• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.149-162
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• 2024

This study is a longitudinal study of female older adults living alone, one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, to determine how their depression changes over time and what factors affect their depression. At the same time, considering that there is a large difference in age among the same older adults, this study divided the female older adults into the young-old and the old-old to see how the predictors of depression in each group differ from each other. The main findings are as follows First, depression among female older adults living alone appears to have a declining pattern over time. In the conditional model, factors affecting the initial level of the depression trajectory among women living alone were found to be associated with lower initial depression values among those living in metropolitan areas rather than non-metropolitan areas, better subjective health, and those who did not exercise. Next, we examined the factors affecting rate of change (slope) in depression among female living alone older adults and found that the higher the age, the larger the metropolitan area, the better the subjective health, the less socializing, and the more socializing, the greater the decrease in depression level. Finally, there were some differences in the pathways affecting the initial value and slope of depression among female older adults living alone between the early and late older adults. Specifically, the higher the initial level of participation in social activities, the greater the change in depression among the late older adults, while there was no significant relationship among the early older adults. In the early older adults, better initial subjective health was associated with a larger change in depression than in the late older adults. Only in the late older adults did those who regularly exercised in the early years have higher initial depression values than those who did not. Based on the results of the above analyses, suggestions were made to reduce depression among female older adults living alone.

• The Journal of KAIRB
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.5-16
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the current status of pediatric assent in nationwide hospitals and to assess the children's comprehension for pediatric assent by interviewing pediatricians/pediatric neurologists to determine whether children of the age (elementary and middle school students) can understand the purpose, risks, benefits, and concepts of voluntary participation in clinical research described in the assent form, and to help improve the administrative efficiency of multicenter clinical trials. Methods: The status of pediatric assent was surveyed online using Google Forms at 141 university hospitals with administrative staff who are members of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) administrative staff subcommittee with in Korean Association of Institutional Review Boards (KAIRB). Additionally, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 7 pediatricians/pediatric neurologists. Survey and interview responses were summarized using descriptive statistics. Results: Out of the 141 institutions surveyed, 35 institutions (24.8%) responded. Among them, 30 institutions (85.7%) reported having age criteria for acquiring pediatric assent forms in the case of children. The age range for pediatric assent acquisition have been from 7 years old to 12 years old (15 institutions, 50%), and from 7 years old to 15 years old (7 institutions, 23.3%). Nine institutions (25.7%) have had criteria for obtaining both parents' consent in cases involving the participation of children. Nineteen institutions (54.3%) have had checklists or guidelines available for use by IRB members in study protocols involving vulnerable research subjects. Three pediatricians/pediatric neurologists have believed that upper-grade elementary school students (5th-6th grade) could comprehensively understand informed consent forms. Two have believed that middle school students would be able to understand them if they included personal information. Two pediatricians/pediatric neurologists have believed that even lower-grade elementary school students (1st-4th grade) could understand the explanations if they were made simpler. Conclusion: It is suggested that not only elementary school students (7-12 years old) but also middle school students (13-15 years old) should receive pediatric assent forms, as it would facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the forms. To enhance the comprehension of assent form content, it is necessary to use age-appropriate words, language, and expressions in the forms hospital. It is also recommended to create comics or videos to make the content of the assent forms more accessible for children.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.273-284
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• 2024

This study investigates the impact of international oil price fluctuations on overseas construction orders secured by domestic and foreign companies. The analysis employs statistical data spanning the past 20 years, encompassing international oil prices, overseas construction orders from domestic firms, and new overseas construction orders from the top 250 global construction companies. The correlation between these variables is assessed using correlation coefficients(R), determination coefficients(R²), and p-values. The results indicate a strong positive correlation between international oil prices and overseas construction orders. The correlation coefficient between domestic overseas construction orders and oil prices is found to be 0.8 or higher, signifying a significant influence. Similarly, a high correlation coefficient of 0.76 is observed between oil prices and new orders from leading global construction companies. Further analysis reveals a particularly strong correlation between oil prices and overseas construction orders in Asia and the Middle East, potentially due to the prevalence of oil-related projects in these regions. Additionally, a high correlation is observed between oil prices and orders for industrial facilities compared to architectural projects. This suggests an increase in plant construction volumes driven by fluctuations in oil prices. Based on these findings, the study proposes an entry strategy for navigating oil price volatility and maintaining competitiveness in the overseas construction market. Key recommendations include diversifying project locations and supplier bases; utilizing hedging techniques for exchange rate risk management, adapting to local infrastructure and market conditions, establishing local partnerships and securing skilled local labor, implementing technological innovations and digitization at construction sites to enhance productivity and cost reduction The insights gained from this study, coupled with the proposed overseas expansion strategies, offer valuable guidance for mitigating risks in the global construction market and fostering resilience in response to international oil price fluctuations. This approach is expected to strengthen the competitiveness of domestic and foreign construction firms seeking success in the international arena.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.229-241
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• 2024

With the advancement of big data processing technology using cloud platforms, access, processing, and analysis of large-volume data such as satellite imagery have recently been significantly improved. In this study, the Change Detection Method, a relatively simple technique for retrieving soil moisture, was applied to the backscattering coefficient values of pre-processed Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery product based on Google Earth Engine (GEE), one of those platforms, to estimate the surface soil moisture for six observatories within the Yongdam Dam watershed in South Korea for the period of 2015 to 2023, as well as the watershed average. Subsequently, a correlation analysis was conducted between the estimated values and actual measurements, along with an examination of the applicability of GEE. The results revealed that the surface soil moisture estimated for small areas within the soil moisture observatories of the watershed exhibited low correlations ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 for both VH and VV polarizations, likely due to the inherent measurement accuracy of the SAR satellite imagery and variations in data characteristics. However, the surface soil moisture average, which was derived by extracting the average SAR backscattering coefficient values for the entire watershed area and applying moving averages to mitigate data uncertainties and variability, exhibited significantly improved results at the level of 0.5. The results obtained from estimating soil moisture using GEE demonstrate its utility despite limitations in directly conducting desired analyses due to preprocessed SAR data. However, the efficient processing of extensive satellite imagery data allows for the estimation and evaluation of soil moisture over broad ranges, such as long-term watershed averages. This highlights the effectiveness of GEE in handling vast satellite imagery datasets to assess soil moisture. Based on this, it is anticipated that GEE can be effectively utilized to assess long-term variations of soil moisture average in major dam watersheds, in conjunction with soil moisture observation data from various locations across the country in the future.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2024

This study investigated whether population dynamic analysis based on the height characteristics of Abies nephrolepis was feasible. It was necessary because existing population dynamic analyses based on age and diameter at breast height (DBH) made it difficult to reflect the slow growth characteristics of Abies nephrolepis in harsh environments of high altitudes. The limitations of population dynamics analysis based on the age and DBH distribution of Abies nephrolepis in Seoraksan, Odaesan, and Taebaeksan National Parks, where Abies nephrolepis populations are representative, were verified, and the characteristics of height growth were investigated to comprehensively analyze whether a vertical structure based on height could reveal the population dynamics. The result of this study showed some limitations in understanding the population dynamics of Abies nephrolepis based on age distribution due to practical difficulties in sampling all trees and variations in age distribution within the same community depending on factors such as light conditions. Moreover, it was challenging to differentiate the distribution of DBH classes at fine levels, making it difficult to reflect the rapid growth characteristics of Abies nephrolepis when light conditions become suitable after prolonged stays in smaller DBH classes under shade conditions. However, a comprehensive analysis of the height characteristics of Abies nephrolepis revealed that the density corresponding to the population dynamic characteristics of Abies was high and adequately reflected the predominant tree death at similar height stages, as well as the U-shaped population dynamics at the lower stratum. Moreover, it was possible to identify a transition point in height values under shaded conditions, where the annual growth of Abies nephrolepis individuals in the lower stratum increases significantly, indicating that Abies nephrolepis individuals can escape from competition with other shrubs and undergo vigorous growth only at this height level. Therefore, this study confirmed that a vertical structure based on height can be utilized to understand the population dynamics of Abies nephrolepis in high altitudes, and it is expected that future studies on height characteristics can intuitively reveal the maintenance status of Abies nephrolepis populations in the field.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2024

The purpose of this study is to examine the radioprotection effect of mixtures of selenium and arginine for development of radioprotection agents that can minimize radiation damage to police special operation unit in the event of radioactive terrorism. In this study 72 male rats were classified into 4 groups: normal group(NC Group), selenium and arginine mixtures administration group(SeAr Group), radiation exposure group(IR Group), and selenium and arginine mixture administration group followed by radiation exposure(SeAr+IR Group). The 7Gy of X-ray was irradiated to whole body of SD rats. And selenium and arginine were dministered orally at 3mg/kg and 150mg/kg once a day for 14 days. And then hematological and histological analyzes were performed on days 1, 7, and 21 after radiation exposure. In hemotological analysis, significant radioprotection wes observed in lymphocytes(p<0.05) on day 1, platelet(p<0.01) on day 7, red blood cell(p<0.01) on day 21 of radiation exposure in SeAr+IR group compared to IR group. In histological analysis, it was observed that the border of small crypt cells in the small intestine was less collapsed and the length of small crypts was relatively recovered on day 7 and showed that the number of cells and cell wall thickness were better in the prostate on day 21 in SeAr+IR group compared to IR group. Therefore, it is judged that selenium and arginine mixtures have radioprotection effect on blood and tissues due to radiation exposure. it will be helpful for research on radioprotection agents to reduce radiation damage to police special operation unit.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.73-81
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• 2024

This study compared the cortical thickness of patients with mood disorders and a control group to assess structural abnormalities. A retrospective study was conducted from September 2020 to August 2022 at the Department of Psychiatry, P Hospital in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do. The study included 44 individuals diagnosed with mood disorders and 59 healthy individuals without any pathological lesions. The 3D-T1 MPRAGE images obtained from magnetic resonance imaging examinations were utilized, and FreeSurfer software was employed to measure cortical thickness. Statistical analysis involved independent samples t-tests to measure the differences in means between the two groups, and Cohen's d test was used to compare the effect sizes of the differences. Furthermore, the correlation between the measured average cortical thickness and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores was analyzed. The research results revealed that patients with mood disorders exhibited decreased cortical thickness compared to the normal control group in both superior frontal regions, both rostral middle frontal regions, both caudal middle frontal regions, both pars opercularis, pars orbitals, pars triangularis regions, both superior temporal regions, both inferior temporal regions, both lateral orbitofrontal regions, both medial orbitofrontal regions, both fusiform regions, both posterior cingulate regions, both isthmus cingulate regions, both superior parietal regions, both inferior parietal regions, both supramarginal regions, left postcentral region, right bank of the superior temporal sulcus region, right middle temporal region, right rostral anterior cingulate region, and right insula region. Among them, regions that showed differences with effect sizes of 0.8 or higher were left fusiform (d=0.82), pars opercularis (d=0.94), superior frontal (d=0.88), right lateral orbitofrontal (d=0.85), and pars orbitalis (d=0.89). Additionally, there was a weak negative correlation between PANSS scores and average cortical thickness in both the left hemisphere (r=-0.234) and right hemisphere (r=-0.230). These findings are expected to be helpful in identifying areas of cortical thickness reduction in patients with mood disorders compared to healthy individuals and understanding the relationship between symptom severity and cortical thickness changes.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.215-235
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• 2024

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology is recognized as a key technology that will determine future national competitiveness, competition for AI technology and industry promotion policies in major countries is intensifying. This study aims to present implications for domestic policy making by analyzing the policies of major countries on the start-up of AI companies, which are the basis of the AI industry ecosystem. The top four countries and the EU for the number of new investment attraction companies in the 2023 AI Index announced by the HAI Research Institute at Stanford University in the United States were selected, The United States enacted the National AI Initiative Act (NAIIA) in 2021. Through this law, The US Government is promoting continued leadership in the United States in AI R&D, developing reliable AI systems in the public and private sectors, building an AI system ecosystem across society, and strengthening DB management and access to AI policies conducted by all federal agencies. In the 14th Five-Year (2021-2025) Plan and 2035 Long-term Goals held in 2021, China has specified AI as the first of the seven strategic high-tech technologies, and is developing policies aimed at becoming the No. 1 AI global powerhouse by 2030. The UK is investing in innovative R&D companies through the 'Future Fund Breakthrough' in 2021, and is expanding related investments by preparing national strategies to leap forward as AI leaders, such as the implementation plan of the national AI strategy in 2022. Israel is supporting technology investment in start-up companies centered on the Innovation Agency, and the Innovation Agency is leading mid- to long-term investments of 2 to 15 years and regulatory reforms for new technologies. The EU is strengthening its digital innovation hub network and creating the InvestEU (European Strategic Investment Fund) and AI investment fund to support the use of AI by SMEs. This study aims to contribute to analyzing the policies of major foreign countries in making AI company start-up policies and providing a basis for Korea's strategy search. The limitations of the study are the limitations of the countries to be analyzed and the failure to attempt comparative analysis of the policy environments of the countries under the same conditions.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2024

In this study, we investigated the migration level of items specified in the Korean Standards and Specifications for Utensils, Containers, and Packages (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Notification) for 50 utensils and hygiene products made of biodegradable resins. Our results revealed that one Polylactide (PLA) baby tableware contained 20 mg/L in consumption of potassium permanganate, exceeding the standard of 10 mg/L or less. In all other samples, formaldehyde, lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) levels could be considered very safe and remained below the standard. Moreover, we tested the PLA baby tablewares (n = 21) for migration into a food simulant (4% v/v acetic acid) upon repeated elution at 100℃ for 30 min or UV irradiation for 2 h. We detected increased formaldehyde and As amounts at the repeated 100℃ treatment for 30 min compared to those upon repeated UV irradiation. However, the migration level was markedly low under both conditions. Furthermore, the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) calculated on an infant-to-child basis from the formaldehyde and As migration at 100℃ for 30 min in the PLA sample was at the maximum value, i.e., 6.0×10^-4 mg/kg b.w./day and 1.3×10^-1 ㎍/kg b.w./day, corresponding to 0.40% and 10.42% of the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI, 0.15 mg/kg b.w./day) and Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI, 9.0 ㎍/kg b.w./week), respectively. Therefore, in this study, we confirmed that biodegradable synthetic resins are safe to use for food.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.63-79
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• 2024

The startup ecosystem is experiencing a paradigm shift in founding due to the acceleration of digital transformation, online platform companies have grown significantly into unicorns, but the lack of differentiated approaches and strategic support for deep tech startups has led to the inactivity of the startup ecosystem. is lacking. Therefore, in this study, we proposed ways to develop domestic startup development policies, focusing on the US system, which is an advanced example overseas. Focusing on the definition and characteristics of deep tech startups, current investment status, success stories, support policies, etc., we comprehensively analyzed domestic and international literature and derived suggestions. In particular, he proposed specific ways to improve support policies for domestic deep tech startups and presented milestones for their development. Currently, the United States is significantly strengthening the role of the government in supporting deep tech startups. The US government provides direct financial support to deep tech startups, including detergent support and infrastructure support. It has also established policies to foster deep tech startups, established related institutions, and systematized support. It is worth noting that US universities play a core role in nurturing deep tech startups. Leading universities in the United States operate deep tech startup discovery and development programs, providing research and development infrastructure and technology. It also works with companies to provide co-investment and commercialization support for deep tech startups. As a result, the growth of domestic deep tech startups requires the cooperation of diverse entities such as the government, universities, companies, and private investors. The government should strengthen policy support, and universities and businesses should work together to support R&D and commercialization capabilities. Furthermore, private investors must stimulate investment in deep tech startups. Through such efforts, deep tech startups are expected to grow and Korea's innovation ecosystem will be revitalized.