• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.116-133
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• 2002

Background : It is very common in Korea to take care of non-acute patients in an acute setting, due to the lack of long-term facilities. Long term hospitalization increase medical expenses and decreases the bed utilization, which can affect the urgent and emergent admissions, and eventually jeopardize the hospital financially. In this study, strategies for effective transfers to the lower levels of care, and to decrease the length of stay were presented by surveying and analyzing the patient's knowledge of the transfer needs, and the willingness to transfer those whose hospital length of stay was more than 30days. Method : The survey is subject to a group of 251 patients who have been hospitalized over 30 days in a general hospital in Seoul. Excluding those that were in the Intensive Care Unit and psychiatric ward, 214 in-patients were used as participants. They were surveyed from April 9, 2002 to April 17, 2002. One hundred and thirty seven out of 214 were responded which made the response rate 64%. Data were analyzed by SAS and SPSS. Result : Multi-variable Logistic Regression Analysis showed a significant effect in medical expenses, knowledge of referral system and the information of the receiving hospital. The financial burden in medical expenses made the patient 10.7 times more willing to be transferred, knowledge of the referral system made them 5 times more willing to be transferred, and the information of receiving hospital makes 6.5 times more willing to be transferred. Reasons for willing to be transferred to a lower level of care were the phase of physical therapy, the distance from home, the attending physician's advice and being unable to be treated as an out patient. Reasons for refusing to be transferred were the following. The attending physician's competency, not being ready to be discharged, not trusting the receiving hospital's competency due to the lack of information, or never hearing about the referring system by the attending physician. Conclusion : Based on this, strategies for the effective transfer to the lower levels of care were suggested. It is desirable for the attending physician to be actively involved by making an effort to explain the transfer need, and referring to the Healthcare Coordinating Center, which can help the patient make the right decision. Nationwide networking for the referral system is the another key factor that may need to be suggested as an alternative to decrease the medical expenses. Collaborating with the Home Health Agency for the early discharge planning and the Social Service Department for financial aid are also needed. It is recommended that the hospital should expedite the transfer process by prioritizing the cost and the information as medical expenses, knowledge of referring system and the information of the receiving hospital, are the most important factors to the willingness to transfer to a lower level of care.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.4411-4417
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• 2010

This study was retrospectively to compare the exposure dose and the imaging quality in coronary CT angiography by using the 64 channel multidetector computed tomography and the 128 channel DSCT. Effective dose was calculated dose length product (DLP) by multiplied the convention factor of chest (0.017). Imaging quality was assessed by radiologists using the 5-point Likert scale. The DLP was ranged from 851 to $1277mGy{\cdot}cm$ (mean: 17.23 mSv) in the 64 channel MDCT and from 82 to $110mGy{\cdot}cm$ (mean: 1.58 mSv) in the of 128 channel DSCT, respectively. The score of imaging quality was respectively $3.31{\pm}0.62$ in 64 channel MDCT and $4.05{\pm}0.46$ in the 128 channel DSCT. The exposure dose of 128 channel DSCT has decreased 1ess 1/10. The score of imaging quality was significant difference between two modalities and the frequency (>4 good) in the 128 channel DSCT is about three times than that of the 64 channel MDCT. Therefore, the 128 channel DSCT in coronary CT angiography is clinically more effective modality for both investigators and patients.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.323-336
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• 2011

The hydro-mechanical behavior of the Earth's crust is strongly dependent on the fractional volume and geometrical structure of effective pore spaces. This study aims to understand the characteristics of pores using electrical impedance. We measured the electric impedance of core samples (diameter, 38-50 mm; length, 70-100 mm) of three types of granite (Hwangdeung, Pocheon, and Yangsan) and two types of sandstone (Boryung and Berea) with different porosities and pore structures, after saturation with saline water of varying salinities. The results show that resistance decreases but capacitance increases with increasing salinity of the pore fluid. For a given salinity, the resistivity and formation factor are reduced with increasing porosity of the rocks, and the capacitance increases. Berea sandstone shows anisotropy in resistance, tortuosity, and cementation factor, with these factors being highest normal to bedding planes. This result indicates that the connectivity of pores is weakest normal to bedding. In conclusion, the electrical characteristics of the tested samples are related not only to their porosity but also to the pore geometry.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.1025-1029
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• 2012

Objective: To determine the killing effects on extracorporeal HepG2 cells under different temperatures, pressures of permeability and lengths of treatment time. Method: According to different temperatures, pressures of permeability and lengths of treating time, extracorporeal HepG2 cells of human hepatoma cell-line were grouped to 80 groups. Cell index (CI) as the measurement of killing effect were calculated by monotetrazolium (MTT) methods, i.e., CI =1- (the OD value in treated group - the OD value in blank control group) / (mean of untreated control group - mean of blank control group). According to the factorial design, data were fed into SPSS 10.0 and analyzed by three-way ANOVA (analysis of variance). Result: Temperature, pressure of permeability and length of treating time all had effects on the CI (cell index) level. Length of treating time was the most influential factor of the three. Additionally, any two of them all had statistically significant interactive effects on the CI level. When treated for 5-30 min, destilled water at $46^{\circ}C$ stably generated the highest CI. Conclusion: The "$46^{\circ}C$-destilled water-60 min" was considered as the optimal combination of conditions which lead to highest CI. We suggest exerting celiac lavage for 15 min with stilled water at $40^{\circ}C-43^{\circ}C$ in surgical practice as a hyperthermia treatment to achieve ideal killing effects on free cancer cells, which is feasible, practical, and clinically effective.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.5-13
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• 2017

Purpose: Various studies have been performed to address the issue of increased energy use by buildings. In particular, research on complex envelopes that combines diverse envelope element techniques is currently in progress in the building sector. The present study aimed to develop an awning system using a light shelf, and to verify its validity through performance evaluation. Method: In the present study, a testbed was established for the performance evaluation of the awning system using a light shelf, and the uniformity ratio and lighting energy consumption were compared and analyzed relative to those with no awning and light shelf installation (Case 1), awning installation (Case 2), and light shelf installation (Case 3). Result: 1) In the present study, an awning system using a light shelf (Case 4) where an opening is made on the awning screen and natural light can be introduced through the light shelf located at the bottom was developed. 2) The optimum standard for Case 4 obtained through the performance evaluation was a 0.6m lighting length and a 2m extension length at a light shelf angle of $30^{\circ}$. 3) Case 4 with the optimum standard had a 5.5% lower uniformity ratio than Case 2, but had a higher uniformity ratio than Case 1 and Case 3. 4) Case 4 with the optimum standard showed 13.3%, 44.6%, and 0%~8.7% lighting energy reductions compared to Case 1, Case 2, and Case 3, respectively. 5) Based on the above results, Case 4 suggested in the present study was found to be effective for indoor light environment improvement and lighting energy reduction.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.83-120
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• 2008

Small and medium sized enterprises' (SMEs) environmental performance and activities have been often of great concern toward sustainability as they have been playing a critically important role in the economic and industrial development. Among many initiatives to engage SMEs into the sustainability framework, Supply Chain Environmental Management (SCEM) of large companies has a great potential to persuade SMEs to adopt environmentally improved activities. This study investigated the relationship between SCEM approaches of large companies and environmental activities of SMEs in the Korean electronics industry. A postal questionnaire survey was used as a data collection method, and factor analysis and regression analysis were applied to analyse the collected data. The empirical findings suggested that SCEM approaches of large companies have positive impacts on environmental activities of SMEs. Among SCEM approaches, the collaborative approach was more effective than the arm's-length approach. Additionally, this study found positive impacts of trans-national SCEM approaches on SMEs' environmental activities.

• KCI Concrete Journal
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 2000

The effect of structure size on the nominal strength of unidirectional fiber-polymer composites, failing by propagation of a kink band with fiber microbuckling, is analyzed experimentally and theoretically. Tests of novel geometrically similar carbon-PEEK specimens, with notches slanted so as to lead to a pure kink band (without shear or splitting cracks), are conducted. The specimens are rectangular strips of widths 15.875, 31.75. and 63.5 mm (0.625, 1.25 and 2.5 in and gage lengths 39.7, 79.375 and 158.75 mm (1.563, 3.125 and 6.25 in.). They reveal the existence of a strong (deterministic. non-statistical) size effect. The doubly logarithmic plot of the nominal strength (load divided by size and thickness) versus the characteristic size agrees with the approximate size effect law proposed for quasibrittle failures in 1983 by Bazant This law represents a gradual transition from a horizontal asymptote, representing the case of no size effect (characteristic of plasticity or strength criteria), to an asymptote of slope -1/2 (characteristic of linear elastic fracture mechanics. LEFM) . The size effect law for notched specimens permits easy identification of the fracture energy of the kink bandand the length of the fracture process zone at the front of the band solely from the measurements of maximum loads. Optimum fits of the test results by the size effect law are obtained, and the size effect law parameters are then used to identify the material fracture characteristics, Particularly the fracture energy and the effective length of the fracture process zone. The results suggest that composite size effect must be considered in strengthening existing concrete structural members such as bridge columns and beams using a composite retrofitting technique.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2007.07a
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• pp.1295-1296
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• 2007

A lot of researches about dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) are recently being conducted. Because DSC has several advantages to pass the limits of silicon solar cells such as a low manufacturing expense, a simple manufacturing process and its transparency. But most researches on DSC are still conducted about the unit cell and laboratory-centered. That is, present researches on DSC are not practical. Therefore, researches about large area cells and modules have to be prerequisites for DSC to have the practicality. Characteristics of large area DSC are so different from those of small area DSC in aspect of fill factor and efficiency. In this study, we made an experiment on finding suitable size of DSC that has the most effective power according to the variation of active area. In detail, the experiment was conducted about the optimum ratio of length to width and we introduced the ratio of active area to non-active area to find the active area which has the best output. Because small DSC doesn‘t have the best output in comparison with total area of cell although the smaller DSC has the better efficiency. As a result, we achieved the optimum ratio of length to width of 8:3 and active area of $8cm^2$ as the optimum size for upscaling DSC.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2011

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease and is led to physical disability. Yet the development of effective disease-modifying treatments has lagged. In this study, I examined the effect of physical therapeutic intervention through microcurrent stimulation and attempt to find which degree of intensity, either 25 ${\mu}A$ or 500 ${\mu}A$ with a regular 5 pps pulse, is more effective in the osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis was induced with a mixture of 2% carrageenan and 2% kaolin in 26 male Sprague-Dawley rats. The mixture (0.1 $m{\ell}$) was injected into the intra-articular capsule of knee joint once a week for three weeks. Five animals did not show degenerative changes by radiological findings and excluded in the following experiment. Osteoarthritic animals were randomly divided into 3 groups ($n_1$, $n_2$, $n_3$=7/each): untreated, treated with 25 ${\mu}A$, treated with 500 ${\mu}A$. All experimental groups received microcurrent stimulation for four weeks (15 min/day, 5 days/week). The ethological inspection of foot print analysis on the walking corridor was accomplished every week. Histological preparations and immunohistochemical staining with insulin-like growth factor-1 were also done in the articular cartilages. All of these parameters were compared with those of osteoarthritic control group (n=7). The ethological inspection of foot print analysis revealed that changes of walking track (paw width) and stride length was significantly increased in both experimental groups. The better results were observed in experimental group treated with 25 ${\mu}A$ intensity without significance than group treated with 500 ${\mu}A$. Histological preparations disclosed that routine hyaline cartilage of articular surface were altered to fibrous cartilage in untreated group and experimental group treated with 500 ${\mu}A$ intensity. But a little changes were seen in experimental group treated with 25 ${\mu}A$ intensity. Immunolocalization of insulin-like growth factor-1 was simultaneously decreased according to the duration of osteoarthritis, and did not show significant difference among the groups. In this study discovered that the microcurrent stimulation, especially 25 ${\mu}A$ intensity, had a positive effect by the ethological inspection, histological and immunohistochemical stainings. These results suggest that microcurrent stimulation with low-intensity might be effective in the promotion of healing process for the osteoarthritis.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.155-179
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• 2004

This study is about the effectiveness and activation strategies of vacational training programme for the disabled guided by the Ministry of Labour and the Korea Employment Promotion Agency for the Disabled(KEPAD). This research employed quantitative approach. The quantitative research used the samples of 853 disabled people who had finished vocational training programme during recent 3 years. In this research the effectiveness is categorized into two ; product effectiveness and employment effectiveness. Product effectiveness is influenced by the kind of train-center, train-area, train-length. The KEPAD, non-IT job area and train-period over 6 month are more effective. Employment effectiveness is significantly influenced by demo-sociological factor rather than disability factor. Especially the kind of train-center is very important to be employed for the disabled. This implicates that choice of train-center by the disabled and effective management of it by the public sector is very important in developing employment. Effective management, stated above, includes reengineering programmes and functions accountable to the need form the trainee, bridging the gap among train-centers in terms of performance, differentiation of financial support according to the product to save the public fund, encouraging one special programme in one train-center.