• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1985-1995
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• 2021

Objective: Although the liver-to-spleen volume ratio (LSVR) based on CT reflects portal hypertension, its prognostic role in cirrhotic patients has not been proven. We evaluated the utility of LSVR, automatically measured from CT images using a deep learning algorithm, as a predictor of hepatic decompensation and transplantation-free survival in patients with hepatitis B viral (HBV)-compensated cirrhosis. Materials and Methods: A deep learning algorithm was used to measure the LSVR in a cohort of 1027 consecutive patients (mean age, 50.5 years; 675 male and 352 female) with HBV-compensated cirrhosis who underwent liver CT (2007-2010). Associations of LSVR with hepatic decompensation and transplantation-free survival were evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards and competing risk analyses, accounting for either the Child-Pugh score (CPS) or Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and other variables. The risk of the liver-related events was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Aalen-Johansen estimator. Results: After adjustment for either CPS or MELD and other variables, LSVR was identified as a significant independent predictor of hepatic decompensation (hazard ratio for LSVR increase by 1, 0.71 and 0.68 for CPS and MELD models, respectively; p < 0.001) and transplantation-free survival (hazard ratio for LSVR increase by 1, 0.8 and 0.77, respectively; p < 0.001). Patients with an LSVR of < 2.9 (n = 381) had significantly higher 3-year risks of hepatic decompensation (16.7% vs. 2.5%, p < 0.001) and liver-related death or transplantation (10.0% vs. 1.1%, p < 0.001) than those with an LSVR ≥ 2.9 (n = 646). When patients were stratified according to CPS (Child-Pugh A vs. B-C) and MELD (< 10 vs. ≥ 10), an LSVR of < 2.9 was still associated with a higher risk of liver-related events than an LSVR of ≥ 2.9 for all Child-Pugh (p ≤ 0.045) and MELD (p ≤ 0.009) stratifications. Conclusion: The LSVR measured on CT can predict hepatic decompensation and transplantation-free survival in patients with HBV-compensated cirrhosis.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.28
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• pp.103-130
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• 2011

This study is the research of enterprise security for raising the profitability and stability of Korean companies in global business environment and strategic cooperation of business. As the scientific technology gets complicated as day goes by and new competitors appear regardless the border in the modern business environment, the situation happens frequently which the huge company hands over their market to the new one armed with the innovative thinking overnight. To survive such new environment, the answer is the change of paradigm regarding business management method at the new point of view. With the low level of security risk management of Korean companies which stick to old habit, the security management which helps the companies secure profits is not affordable. The global village where the population of 7 billions live in 21st century is facing up to the rapid ecological adaptation. The rapid change of climatic environment creates the hundreds of thousands of sufferers in a moment, and we have been watching the millions of livestock are buried alive due to new contagious disease everyday. Such change encourages the humans in global village to change the basic way of living. The business ecosystem which is the basic root for economic life cannot be an exception. To survive the business environment of 21st century, the security risk management at management level is required and the reporting line of companies should be established newly for raising business competing power through security risk management. The companies should bear in mind that they can be disappeared into our old memories overnight if they are not sensitive to the changing environment. Out of new risks for the modern companies, the field especially Korean companies are dealing easily is the security risk. Not like past, the security risk which's size is much more massive and its propagation velocity is very fast is the one of important business risks which the management should take care. Out of security risks which influence on the modern companies significantly, the brand of companies, protection of their reputation, continuity of production and operation and keeping customer's trust are prior to the others. This study offered the suggestion regarding enterprise security and the strategic cooperation of business to deal with such security risk effectively.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 1996

The application of HACCP system, which was adopted by Codex Alimentarius Committee for the safe meat and poultry production, is one of the urgent task for competing in the world trade markets. But there have been no useful analytical studies to identify the causes of contamination in the poultry meat processing plants in Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the potential hazards during the operations by the microbiological examination for the poultry meat processing plant (20,000 birds capacity a day) located in Kangwon province. In spite of air contamination of work places, it may not directly affect the surface contamination of poultry meats. But the risk of Campylobacter jejuni/coli contamination was high. The number of total count was decreased about ten times, but remarkable changes of microbial contamination could not be recognized in each procedure during the operations. The washing water was already contaminated as much as $10^{3-6}CFU/ml$ in SPC before the operations. It means that to keep water tanks hygienic is a primary step to prevent the occurrences of microbial contamination. The overflow and recirculation of water in scalding, washing, and chilling was aslo an important factor for a hygienic control. Based on this study, the followings could be regarded as an important factors for hygenic control in the poultry slaughtering plants on a small scale. The temperature of water used for scalding should be constantly maintained on a required temperature, and the overflow rate of 1~1.5 liter per bird. The carcass surface and the body cavity should be washed thoroughly and the cross-contamination due to facilities, workers, and tools should be prevented. The chilling water sholud be maintained under 5$\circ$C of temperature with ice and overflow, and residual chlorine level of 50 ppm.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.188-195
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• 2016

$17{\alpha}$-Ethynylestradiol (EE2) has gotten growing concerns due to its widely detected in the environment and high estrogenic potency. However, the knowledge on the photochemical behaviors of EE2 in natural waters is still limited. Herein, the photodegradation and estrogenic potency variation of EE2 induced by nitrate were studied using a sunlight simulator consisted by a 300 W medium pressure mercury lamp and 290 nm cut-off filters. It was found that EE2 could be photodegraded at a rate of $0.0193h^{-1}$ in pure aqueous solutions, and the photodegradation of EE2 could be significantly promoted by nitrate. The photodegradation removal rate of EE2 was increased from 9% in Milli-Q water to 85% in 2.0 mM nitrate solutions. Reactive species scavenging experiments demonstrated that the photogenerated $HO{\bullet}$ contributed about 55% to EE2 degradation. Fe(III), Cl- and dissolved humic acid (DHA) could inhibit the photodegradation of EE2 by competing the incident light and photogenerated $HO{\bullet}$, while $HCO_3{^-}$ had no influence on EE2 photodegradation. EE2 was determined to be phototransformed into organic chemicals without estrogenic potency by GC-MS and MCF-7 cell proliferation toxicity tests. These findings could extend our knowledge on the photochemical behaviors of steroid estrogens and provide information for ecological risk assessment.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.1-17
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• 2007

There are many different types of risk capital competing for deals in the korean entrepreneurial capital market. In the past, even though korean private venture capitalists did not have their distinctive competitive advantages, due to government support and subsidies, they could be survived in the market. However, the government controlled area has changed to a market driven area which emphasizes market forces and competition rather than support and protection. In order to be competitive, Korean private venture capital firms need to recruit high calibre professionals and build required financial skills for wise entrepreneurial investments. The purpose of this article is to analyze the relationships among firm characteristics, human resources, and investment strategies of korean venture capital firms. We can find that the asset size of venture capital firms has a positive effect on the size of their human resources. However, we can not find any relationship between firm characteristics and investment strategies of venture capitals. Even though we find some evidences among some variables, we need to interpret the results very carefully. Further research would be needed to carried out to clarify the disputable interpretations and our understanding of this area.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute Of Construction Engineering and Management
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.652-655
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• 2007

Due to stagnation of domestic market, increasing number of domestic construction companies started to make inroads into foreign market recently. Yet compared to domestic market, there are much more risks in the foreign market which companies may confront. So deliberate and rational decision making skills are required. Accordingly, there has been many researches which analyzed the risk of individual markets and also studies covering decision support models. In this study, we suggest a model concerning financial issues when branching out into a new market, specially in the construction companies' point of view. For this we used a real options game which shows real competition status of a new market and deduced a feature of that market, Upon these results, we also suggest a model which helps firms to decide whether investing in the expansion is smart action or not. The model developed in this study is made in specific circumstances of limited conditions. The future study makes more realistic models considering subjects like disproportion in information and generalization of competing companies.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.233-261
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• 2014

There are two competing models explaining the causal relationship of depression and self-esteem, and they are cognitive vulnerability model and the scar model. Cognitive vulnerability model explains that low self-esteem poses as a risk factor for development of depressive symptoms/depression while the scar model asserts that the experiences of depression scars the cognitive function of individuals, resulting in negative self-perception. This study was set out to test two models on Korean adults, and to identify factors that are associated with depression and self-esteem relationship. The first four waves (wave 1~4) of the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) were used for analyses, and latent growth curve modeling was employed to examine the relationship. The findings show that the relationship was reciprocal, one affecting the growth trajectory of another over a four year period. Furthermore, education, poverty status, health status, and satisfaction with social relationships were found to be significantly associated with both depression and self-esteem trajectories. Implications for practice and theory are provided.

• Analyses & Alternatives
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.77-105
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• 2021

Natural gas consumption in Asia is growing at fast tempo because of various factors such as economic growth in the region, urbanization, coal-to-gas switch at power and industry sector. Due to geographical characteristics and lack of international pipeline connections between countries in the continent, majority of natural gas exported to Asian consumers is transported by tankers on the sea in the form of liquefied natural gas. As Asian market is the most lucrative market with the fastest demand growth, the competitions between LNG sellers for market share in Asian market are strengthening. The competitions accelerated, especially after the introduction of large volume of incremental supply into the market by new exporters from the U.S., Australia, and Russia. Cheniere Energy, the first exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the lower 48 states of U.S. has not adopted the traditional price formation mechanism and business model. Traditionally, prices of long-term LNG contracts have been indexed to the price of competing fuels, such as crude oil. The company adopted a pricing mechanism and business model based on a cost-plus system. Cheniere Energy opted for the safer and the risk-free pricing system, that annually guarantees a fixed amount of revenue to the seller. The company earns the same amount of money, regardless of natural gas price dynamics in the domestic and international market, but possibly with less revenue. However, by introducing and successfully implementing the safer and risk- free business model, Cheniere Energy, a company of a relatively smaller size in comparison with major oil and gas companies, became an example to other smaller-sized companies in the U.S. The company's business model demonstrated how to enter and operate LNG business amid increasing competitions among sellers in the U.S. and international market.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8521-8526
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• 2014

In many countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), cancer is an increasing problem due to ageing and a transition to Western lifestyles. Governments have been slow to react to the health consequences of these socioeconomic changes, leading to the risk of a cancer epidemic overwhelming the region. A major limitation to motivating change is the paucity of high-quality data on cancer, and its socioeconomic repercussions, in ASEAN. Two initiatives have been launched to address these issues. First, a study of over 9000 new cancer patients in ASEAN - the ACTION study - which records information on financial difficulties, as well as clinical outcomes, subsequent to the diagnosis. Second, a series of roundtable meetings of key stakeholders and experts, with the broad aim of producing advice for governments in ASEAN to take appropriate account of issues relating to cancer, as well as to generate knowledge and interest through engagement with the media. An important product of these roundtables has been the Jakarta Call to Action on Cancer Control. The growth and ageing of populations is a global challenge for cancer services. In the less developed parts of Asia, and elsewhere, these problems are compounded by the epidemiological transition to Western lifestyles and lack of awareness of cancer at the government level. For many years, health services in less developed countries have concentrated on infectious diseases and mother-and-child health; despite a recent wake-up call (United Nations, 2010), these health services have so far failed to allow for the huge increase in cancer cases to come. It has been estimated that, in Asia, the number of new cancer cases per year will grow from 6.1 million in 2008 to 10.6 million in 2030 (Sankaranarayanan et al., 2014). In the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), corresponding figures are 770 thousand in 2012 (Figure 1), rising to 1.3 million in 2030 (Ferlay et al., 2012). ASEAN consists of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. It, thus, includes low- and middle-income countries where the double whammy of infectious and chronic diseases will pose an enormous challenge in allocating limited resources to competing health issues. Cancer statistics, even at the sub-national level, only tell part of the story. Many individuals who contract cancer in poor countries have no medical insurance and no, or limited, expectation of public assistance. Whilst any person who has a family member with cancer can expect to bear some consequential burden of care or expense, in a poor family in a poor environment the burden will surely be greater. This additional burden from cancer is rarely considered, and even more rarely quantified, even in developed nations.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.6
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• pp.7-22
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• 2002

Animation constitutes the core of the media industry, which in turn lies at the center of the cultural industry. It is considered one of the industries where South Korea has the competitive edge over other countries. With the pool of customers getting wider, the genre of animation has become more and more diverse, forming a great market for it. Aware of this trend, this study focused on animation as a part of the pop culture, and on providing corresponding various viewpoints for future cultural studies. This researcher measured the practicality and persuasiveness of this study through Shreck, a three-dimensional C.G. animation which is acclaimed for its success in dismantling the old grammar of animation movies that represent the anti-Disney ideas. This researcher felt it imperative to heed the unique language of Shreck, which contains discourses on various cultural ideologies such as paradoxical structure that pits entertainment that is shown through dismantling of the canon, feminism and antifeminism against each other. This study analyzed the entertaining element of the animation genre by means of the Semiotics of Keith Moxey, thereby attempting to establish a legitimate social status of the genre, whose artfulness has been depreciated in the art society. In chapter II, this researcher examines the chronological development of three-dimensional C.G. animation that has shown a rapid advancement. Chapter III defines the cultural ideology of Shreck by exploring basic theories and texts employed in analysis of art works. This study started with the assumption that defines, from the viewpoint of symbology, the animation text as an aggregate of discourses on entertainment, and competitive and paradoxical ideologies. Then, this researcher analyzed the text and the generation process of meanings in Shreck. Consequently, this study has come to the following conclusions: First, Shreck induces changes of concepts about the canon by means of distorting and reversing the existing animation movies, which seems to reflect in the contemporary tendency of seeking new interpretations of entertainment. Second, Shreck shows up the cognitive changes of our age as to feminism by competing feminism against antifeminism. Although Shreck serves as a venue of competition between the two opposing ideas, it stops short of brushing off women as outsiders in society. Rather, it represents the resistance to the male chauvinism existing in the structures of animation and culture. As shown in the text analysis, Shreck presents an advent of a new ideology critical of the previous animation films. In addition, it reflects in the struggle between the pro-feminism on the part of the viewers and the anti-feminism that lies in the social and culture structure. This study, however, is limited in its scope and selection of subject. First, although this researcher has stressed the importance of understanding the animation as part of the pop culture and conducting researches within the historic paradigm, this study fails to provide an in-depth insight in the impacts that the changes in the C.G. industry and the systematic conditions may have on the three-dimensional C.G. animation genre. Furthermore, this study runs the risk of being understood as pro-American due to its selection of Shreck as its research subject.