contract review demands specialized expertise, requiring comprehensive understanding of both technical and legal aspects. While AI advancements offer potential solutions, two problems exist: LLMs lack sufficient domain-specific knowledge to analyze construction contracts; existing RAG approaches do not effectively utilize domain expertise. This study aims to develop an automated contract review system that integrates domain expertise with AI capabilities while ensuring reliable analysis. By transforming expert knowledge into a structured knowledge base aligned with the SCF classification, the proposed structured knowledge-integrated RAG pipeline is expected to enable context-aware contract analysis. This enhanced performance is achieved through three key components: (1) integrating structured domain knowledge with LLMs, (2) implementing filtering combined with hybrid dense–sparse retrieval mechanisms, and (3) employing reference-based answer generation. Validation using Oman’s standard contract conditions demonstrated the system’s effectiveness in assisting construction professionals with contract analysis. Performance evaluation showed significant improvements, achieving a 52.6% improvement in Context Recall and a 48.3% improvement in Faithfulness compared to basic RAG approaches. This study contributes to enhancing the reliability of construction contract review by applying a structured knowledge-integrated RAG pipeline that enables the accurate retrieval of expert knowledge, thereby addressing the industry’s need for precise contract analysis.

As consumers increasingly access takeaway food from restaurants, the importance of reducing the use of single-use plastic has emerged. To investigate this complex process, the current study applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Model (NAM) to discover how this theory and model leads to discovering customers’ behavioral intentions. Data were collected from 436 respondents and reflect people aged 18 years or older who accessed an online food ordering platform within the three months prior to the study data collection. Results present that customers’ attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, awareness of consequences, and personal norms regarding reducing single-use plastic utensils influence consumers’ behavioral intentions. These findings are meaningful to academia in providing insights into the link between consumers’ behavior and reducing the use of single-use plastic utensils in the restaurant context. In addition, this study provides marketing strategies and implications for improving consumers’ awareness of the use of single-use plastic utensils in retail food services.

Bid-rigging has long been a problem in the construction area. This research identified the existing problems in evaluating damages from bid-rigging in Design-Bid-Build (DBB) and lowest-bid construction projects. Traditional econometric assessment based on stochastics requires sufficient historical data to obtain reliable estimates. Thus, it is crucial to collect and analyze data from pertinent projects for its utilization. To ensure the accuracy of the estimation, a substantial amount of data on the outcomes of DBB bids should have been gathered. In many construction projects, that requirement could not be met. Furthermore, econometric analysis cannot reflect the differences caused by the details of individual projects. This study proposes an alternative approach based on detailed cost estimates, weights of major work groups and their historical bid rates when historical data from similar projects are scarce. This approach can reflect the distinct characteristics of individual projects. The proposed model was applied to 23 gas pipeline construction projects under DBB and the lowest bid. This study identified the impacts of the different compositions of major work groups. Bid rates of the main work groups could not only be used to evaluate the damages caused by bid-rigging, but could also be used to determine reliable bid prices and provide a bidding strategy to aid the bidder’s decision-making process in future bids for similar projects.

In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) holders that employ a chip-type specimen stage have been widely utilized in recent years. The specimen on the microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based chip is commonly prepared by focused ion beam (FIB) milling and ex-situ lift-out (EXLO). However, the FIB-milled thin-foil specimens are inevitably contaminated with Ga+ ions. When these specimens are heated for real time observation, the Ga+ ions influence the reaction or aggregate in the protection layer. An effective method of removing the Ga residue by Ar+ ion milling within FIB system was explored in this study. However, the Ga residue remained in the thin-foil specimen that was extracted by EXLO from the trench after the conduct of Ar+ ion milling. To address this drawback, the thin-foil specimen was attached to an FIB lift-out grid, subjected to Ar+ ion milling, and subsequently transferred to an MEMS-based chip by EXLO. The removal of the Ga residue was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy.

In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) holders, which are widely used in recent years, employ a chip-type specimen stage. To prepare the specimen on the microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based chip, focused ion beam (FIB) and ex-situ lift-out (EXLO) techniques has been widely used. However, thin foil specimens prepared using the FIB inevitably contain the contamination induced by Ga+ ions. In particular, when the specimen is heated for real time observation, it is observed that Ga+ ions influence the reaction or aggregate in the protection layer. An effective method of removing the Ga residue is demonstrated using Ar+ ion milling within FIB. In the case of lifting the thin foil specimen from the trench by the EXLO technique, Ga still remained even if Ar+ ion milling was conducted. To avoid this problem, the thin foil specimen was attached to FIB lift-out grid, performing Ar+ ion milling, and then transferred to a MEMS chip using EXLO technique. The removal of the Ga residue was confirmed using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).

Burnout is a form of negative emotional and physical response to job stress. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of burnout among healthcare workers responding to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Korea and to explore correlates of burnout among healthcare workers. A nationwide questionnaire-based survey was conducted from December 1, 2020, to January 29, 2021 on 1425 healthcare workers who worked in one of the 16 healthcare facilities designated for COVID-19 care, in public health centers, or as paramedics in Korea. Burnout was assessed using 16 Korean-adapted items based on the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using the R version 4.1.1 software program. OLBI results indicate clinically exhaustion in 84.5% (1204/1425) and clinically disengagement in 91.1% (1298/1425), and 77.3% (1102/1425) met the score criteria for both the exhaustion and disengagement subscales for burnout. Burnout rate was significantly increased in the group with chronic fatigue symptoms (Fatigue Severity Scale ≥ 3.22) after the outbreak of COVID-19 (OR, 3.94; 95% CI 2.80–5.56), in the female group (OR, 2.05; 95% CI 1.46–2.86), in the group with physical symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-15 ≥ 10) after the outbreak of COVID-19 (OR, 2.03; 95% CI 1.14–3.60), in the group with a higher Global Assessment of Recent Stress scale (OR, 1.71; 95% CI 1.46–2.01), in the group with post-traumatic stress symptoms (Primary Care Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-5 ≥ 2) (OR, 1.47; 95% CI 1.08–2.01), and in the younger age group(OR, 1.45; 95% CI 1.22–1.72). The chronic fatigue symptoms were correlated with cumulative days of care (OR, 1.18; 95% CI 1.02–1.37). The physical symptoms were correlated with average contact hours with COVID-19 patients per day (OR, 1.34; 95% CI 1.17–1.54), and cumulative days of care (OR, 1.21; 95% CI 1.06–1.38). Most Korean healthcare workers suffered from burnout related to excessive workload during the COVID-19 pandemic. During a widespread health crisis like COVID-19, it is necessary to regularly check the burnout status in healthcare workers and reduce their excessive workload by supplementing the workforce and providing appropriate working hours sufficient rest hours.

To investigate the impacts of depression screening, diagnosis and treatment on major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Prospective cohort study including a nested 24-week randomised clinical trial for treating depression was performed with 5-12 years after the index ACS. A total of 1152 patients recently hospitalised with ACS were recruited from 2006 to 2012, and were divided by depression screening and diagnosis at baseline and 24-week treatment allocation into five groups: 651 screening negative (N), 55 screening positive but no depressive disorder (S), 149 depressive disorder randomised to escitalopram (E), 151 depressive disorder randomised to placebo (P) and 146 depressive disorder receiving medical treatment only (M). Cumulative MACE incidences over a median 8.4-year follow-up period were 29.6% in N, 43.6% in S, 40.9% in E, 53.6% in P and 59.6% in M. Compared to N, screening positive was associated with higher incidence of MACE [adjusted hazards ratio 2.15 (95% confidence interval 1.63-2.83)]. No differences were found between screening positive with and without a formal depressive disorder diagnosis. Of those screening positive, E was associated with a lower incidence of MACE than P and M. M had the worst outcomes even compared to P, despite significantly milder depressive symptoms at baseline. Routine depression screening in patients with recent ACS and subsequent appropriate treatment of depression could improve long-term cardiac outcomes.