• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.393-412
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• 2024

In selecting a disposal site for high-level radioactive waste, the hydrogeological research of the site is very important, and the hydraulic conductivity and the storage coefficient are key parameters. In this study, the hydraulic conductivity obtained by two different types of field hydraulic test equipment and methods was compared and analyzed for the deep granite rockmass in the Wonju area to understand the hydraulic characteristics of the deep granite rockmass. One was to perform the lugeon test, constant pressure injection test, and slug test at a maximum depth of 602.0 m by using the auto pressure/flow injection system, and the calculated hydraulic conductivity ranged from 1.26E-9 to 4.16E-8 m/s. In the overall depth, the maximum and minimum differences of the hydraulic conductivity were found to be about 33 times, and in the same test section, the difference by test method or analysis method was 1.13 to 8.25 times. In the other, the hydraulic conductivity calculated by performing a constant pressure injection test and a pulse test at a maximum depth of 705.1 m using the deep borehole hydraulic testing system was found to be 1.60E-10 to 2.05E-8 m/s, and the maximum and minimum differences were found to be about 130 times. In the constant pressure injection test, the difference depending on the analysis method was found to be 1.02 to 2.8 times. The hydraulic conductivity calculated by the two test equipment and methods generally showed similar ranges as E-9 and E-8 m/s, and no clear trend was observed according to depth. It was found that the granite rockmass in the Wonju area where the field hydraulic test was conducted showed low or very low rockmass permeability, and although there are differences in the range of hydraulic conductivity and the depth of application that can be measured depending on the applied test equipment and test method, it is generally believed that reliable results were presented.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.269-288
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• 2024

The main objective of this study is to empirically explore how the organizational culture influences financial performance of companies. To achieve this, 58 companies included in the KOSPI 200 were selected from an online job platform in South Korea, JobPlanet. In order to understand the organizational culture of these companies, data was collected and analyzed from 81,067 reviews written by current and former members of these companies on JobPlanet over a period of 9 years from 2014 to 2022. To define the organizational culture of each company based on the review data, this study utilized well-known text analysis techniques, namely Word2Vec and FastText analysis methods. By modifying, supplementing, and extending the keywords associated with the five organizational culture values (Innovation, Integrity, Quality, Respect, and Teamwork) defined by Guiso et al. (2015), this study created a new Culture Dictionary. By using this dictionary, this study explored which cultural values-related keywords appear most often in the review data of each company, revealing the relative strength of specific cultural values within companies. Going a step further, the study also investigated which cultural values statistically impact financial performance. The results indicated that the organizational culture focusing on innovation and creativity (Innovation) and on customers and the market (Quality) positively influenced Tobin's Q, an indicator of a company's future value and growth. For the indicator of profitability, ROA, only the organizational culture emphasizing customers and the market (Quality) showed statistically significant impact. This study distinguishes itself from traditional surveys and case analysis-based research on organizational culture by analyzing large-scale text data to explore organizational culture.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.249-260
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• 2024

Background: The Republic of Korea's aging population escalates medical and long-term care costs. While prior research has suggested that long-term care might reduce these costs, these studies had limitations in their subjects and duration, making it difficult to generalize the results. This study aims to evaluate cost changes between the long-term care group and the general older adults group after addressing these limitations. Methods: A cohort was derived from the 2015 national population using stratified sampling. Subsequently, 15,114 individuals (7,557 in each group) were identified through 1:1 propensity score matching. The study employed a difference-in-differences analysis to explore variances in medical costs and long-term care benefits post-utilization of long-term care services. Results: Compared to the general older adults group, the long-term care group experienced a reduction in monthly per capita total medical costs by 56,459 Korean won (KRW). Although costs at tertiary and general hospitals increased, those related to long-term care hospitals decreased by 90,687 KRW. Including long-term care benefits, overall expenditures increased by 948,038 KRW. Conclusion: The analysis reveals that the long-term care group faces higher medical costs in acute care than the general older adults group, emphasizing a greater need for medical services within this group. To meet the increasing medical demands of the long-term care group, a collaborative strategy linking community resources, healthcare, and long-term care facilities is imperative. Additionally, developing and implementing preventive health habit management strategies for middle-aged and older adults is essential to diminish the future requirement for long-term care.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.319-333
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• 2024

Background: This study aims to identify the factors that influence the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) for the elderly living alone and to discuss how to manage CHE for the elderly living alone. Methods: This study utilizes 6th (2016), 7th (2018), and 8th (2020) data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging to identify the incidence rate of CHE among the elderly living alone and conducts a panel logit analysis. The dependent variable is the incidence of CHE (thresholds: 10%, 20%, 30%), and the independent variables include demographic factors (gender, age group, region), socioeconomic factors (education level, economic activity status, income quintile, financial support rate from children), health-related factors (subjective health status, regular exercise, smoking, drinking, number of chronic diseases), and healthcare coverage factors (type of health insurance, private health insurance). Results: Descriptive statistics classified by gender show that female elderly living alone are more vulnerable than male elderly living alone in terms of disease prevalence and socioeconomic status. In addition, the incidence of CHE is higher for elderly women living alone than for elderly men living alone across all thresholds. The main results of the panel logit analysis show that higher education, income quintile, and financial support rate from children are associated with lower odds of CHE, while poorer subjective health and a higher number of chronic diseases are associated with higher odds of CHE. Medical aid recipients are less likely to incur CHE than those covered by national health insurance. Conclusion: The implications of this study are as follows. First, vulnerable elderly living alone with multiple chronic diseases and low income and education levels are more likely to incur CHE. Second, it is necessary to review policies such as a CHE support program and chronic disease management programs focused on vulnerable elderly individuals living alone. Third, the CHE support program should be operated in a patient-centered manner, with consideration given to a customized system for selecting and supporting elderly individuals living alone who are in need.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 2024

This paper aims to examine the effectiveness of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) in attracting and retaining top talent for startups and venture companies in the context of their implementation in July 2024. The study investigates whether RSUs align with their original intent and identifies additional measures to enhance their effectiveness. Additionally, the paper explores strategies to actively adopt and revitalize RSUs in the business field from the perspectives of experts representing key market participants within the early-stage startup ecosystem in Korea. The study employs a three-pronged approach. First, a pre-study examines how RSUs overcome the limitations of existing stock compensation schemes, the benefits they offer, and the key conditions for ensuring market-friendly effectiveness. Second, experts involved in the RSU bill's early stages identify five issues that need to be addressed to ensure the bill's market-friendly effectiveness: RSU vesting conditions, RSU vesting targets, RSU vesting scope, RSU vesting timing, and RSU vesting-related tax benefits. Third, the study conducts an FGI with experts representing key market players in the early-stage startup ecosystem to examine the effectiveness and activation measures of the proposed RSU scheme, RSU adoption within the early-stage startup ecosystem minimizing conflict of interests with existing shareholders such as venture capital investor. Finally, experts emphasize the importance of clearly defining and communicating RSU benefits to businesses for effective RSU activation. This study's significance lies in its derivation of various insights from FGI research on the effective adoption and activation of RSUs within the early-stage startup ecosystem. Moreover, it is expected to provide a methodology for gauging opinion-gathering procedures for new bills introduced to foster startup and venture company growth.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.217-227
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• 2024

In this paper, the factors affecting tissues during fixation on slides were determined by changing the tissue type, fixation time, and temperature. Also, stainability and DNA conservation were evaluated. The tissues selected were parenchymal and intestinal tissue. The stainability was evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin staining and a special stain suitable for the tissue. DNA conservation was evaluated using the DNA integrity number (DIN) for stability evaluation after purity measurement. The results showed that, at all temperatures, as time increased, there was no histomorphological difference and the stainability tended to intensify. The intestinal tissue tended to have less mucosal change and proper muscle layer degeneration. There was little difference in the purity. However, the longer the fixation time, the lower the DIN value for DNA. Significant differences were identified at 25℃ and 50℃. This means that fixation at 4℃ is the more safe for DNA. This experiment confirmed that, between the time and temperature conditions associated with fixation, time had a greater effect on both staining and DNA conservation. The results of this study are expected to provide basic data for future research on the setting appropriate conditions for fixation for histopathological examinations or diagnoses.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2024

Recently, the world has been declaring global carbon neutrality to curb carbon emissions, a major factor in global warming. Therfore, high-tech and clean energy industries such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, batteries, and semiconductors are rapidly developing. The Korean government selected total 33 critical minerals on based of evaluating the supply risk and economic impact of raw minerals essential for national high-tech industries (semiconductors, secondary battery, etc). Among these critical minerals, Copper, Zinc and lead have been used as basic materials in human life from the past to the present and in addition, they are currently used as an essential material for mobile phones, electric vehicles, and batteries. So, I would like to introduce the Las Bambas copper mine within Apurimac porphyry copper metallogenic belt of Peru, which have the world's 2^nd (copper), 4^th (zinc) and 5^th (lead) largest reserves of these critical minerals. Las Bambas copper mine is the world's largest mine with copper reserves of more than 1 billion tons and is joint venture project mine invested by MMG (Minerals and Metals Group, 62.5%), Guoxin international investment company (22.5%) and CITIC metal company (15.0%). This mine mainly produces copper and also produces gold, silver and molybdenum as a by-product. The ore grade of this mine has 0.77% Cu, 0.06 g/t Au, 3.93 g/t Ag and 178 ppm Mo. Mineral resource and ore reserve of this mine have 10.5 million ton Cu (0.61% Cu) and 6.9 million ton Cu (0.73% Cu). So, this mine life is about more than 20 years. The copper mineralization of this mine occurs as skarn type and vein type related with lower limestone of Ferrobamba formation and Cenozoic monzonites.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2007

Purpose : In spite of medical advances, empyema is a serious complication of pneumonia in children. Vaccination practices and antibiotic prescribing practices promote the change of clinical manifestations of empyema and causative organisms. So we made a nationwide clinical observation of 122 cases of empyema in children from 32 hospitals during the 5 year period from September 1999 to August 2004. Methods : Demographic data, and clinical information on the course and management of empyema patients were collected retrospectively from medical records in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Korea. Results : One hundred twenty two patients were enrolled from 35 hospitals. The most frequent age group was 1-3 years, accounting for 48 percent of all cases. The male to female sex ratio was 1.2:1. The main symptoms were cough, fever, respiratory difficulty, lethargy and chest pain in order of frequency. Hematologic findings on admission revealed decreased hemoglobin levels ($10.4{\pm}1.6g/dL$) and increased leukocyte counts ($16,234.3{\pm}10,601.8/{\mu}L$). Pleural fluid obtained from patients showed high leukocyte counts ($30,365.8{\pm}64,073.0/{\mu}L$), high protein levels ($522.3{\pm}1582.3g/dL$), and low glucose levels ($88.1{\pm}523.5mg/dL$). Findings from pleural fluid cultures were positive in 80 cases(65.6 percent). The most common causative agent was Streptococcus pneumoniae. The majority of patients were treated with antibiotics and closed drainage. Some patients needed open drainage (16.4 percent) or decortication (3.3 percent). The mean duration of hospitalization was $28.6{\pm}15.3days$. Conclusion : We analyzed childhood empyema patients during a period of 5 years in Korean children. The most frequent age group was 1-3 years and the most common causative agent was Streptococcus pneumoniaeiae. The majority of patients were treated with antibiotics and close drainage.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.68-92
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• 1995

Recentry the structure of the retail trade have been chanaed with its environmantal changes. Some studies may be necessary on the changing process of environment and fundamental structure analyses of the retail trade. This study analyzes the location of retail trades, inhabitants' behavior in retail tredes and their desirable utilization scheme of them in Kwangju-si. Some study methods, contents and coming-out results are as follows: 1. Retail trades can be classified into independent stores, chain-stores (supermarket, voluntary chain and frenchiise system and convenience store), department stores, cooperative associations, traditional, markets mail-order marketing, automatic vending and others by service levels, selling-items, prices, managements, methods of retailing and store or nonstore type. 2. In Kwangju, the environment of retail trades is related to the consumers of population structure: chanes in consumers pattern, trends toward agings and nuclear family, increase of leisur: time and female advances to society. Rapid structural shift in retail trade has also been occurred due to these social changes. Traditionl and premodern markets until 1970s altere to supermarkets or department stores in 1980s, and various types, large enterprises and foreign capitals came into being in 1990s. 3. The locational characteristics of retail trades are resulted from the spatial analysis of the total population distribution, and from the calculation of segregation index in the light of potential demand. The densely-populated areas occurs in newly-built apartment housing complex which is distributed with a ring-shaped pattern around the old urban core. The numbers and rates of the aged over sixty in Kwangsan-gu and the circumference area of Mt.Moodeung, are larger and higher where rural elements are remarkable. A relation between population distribution and retail trade are analysed by the index of population per shop. The index of the population number per shop is lower in urban center, as a whole, being more convenient for consumers. In newly-formed apartment complex areas, on the other, the index more than 1,000 per shop, meeting not the demands for consumers. Because both the younger and the aged are numerous in these areas, the retail trade pattern pertinent to both are needed. Urban fringes including Kwangsan-gu and the vicinity of Mt.Moodeung have some problems owing to the most of population number per shop (more than 1, 500) and the most extensive as well. 4. The regional characteristic of retail trade is analyzed through the location quotient of shops by locational patterns and centerality index. Chungkum-dong is the highest-order central place in CBD. It is the core of retail trades, which has higher-ordered specialty store including three big department stores, supermarkets and large stores. Taegum-dong, Chungsu-dong, Taeui-dong, and Numun-dong that are neiahbored to Chungkum-dong fall on the second group. They have a central commercial section where large chain stores, specialty shopping streets, narrow-line retailing shops (furniture, amusement service, and gallary), supermarkets and daily markets are located. The third group is formed on the axis of state roads linking to Naju-kun, Changseong-kun, Tamyang-kun, Hwasun-kun and forme-Songjeong-eup. It is related to newly, rising apartment housing complex along a trunk road, and characterized by markets and specialty stores. The fourth group has neibourhood-shopping centers including older residential area and Songjeong-eup area with independent stores and supermarkets as main retailing functions. The last group contains inner residential area and outer part of a city including Songjeong-eup. Outer part of miscellaneous shops being occasionally found is rural rather than urban (Fig. 7). 5. The residents' behaviors using retail trade are analyzed by factors of goods and facilities. Department stores are very high level in preference for higher-order shopping-goods such as clothes for full dress in view of both diversity and quality of goods(28.9%). But they have severe traffic congestions, and high competitions for market ranges caused by their sma . 64.0% of respondents make combined purpose trips together with banking and shopping. 6. For more efficiency of retail-trading, it is necessary to induce spatial distribution policy with regard to opportunity frequency of goods selection by central place, frontier regions and age groups. Also we must consider to analyze competition among different types of retail trade and analyze the consumption behaviors of working females and younger-aged groups, in aspects of time and space. Service improvement and the rationalization of management should be accomplished in such as cooperative location (situation) must be under consideration in relations to other functions such as finance, leisure & sports, and culture centers. Various service systems such as installment, credit card and peremium ticket, new used by enterprises, must also be carried service improvement. The rationalization and professionalization in for the commercial goods are bsically requested.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.537-550
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• 2011

This study was conducted to identify behavioral characteristics of salty food intake according to saline sensitivity of adults living in a rural area. Anthropometry and blood pressure were measured and salt intake-related dietary behavior was surveyed by questionnaires through interviews with 402 subjects aged ${\geq}$ 40 years in Chungcheongbuk-Do, Korea. The percentages of overweight and obese among the subjects were 37.8% and 3.8% respectively. Mean blood pressure of the subjects was in the normal range, but the distribution of subjects who were normotensive, high normal, and hypertensive was 48.7%, 17.7%, and 33.6% respectively. Approximately 27% of all subjects habitually consumed salty food, which was the smallest group, followed by 38.1% normal and 35.1% not-salty food. However, 34.6% of the eldest group of ${\geq}$ 65 years consumed salty food. The saline insensitive group showed a higher percentage of irregular meals, overeating, speed-eating, an unbalanced diet, a preference for fried food, and habitual intake of salty foods. These subjects recognized the risk for eating salty food, but they lacked the will to reduce their salty food intake. Compared to spouses and family members, experts such as doctors, nurses, and dieticians were the most influential for reducing the salty food intake of subjects. Saline sensitive group had relatively better control over salty food intake at every meal, eating out, and even when eating salty food that the spouse preferred. The saline sensitive group ate more frequently vegetables and fruits, whereas the saline insensitive group ate more frequently hot spicy foods. In conclusion, the results suggest that it is necessary to establish a social atmosphere toward reducing salt intake at the level of the government and food industry and to set action plans to be available for nutrition education programs to reduce salt intake nationwide.