• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.74-90
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• 2021

Background: It is getting important to improve the oral health status of the elderly because oral health status may affect their health status of the whole body. In this respect, we aimed to explore the association of oral health status and behavior factors with self-rated health status by sex. Methods: Using the data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for health surveys and oral examinations (2016-2018), we analyzed a total of 3,070 people aged 65 or older (men: 1,329; women: 1,741). Our dependent variable, self-rated health status, was divided into two groups: not good (bad and very bad) and good (very good, good, and fair), whereas our independent variables of interest were oral health status and behavior factors. In addition to descriptive analysis and the Rao-Scott chi-square test, reflecting survey characteristics, we conducted hierarchical multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for socio-demographics and health status and behavior factors. All analyses were stratified by sex. Results: The proportion of people having 'not good' self-rated health was 36.5% in women but 24.5% in men. In a model adjusted for all covariates, the self-rated health status showed significant association with the self-rated oral health status. For example, in men, the risk of having 'not good' self-rated health was high in people having 'poor' (odds ratio [OR], 5.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.34-12.03) self-rated oral health status and in those having 'fair' (OR, 4.03; 95% CI, 1.68-9.70) in comparison with those having 'good' self-rated oral health status. Dental status regarding speaking difficulty seemed to be very important in influencing self-rated health status. For instance, in women, compared to people having 'no discomfort' speaking difficulty, the risk of having 'not good' self-rated health was high in people having 'not bad' (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.14-2.24) and 'discomfort' (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.30-2.47) speaking difficulty. The covariates significantly associated with the risk of having 'not good' self-rated health were: physical activity, chronic disease, stress, and body mass index in both sexes; health insurance type and drinking only in men; and economic activity only in women. Conclusion: Oral health status and behavioral factors were associated with self-rated health status among the elderly, differently by sex. This suggests that public health policies toward better health in the elderly should take their oral health status and oral health behaviors into account in a sex-specific way.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.55-65
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the factors that affect start-up activities at the national level. Unlike most existing research about entrepreneurship at the individual level, this empirical analysis makes use of the total early-stage entrepreneurial activity(TEA) index at national level. This was developed by the Global Entrepreneur Monitor (GEM) as the measure for the degree of entrepreneurship of the countries. Based on the previous studies, not only national income level and unemployment rate, but also other factors including the cultural characteristics of the countries were included in our regression model. Using GEM's panel data, we found that the effectiveness of the factors depends on the stage of economic development. In particular, we found 'U-shape' relationship between the level of per capita income and entrepreneurship activity by the panel regression analysis using quadratic function. This analysis result can explicitly confirm what the existing literature have explained descriptively. Furthermore, the governmental support programs are shown to have significantly positive effects on the entrepreneurship or start-up activities in the factor-driven and efficiency-driven economies. On the contrary, those programs were not very helpful in the innovative economies. Lastly, this research suggests that the 'education and training' and the 'entrepreneurial culture' be the supportive norm for new business regardless of the economic development level.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.469-482
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze regional variation factors of hypertension treatment rate in COVID-19 based on the analysis results based on ecological methodology. To this end, data suitable for ecological analysis were collected from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's regional health statistics, local government COVID-19 confirmed cases, National Health Insurance Corporation, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's welfare statistics, and Korea Transport Institute's traffic access index. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS Statistics 23 for regional variation and related factors in hypertension treatment rate, and geographical weighted regression analysis was conducted using Arc GIS for regional variation factors. As a result of the study, the overall explanatory power of the calculated geo-weighted regression model was 27.6%, distributed from 23.1% to 33.4% by region. As factors affecting the treatment rate of hypertension, the higher the rate of basic living security medical benefits, diabetes treatment rate, and health institutions per 100,000 population, the higher the rate of hypertension treatment, the lower the number of COVID-19 confirmed patients, the lower the rate of physical activity, and the alcohol consumption. Percentage of alcohol consumption decreased due to COVID-19 pandemic. It was analyzed that the lower the ratio, the higher the treatment rate for hypertension. Based on these results, the analysis of regional variables in the treatment rate of hypertension in COVID-19 can be expected to be effective in managing the treatment rate of hypertension, and furthermore, it is expected to be used to establish community-centered health promotion policies.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.165-178
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• 2022

In this study, to explore the psychological and biosocial characteristics of the temperament and character's latent profile group, first, the latent group was identified with the seven variables of the Temperament and Character Inventory(TCI), and second, the difference between the psychological and biosocial characteristics of three identified latent groups. A total of 287 university students participated, and the latent groups was identified through latent profile analysis, a human-centeted statistical method, using Cloninger's TCI, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire(CERQ), Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule(PANAS), Composite Scale of Moriningness(CSM), Pittsburgh Sleep Qulity Index(PSQI), and Satisfaction With Life Scale(SWLS). As result, first, three latent groups were identified through latent profile analysis using the seven variables of TCI. second, significant differences were identified in CERQ, PANAS, which are psychological variables, CSM, PSQI, and SWLS, which are biosocial variables among the latent groups. In conclusion, the importance of Self-Directedness(SD), a character factor that can be developed rather than Harm-Avoidance(HA), a temperament factor from nature, was confirmed. And the necessity of follow-up studies on psychological and biosocial variables for adaptive and mature personality was discussed.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.11
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• pp.45-51
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• 2021

With the development of deep learning, semantic segmentation methods are being studied in various fields. There is a problem that segmenation accuracy drops in fields that require accuracy such as medical image analysis. In this paper, we improved PSPNet, which is a deep learning based segmentation method to minimized the loss of features during semantic segmentation. Conventional deep learning based segmentation methods result in lower resolution and loss of object features during feature extraction and compression. Due to these losses, the edge and the internal information of the object are lost, and there is a problem that the accuracy at the time of object segmentation is lowered. To solve these problems, we improved PSPNet, which is a semantic segmentation model. The multi-scale attention proposed to the conventional PSPNet was added to prevent feature loss of objects. The feature purification process was performed by applying the attention method to the conventional PPM module. By suppressing unnecessary feature information, eadg and texture information was improved. The proposed method trained on the Cityscapes dataset and use the segmentation index MIoU for quantitative evaluation. As a result of the experiment, the segmentation accuracy was improved by about 1.5% compared to the conventional PSPNet.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.481-494
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• 2022

This study proposed a evaluation of the monthly vulnerable period for groundwater level management in the Miho stream watershed and a technique for evaluating the vulnerable period for future groundwater level management using LSTM. Observation data from groundwater level and precipitation observation stations in the Miho stream watershed were collected, LSTM was constructed, predicted values for precipitation and groundwater levels from 2020 to 2022 were calculated, and future groundwater management was evaluated when vulnerable. In order to evaluate the vulnerable period of groundwater level management, the correlation between groundwater level and precipitation was considered, and weights were calculated to consider changes caused by climate change. As a result of the evaluation, the Miho stream watershed showed high vulnerability to underground water management in February, March, and June, and especially near the Cheonan Susin observation well, the vulnerability index for groundwater level management is expected to deteriorate in the future. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the evaluation of the vulnerable period of groundwater level management and the derivation of preemptive countermeasures to the problem of groundwater resources in the basin by presenting future prediction techniques using LSTM.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.184-199
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• 2022

Freshwater soundness can be broadly divided into the health of river ecosystems and social services for human water use, that is, water welfare. In this study the ecological soundness and water welfare index of rivers were calculated, and the freshwater comprehensive soundness was analyzed using the quadrant model for 14 basins in the Geum River basin. As for the ecological soundness of the river, the area upstream of the dam (based on Daecheong Dam) was evaluated as 'good', and the area downstream of the dam was evaluated as 'bad'. On the other hand as for water welfare, the area downstream of the dam with a large population was in a relatively 'good' condition, and the area upstream of the dam had a relatively 'poor' level of water welfare. In terms of freshwater comprehensive soundness, it was found that the basins of Mujunamdaecheon, Bocheongcheon and Daecheongdam showed good ecological soundness and water welfare, and the Geumganggongju, Nonsancheon and Geumganhagueon basins were all poor. The Gapcheon basin showed good results in 2014 due to continuous investment and systematic management. Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to utilize it for other watersheds through benchmarking.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.21-47
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• 2021

Purpose - Offshoring has emerged as one of the major trends in international trade and has become one of the strategies for achieving competitiveness in the global market. In spite of this, the expected gains of offshoring can be offset by hidden costs and risks, such as those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the trade war between the USA and China, and the ongoing trade dispute between Korea and Japan. To obviate such business failure and prevent critical business blunders, offshoring strategies that efficiently consider both risk elements and potential wealth creation are urgently need. The first purpose of this study is to contribute to the development of more advanced offshoring strategies to help host countries select the best locations to manage supply chain risks and create unique value. The second purpose is to specifically analyze the current status of Korea and provide Korean companies with implications to be considered when deciding whether to offshore or re-shore. Design/methodology - A Network DEA model was applied to measure the comparative location efficiency of national competencies for offshoring strategy from perspectives of wealth creation opportunities (profitability and marketability) and supply chain risk management. The location efficiencies are compared among a total 70 countries selected from the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) and globally attractive locations outlined by Kearney (2017). For the secondary analysis of efficiency, a t-test examining the nature of competitive advantage and the level of sophistication in production processes was implemented in three divisions. We then analyzed differences in offshoring performance in terms of the identified national traits. Moreover, Tobit regression analysis is conducted to investigate the correlation between value-added business activities and each divisional efficiency, seeking to determine how each degree of value-added business activity influences the increase in offshoring productivity. Findings - Regarding overall location efficiency for offshoring performance, only the USA and Italy were identified as being efficient as host countries for offshoring, under circumstances of advanced development, such as productivity and risk management. Korea ranks 13th among 70 countries. The determinants of national competitiveness depend on national traits (the nature of competitive advantage and business sophistication). Countries with labor/resource advantages and labor-intensive industries are more competitive in terms of marketability than others. In contrast, countries with strong technology-intensive industries benefit offshoring companies, particularly in the technology sector, with the added advantage of supply chain risk management. As the perception of a value chain is broader in a country, it can achieve both production sophistication and competitive advantages such as marketability and SCRM. Originality/value - Existing studies focus on offshoring effectiveness from a company perspective. This paper contributes to comparing country efficiency in producing core competencies related to an offshoring strategy and also segments countries into three performance-based considerations associated with the global offshoring market. It also details Korea's position as an offshoring location according to national efficiency and competency.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.111-120
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• 2022

The concept of soil moisture memory was used as a method for quantifying the function of soil to control water flow, which evaluates the average residence time of precipitation. In order to characterize the soil moisture memory, a new measurement index called stored precipitation fraction (F_p(f)) was used by tracking the increments in soil moisture by the precipitation event. In this study, the temporal and spatial distribution of soil moisture memory was evaluated along with the slope and soil characteristics of the surface (0~5 cm) soil by using satellite- and model-based precipitation and soil moisture in the Korean peninsula, from 2019 to 2020. The spatial deviation of the soil moisture memory was large as the stored precipitation fraction in the soil decreased preferentially along the mountain range at the beginning (after 3 hours), and the deviation decreased overall after 24 hours. The stored precipitation fraction in the soil clearly decreased as the slope increased, and the effect of drainage of water in the soil according to the composition ratio of the soil particle size was also shown. In addition, average soil moisture contributed to the increase and decrease of hydraulic conductivity, and the rate of rainfall transfer to the depths affected the stored precipitation fraction. It is expected that the results of this study will greatly contribute in clarifying the relationship between soil moisture memory and surface characteristics (slope, soil characteristics) and understanding spatio-temporal variation of soil moisture.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.719-729
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• 2022

Objective : The ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) is one of the major causes of thoracic myelopathy. Surgical decompression with or without instrumented fusion is the mainstay of treatment. However, few studies have reported on the added effect of instrumented fusion. The objective of this study was to compare clinical and radiological outcomes between surgical decompression without instrumented fusion (D-group) and that with instrumented fusion (F-group). Methods : A retrospective review was performed on 28 patients (D-group, n=17; F-group, n=11) with thoracic myelopathy due to OLF. The clinical parameters compared included scores of the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA), the Visual analogue scale of the back and leg (VAS-B and VAS-L), and the Korean version of the Oswestry disability index (K-ODI). Radiological parameters included the sagittal vertical axis (SVA), the pelvic tilt (PT), the sacral slope (SS), the thoracic kyphosis angle (TKA), the segmental kyphosis angle (SKA) at the operated level, and the lumbar lordosis angle (LLA; a negative value implying lordosis). These parameters were measured preoperatively, 1 year postoperatively, and 2 years postoperatively, and were compared with a linear mixed model. Results : After surgery, all clinical parameters were significantly improved in both groups, while VAS-L was more improved in the F-group than in the D-group (-3.4±2.5 vs. -1.3±2.2, p=0.008). Radiological outcomes were significantly different in terms of changes in TKA, SKA, and LLA. Changes in TKA, SKA, and LLA were 2.3°±4.7°, -0.1°±1.4°, and -1.3°±5.6° in the F-group, which were significantly lower than 6.8°±6.1°, 3.0°±2.8°, and 2.2°±5.3° in the D-group, respectively (p=0.013, p<0.0001, and p=0.037). Symptomatic recurrence of OLF occurred in one patient of the D-group at postoperative 24 months. Conclusion : Clinical improvement was achieved after decompression surgery for OLF regardless of whether instrumented fusion was added. However, adding instrumented fusion resulted in better outcomes in terms of lessening the progression of local and regional kyphosis and improving leg pain. Decompression with instrumented fusion may be a better surgical option for thoracic OLF.