• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.61-92
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• 2011

We analyzed the efficiency of environment investments by taking examples of central government's environmental investment (CGEI hereafter) and investment in prevention of environmental pollution (IPEP hereafter). We expanded the scope of existing studies by decomposing the internal rate of return (IRR hereafter) and present value of benefit (Bpv hereafter) into variable cost (VC hereafter) reduction, investment cost reduction (STC-VC hereafter), and rent. And we found that Bpv checks only the magnitude of benefit, while IRR indicates the existence of efficiency by investigating short-run total cost (STC hereafter) reduction and rent. Finally, by analyzing investment efficiency and changing benefit with respect to CGEI and IPEP through the investment efficiency methodology that compares IRR with market interest rate, we executed retrospective benefit-cost analysis. Accordingly, CGEI and IPEP are not efficient. However, IPEP is even more inefficient than CGEI.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.295-305
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the economic efficiency of a community-based nursing care center to help policy makers determine whether or not to invest in similar facilities. Methods: The subjects were 101 elderly people over 65 years who participated in a health management program from February 1 to July 31, 2007. Direct cost was estimated with center operations cost, medical cost for out-patients and pharmacy cost. Indirect cost was measured by transportation cost. Direct benefit was calculated by saved medical cost for out-patients, saved pharmacy cost, saved transportation cost, and reducing hospital charges. Indirect benefit was estimated with prevention of severe complications. Economic efficiency was evaluated by cost-benefit ratio and net benefit. Results: Operating a community-based nursing care center was found to be cost-effective. Specifically, the cost of operating the center evaluated here was estimated at 135 million won while the benefit was estimated at 187 million won. Benefit-cost ratio was 1.38. Conclusion: The Community-based nursing care center that was described here could be a useful health care delivery system for reducing medical expenditures.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to analyze the farms growing domestic kiwi fruit 'Gold' on their management performance and efficiency in order to reduce the risks involved with introducing new kind of crops for growing, and suggest improvements. First, the result of analysis showed that domestic kiwi fruit 'Gold' growers' income were higher than the average growers due to the fruit's high unit price and productivity. Second, the analysis of management efficiency resulted in scale efficiency having greater impact on inefficiency rather than pure technical efficiency. As for the analysis of technical efficiency, the depreciation costs of agricultural facilities had the greatest influence on its inefficiency. Third, inefficient farms put in excessive inputs across the board, while labor costs(self labor cost + hired labor cost) were the largest factor of optimal inputs according to the models of technical efficiency and pure technical efficiency. Fourth, because of greater reliance on mechanical tools from rising labor costs, there's a need for individual farms to avoid buying farming equipments and instead share the equipments of nearby farms and agricultural cooperatives, or start renting agricultural machines from companies.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.449-457
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• 2004

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze economical efficiency of home care service by comparing a cost-utility ratio(CUR) between home care and hospitalization. Method: The analytic framework of this study was constructed in 5 stages: Identifying the analytic perspectives, measurement of costs, measurement of utility, analysis of CUR, and sensitivity test. Data was collected by reviewing medical records, home care service records, medical fee claims, and other related research. Result: The mean of the annual total cost was 23,317,636 Won in home care and 73,739,352 Won in hospital care. QALY was 0.389 in home care and 0.474 in hospital care, so CUR was 299,712,545 QALY in home care and 777,841,266 QALY in hospital care. Conclusion: The findings affirmed that home care had an economical efficiency in the aspect of utility compared to hospitalization. Therefore, the findings of this study can be used to develop a governmental health policy or to expand the home care system. In addition, the cost-utility analysis framework and process of this study will be an example model for cost-utility analysis in nursing research. Therefore, it will be used as a guideline for future research related to cost-utility analysis in nursing.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.696-706
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• 2013

This study aims to develop DEA model which can look into budget cost variance analysis tool based on standard cost using 68 hospital's input and output data. For accomplishing this purpose, by introducing new DEA model which can get an attainable target cost, we can decompose an actual cost difference into several meaningful sub variances. Also based on the 2008 general hospital data, this model can make variance analysis between actual cost and target cost. Total variance can be divided into technical inefficiency variance, price inefficiency variance, allocation inefficiency variance. This study introduces that by using target budget cost concept, traditional actual cost variance can be divided into a technical variance, price variance, budget variance. Finally, we can get result which confirms there does not exist favorable size effects on efficiency and cost management in running a general hospital.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.586-600
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a web-based cost management program for visiting nursing centers (CMP-VNC), using time-driven activity-based costing (TD-ABC), and to analyze effects of the program. Methods: The CMP-VNC was developed using the combined prototyping approach and system developing life cycle method following four stages: need analysis with comprehensive literature reviews and focus group interviews, design and development of program algorithm, evaluation of the developed program validity using experts and users group, and application and effects analysis. The non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used to analyze the effects of the program. The program demonstration was conducted for four weeks with 60 visiting nurses in 35 visiting centers. Results: The web-based program was developed. It has five interfaces with basic and special functions using TD-ABC, namely, input, visiting nursing activity, visiting nursing activity cost, cost efficiency, and cost calculation report. The experimental group showed significantly higher cost perception and cost confidence than control group. Conclusion: We found that the CMP-VNC can be an effective tool to increase visiting nurses' competency of costing and enhance efficiencies of visiting nursing centers.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.61-69
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• 2020

This paper examined the operational efficiency of the new rice variety "Sindongjin" farmed by the Rural Development Administration. Thirty farmers were surveyed in the survey area--Jeonbuk-do Province. The operational efficiency was analyzed by studying the data of these 30 farmers. The operational efficiency of the farmers was analyzed through a survey using the DEA model for analysis. DEA analysis was performed to obtain the technical efficiency of the farmers. The results showed that the DEA technical efficiencies of 12 farmers were efficient, and 18 farmers were inefficient. Farmers No. 13 and No. 25 were representative of inefficiency, and the results show that the cost of input elements was high. An analysis of the determinants of efficiency through the Tobit model found that the operating efficiency increased with decreasing variable costs (Seed costs, By-product fertilizer costs, General fertilizer cost, Pesticides cost, Cost of water, electricity, gas, and Cost of small farm implements) and fixed costs (Repair cost and Other costs). There is a problem of excess input from farmers, and these input costs need to be reduced.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.446-458
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• 2013

Recently, energy-efficient cellular transmission has received considerable research attention to improve the energy efficiency of wireless communication. In this paper, we consider a cellular network consisting of one base station (BS) and multiple user terminals and explore the network coding for enhancing the energy efficiency of cellular downlink transmission from BS to users. We propose the network coded cellular transmission scheme and conduct its energy consumption analysis with target outage probability and data rate requirements in Rayleigh fading environments. Then, the energy efficiency in Bits-per-Joule is further defined and analyzed to evaluate the number of bits delivered per Joule of energy cost. Numerical results show that the network coded cellular transmission significantly outperforms the traditional cellular transmission in terms of energy efficiency, implying that given a Joule of energy cost, the network coded cellular transmission scheme can deliver more bits than the traditional cellular transmission.

• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2023

This study shows the summary of the economic performance of excess electricity conversion to hydrogen as well as methane and returned conversion to electricity using a fuel cell. The methane production process has been examined in a previous study. Here, this study focuses on the conversion of methane to electricity. As a part of this study, capital expenditure (CAPEX) is estimated under various sized plants (0.3, 3, 9, and 30 MW). The study shows a method for economic optimization of electricity generation using a fuel cell. The CAPEX and operating expenditure (OPEX) as well as the feed cost are used to calculate the discounted cash flow. Then the levelized cost of returned electricity (LCORE) is estimated from the discounted cash flow. This study found the LCORE value was ¢10.2/kWh electricity when a 9 MW electricity generating fuel cell was used. A methane production plant size of 1,500 Nm³/hr, a methane production cost of $11.47/mcf, a storage cost of $1/mcf, and a fuel cell efficiency of 54% were used as a baseline. A sensitivity analysis was performed by varying the storage cost, fuel cell efficiency, and excess electricity cost by ±20%, and fuel cell efficiency was found as the most dominating parameter in terms of the LCORE sensitivity. Therefore, for the best cost-performance, fuel cell manufacturing and efficiency need to be carefully evaluated. This study provides a general guideline for cost performance comparison with LCORE.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.317-324
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• 1999

Objectives: Since 1991, nationwide massive neonatal screening program for phenylketonuria (PKU) and congenital hypothyroidism have been performed in Korea. As in many other countries, efficiency of this program has not been definitely concluded. For the purpose of evaluation of this program, from the perspective of efficiency, a cost-benefit analysis was carried out. Methods: Costs of the detection and the treatment program were compared with the projected benefit(avoided costs) that results from the prevention of the mental retardation associated with the disorders due to PKU and hypothyroidism. Costs and benefits were discounted at an annual rate of 5%, and duration of life-long labor was assumed to be 30 years. Cost and benefit were estimated based on the detection rates of one case of PKU per 5,572 and one case of congenital hypothyroidism per 32,554 babies screened during 1991-1997. Results: The benefit-cost ratio was 0.418. The sensitivity analysis for the discount rates and labor durations showed that most cost-benefit ratios were lower than one(1.0) except when discount rate was changed to 3% and detection rate to two- or threefold and/or labor duration to 40 years. Conclusion: The result of this study suggested that present program of mass screening for PKU and congenital hypothyroidism could not be justified in terms of efficiency. It doesn't coincide with the results of previous studies in major developed countries, presumably because of difference in detection rates and welfare cost for the disabled.