• Title/Summary/Keyword: Labor reduction

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Utilization of UAV Remote Sensing in Small-scale Field Experiment : Case Study in Evaluation of Plat-based LAI for Sweetcorn Production

  • Hyunjin Jung;Rongling Ye;Yang Yi;Naoyuki Hashimoto;Shuhei Yamamoto;Koki Homma
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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    • 2022.10a
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    • pp.75-75
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    • 2022
  • Traditional agriculture mostly focused on activity in the field, but current agriculture faces problems such as reduction of agricultural inputs, labor shortage and so on. Accordingly, traditional agricultural experiments generally considered the simple treatment effects, but current agricultural experiments need to consider the several and complicate treatment effects. To analyze such several and complicate treatment effects, data collection has the first priority. Remote sensing is a quite effective tool to collect information in agriculture, and recent easier availability of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) enhances the effectiveness. LAI (Leaf Area Index) is one of the most important information for evaluating the condition of crop growth. In this study, we utilized UAV with multispectral camera to evaluate plant-based LAI of sweetcorn in a small-scale field experiment and discussed the feasibility of a new experimental design to analyze the several and complicate treatment effects. The plant-based SR measured by UAV showed the highest correlation coefficient with LAI measured by a canopy analyzer in 2018 and 2019. Application of linear mix model showed that plant-based SR data had higher detection power due to its huge number of data although SR was inferior to evaluate LAI than the canopy analyzer. The distribution of plant-based data also statistically revealed the border effect in treatment plots in the traditional experimental design. These results suggest that remote sensing with UAVs has the advantage even in a small-scale experimental plot and has a possibility to provide a new experimental design if combined with various analytical applications such as plant size, shape, and color.

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Kiosk Use Among Seniors: An Empirical Investigation of the Effects of Technostress and Subjective Norms on Awareness of Shadow Work (고령층의 키오스크 사용에서의 기술스트레스와 주관적 규범이 그림자노동 지각에 미치는 영향: 실증 분석)

  • Ji, Do-Sung;Koh, Joon
    • Informatization Policy
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    • v.30 no.4
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    • pp.62-88
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    • 2023
  • While the introduction of kiosk has become an essential element, enjoying the effect of labor cost reduction, it has not been able to embrace the senior population due to the digital divide. This study investigated which factors have relationships with conflict over use for kiosk from the viewpoint of shadow work that appears during self-service kiosk use. An analysis of 159 seniors through survey revealed that both technostress and subjective norms had significant relationships with conflict over use for kiosk, and that the perception of shadow work had a partial mediating effect on these relationships. Further, user experience showed a moderating effect on the relationship between technostress and perception of shadow work. These results suggest theoretical and practical implications related to digital shadow work, providing the relevant policy regarding digital inclusion for seniors.

Current status and future trends for pork production in the United States of America and Canada

  • M. Todd See
    • Animal Bioscience
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    • v.37 no.4_spc
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    • pp.775-785
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    • 2024
  • Pork production is a significant agricultural enterprise in the United States and Canada. The United States is the third-largest global producer of pork and Canada ranks seventh in pork production. The North American Free Trade Agreement and its successor, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, have facilitated trade and integration between the two countries. The majority of production systems are modern and intensive, characterized by large vertically integrated farms using advanced technologies. Both nations benefit from their status as major producers of feed grains, with the United States leading in corn and soybeans, while Canada excels in canola and barley production. The regulatory frameworks for food safety, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship differ slightly, with the FDA and USDA overseeing these aspects in the United States, and Health Canada and the Canada Food Inspection Agency in Canada. The United States and Canada also have well-established distribution networks for pork products, relying on both domestic and international markets. Export markets play a crucial role, with the United States being a major importer of Canadian pigs, and both countries exploring opportunities in Asia. Despite a rise in global demand, domestic pork consumption trends differ, with per capita consumption remaining stable in the USA and declining in Canada. Changing consumer preferences, including a demand for ethically raised and locally sourced pork, may influence production practices. Future trends in pig production include a focus on consumer concerns, sustainability, disease prevention, reduction of antimicrobial use, and advancements in technology. The industry is adapting to challenges such as disease outbreaks and changing regulations, with a strong emphasis on animal welfare. Labor and workforce considerations, along with advancements in technology and automation, are expected to shape the efficiency of pork production in the future.

A Study on the Development of Aerobic Exercise Equipment Design for User-Centered -Focusing on Elliptical Cross Trainer- (사용자 중심의 유산소 운동기구 디자인 개발에 관한 연구 -Elliptical Cross Trainer를 중심으로-)

  • Chung, Kyung-Ryul;Song, Bok-Hee;Yoon, Se-Kyun;Park, Il-Woo
    • Archives of design research
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    • v.19 no.5 s.67
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    • pp.129-138
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    • 2006
  • It is expected that the typical lifestyle of the future will be transformed into an opulent and comfortable existence as the quality of life improves due to the increase in household income and reduction in working hours. In the meantime, as the standard of living becomes increasingly more comfortable and plentiful, the toll on physical health becomes magnified as a result of obesity and insufficient exercise caused by super nutrition and change in labor conditions (from physical labor to mental labor). This has instigated a deep awareness in fitness on the part of many people, forcing them to recognize the significance of daily exercise and physical activity. The high annual growth rate in the fitness and athletic apparatus market, which is more than 20%, is attributed to this phenomenon. The Elliptical Cross Trainer(ECT), which has drawn wide attention recently, is a non-impact athletic apparatus that not only promotes exercise of the upper body parts in such sports as skiing but also the exercise of lower parts of the body on a treadmill. It is a type of cross training athletic gear that has been developed for aerobic exercise throughout the entire body. It has already formed a market as big as that of the treadmill in Europe, America, etc. Recently, its demand is growing sharply in the Korean markets as well as those in Northeast Asian countries, Despite such demand increase and expansion, since most of the expensive ECTs are exclusively supplied by suppliers in only a few advanced countries, localization of the ECT is urgently required in order to enhance competitiveness of Korean manufacturers and to expand the market. This paper introduces the process and results of a design-engineering cooperative study that was peformed for the development of the ECT.

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Hightechnology industrial development and formation of new industrial district : Theory and empirical cases (첨단산업발전과 신산업지구 형성 : 이론과 사례)

  • ;Park, Sam Ock
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.29 no.2
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    • pp.117-136
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    • 1994
  • Contemporary global space economy is so dynamic that any one specific structural force can not explain the whole dynamic processes or trajectories of spatial industrial development. The major purpose of this paper is extending the traditional notion of industrial districts to functioning and development of new industrial districts with relation to the development of high technology industries. Several dynamic forces, which are dominated in new industrial districts in the modern space economy, are incorporated in the formation and dynamic aspects of new industrial districts. Even though key forces governing Marshallian industrial district are localization of small firms, division of labor between firms, constructive cooperation, and industrial atmosphere, Marshall points out a possibility of growing importance of large firms and non-local networks in the districts with changes of external environments. Some of Italian industrial districts can be regarded as Marshallian industrial districts in broader context, but the role of local authorities or institutions and local embeddedness seem to be more important in the Italian industrial districts. More critical implication form the review of Marshallian industrial districts and Italian industrial districts is that the industrial districts are not a static concept but a dynamic one: small firm based industrial districts can be regarded as only a specific feature evolved over time. Dynamic aspects of new industrial districts are resulting from coexistence of contrasting forces governing the functioning and formation of the districts in contemporary global space economy. The contrasting forces governing new industrial districts are coexistence of flexible and mass production systems, local and global networks, local and non-local embeddedness, and small and large firms. Because of these coexistence of contrasting forces, there are various types of new industrial districts. Nine types of industrial districts are identified based on local/non-local networks and intensity of networks in both suppliers and customers linkages. The different types of new industrial districts are described by differences in production systems, embeddedness, governance, cooperation and competition, and institutional factors. Out of nine types of industrial districts, four types - Marshallian; suppliers hub and spoke; customers hub and spoke; and satellite - are regarded as distinctive new industrial districts and four additional types - advanced hub and spoke types (suppliers and customers) and mature satellites (suppliers and customers) - can be evolved from the distinctive types and may be regarded as hybrid types. The last one - pioneering high technology industrial district - can be developed from the advanced hub and spoke types and this type is a most advanced modern industrial district in the era of globalization and high technology. The dynamic aspects of the districts are related with the coexistence of the contrasting forces in the contemporary global space economy. However, the development trajectory is not a natural one and not all the industrial districts can develop to the other hybrid types. Traditionally, localization of industries was developed by historical chances. In the process of high technology industrial development in contemporary global space economy, however, policy and strategies are critical for the formation and evolution of new industrial districts. It needs formation of supportive tissues of institutions for evolution of dyamic pattern of high technology related new industrial districts. Some of the original distinctive types of new industrial districts can not follow the path or trajectory suggested in this paper and may be declined without advancing, if there is no formation of supportive social structure or policy. Provision of information infrastructure and diffusion of an entrepreneurship through the positive supports of local government, public institutions, universities, trade associations and industry associations are important for the evolution of the dynamic new industrial districts. Reduction of sunk costs through the supports for training and retraining of skilled labor, the formation of flexible labor markets, and the establishment of cheap and available telecommunication networks is also regarded as a significant strategies for dynamic progress of new industrial districts in the era of high technology industrial development. In addition, development of intensive international networks in production, technology and information is important policy issue for formation and evolution of the new industrial districts which are related with high technology industrial development.

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Analysis of the operation status and opinion on the improvement of fishing vessel structure in coastal improved stow net fishery by the questionnaire survey (설문조사를 통한 연안개량안강망어업의 조업 실태 및 어선 구조 개선에 관한 의견 분석)

  • CHANG, Ho-Young;KIM, Min-Son;HWANG, Bo-Kyu;OH, Jong Chul
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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    • v.57 no.4
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    • pp.316-333
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    • 2021
  • In order to understand basic data for improving the fishing system and fishing vessel structure in coastal improved stow net fishery, a questionnaire survey and on-site hearing were conducted from May 10 to June 11, 2019 to analyze opinions on the improvement of operation status and fishing vessel structure. The questionnaire survey consisted of ten questions on the operation status of coastal improved stow net fishery and six questions on the improvement of fishing vessel structure, and the results of each question were analyzed by the region, the captain's age, the captain's career and the age of fishing vessel. As a result of analyzing opinions on the operation status of the coastal improved stow net fishery, it was found that the average time required for casting net was 32.8 to 33.0 minutes and that the average time required for hauling net was 41.0 to 42.2 minutes which took 10 to 12 minutes more than for casting net. The most important work requiring improvement during fishing operation (the first priority) were 'hauling net operation,' 'readjustment and storage of fishing gear,' and 'fish handling' and the hardest factor in fishing management were in the order of 'reduction of catch,' 'labor shortage' and 'rising labor costs.' The most institutional improvement that is most needed in coastal improved stow net fishery was an 'using fine mesh nets.' Most of the respondent to the questions on the experience in hiring foreign crews was 'either hiring or willing to hire foreign crews,' and the average number of foreign crews employed was found to be 2.3 to 2.4 persons. The most important reason for hiring (or considering employment) foreign crews was 'high labor costs.' The degree of communication with foreign crews during fishing operation were 'moderate' or 'difficult to direct work.' The most important problem in hiring foreign crews (the first priority) was an 'illegal departure.' As the survey results on the opinion of structural improvement of coastal improved stow net fishing vessel, the degree of satisfaction with fishing vessel structure related to fishing operation was found to be somewhat unsatisfactory, with an average of 3.3 points on a five-point scale. The inconvenient structure of fishing vessel in possession (the first priority), the space needed most for the construction of new fishing vessel (the first priority) and the space considered important for the construction of new fishing vessel (the first prioprity) was a 'fish warehouse.' The most preferred equipment for the construction of new fishing vessel were 'engine operation monitoring' and 'navigation safety devices.' The average size (tonnage class), the average horse power and the average total length of fishing vessel for proper profit and safety fishing operation was between 13.8 and 14.0 tonnes, 808.3 to 819.5 H.P. and 23.4 to 23.5 meters, respectively. The results of the operation status of coastal improved stow net fishery and the requirement for improving the fishing vessel structure are expected to be provided as basic data for reference when we build or improve the fishing vessel.

A Study on the Nurses' Contingent Employment and Related Factors (간호사의 비정규직 고용실태 및 관련요인에 관한 연구)

  • Choi, Sook-Ja
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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    • v.5 no.3
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    • pp.477-500
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    • 1999
  • Korean labor market has showed remarkable change of the increase in the amount of unemployment and contingent employment since IMF bailout agreement. There is a theoretical position to explain this increase in contingent employment at hospitals with the notion of flexibility. The high flexibility of employment due to the increase of contingent employees is becoming very important part in new business strategy of hospitals. The types of contingent employment of the nurse are part-time employment temporary employment, fixed-term employment, and internship which was introduced in early 1999. Recently, Korean health care industry managers have paid attention to the customer oriented service, rationalization of business administration, service quality control so that they can adjust their business to outer environment. Especially their efforts concentrate on the wage reduction through efficient and scientific control of man power because wage shares about 40% of total cost. This dissertation aims at verifying the phenomena of the contingent employment of the nurse and analyzing the related factors and problems. To rephrase these aims in ordinal: First, verifying the phenomena of contingent employment of the nurse. Second, verifying the problems of that phenomena. Third, analyzing the related factors of the contingent employment of the nurse. To accomplish these research goals, a statistical survey was executed. in which 384 questionnaires-66 for manager nurses, 318 for contingent nurses - were given to nurses working at 66 hospitals-which have at least 100 beds-in Seoul. Among them, 187 questionnaires-38 from manager nurses, 149 from contingent nurses'- 'were returned. Then, the data coded and submitted to T-test, $X^2$ -test, variance analysis(ANOVA), correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, Logistic Regression with SAS program. The research results of the contingent nurses are followings: 1. The average career term at the present hospital 8.4 months: duty-on days per month are 24.2 days: working time per day is 7.9 hours. These results showed little difference from regular nurses. 2. Their wage level is about 70% of regular nurses except for internship nurses whose wage level is 41% of regular nurses. To break down the wage composition, part-time nurses and internship nurses get few allowance and bonus. And contingent nurses get very low level of additional pay except for fixed-term nurses who are under similar condition of employment to regular nurses. These results show that hospital managers are trying to reduce the labor cost not only through the direct way of wage reduction but through differential treatment of bonus, retirement allowance, and other additional pay. 3. The problem of contingent employment: low level of pay; high level of turn-over rate: weakening of union; low level of working condition: heavy burden of work; inhuman treatment. The contingent nurses consider these problems more seriously than manager nurses do. What manager nurses regard problematic is the absence of feeling-belonged and responsibility of the contingent nurses. 4. The factors strongly related with the rate of the number of contingent nurses for the number of regular nurses; gross turn-over nurses; average in-patients per day; staring wage of graduate from professional college: the type of hospital ownership; the number of beds; the gap between gross newcomer nurses and gross turn-over nurses. The factors related with their gross wage per month; the number of beds; applying of health insurance; applying of industrial casualty insurance; applying of yearly-paid leave; the type of hospital ownership; average out-patients per day; gross turn-over nurses. The meaningful factors which make difference by employment type: monthly-paid leave; physiological leave. The logistic regression analysis using these two factors shows that monthly-paid leave is related with the type of hospital ownership; the number of beds; average out-patient per day, and physiological leave is related with the gross newcomer nurses; gross turn-over nurses; the number of beds.

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Development of the Purlin Hanging System Form for the Girder Bridge Slab and Economic Analysis (거더교 상판 콘크리트 타설용 거푸집 개발 및 경제성 분석)

  • Lim, Jeeyoung;Kim, Sunkuk;Son, Kiyoung
    • Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.271-278
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    • 2016
  • In the case of South Korea, steel girder bridge (steel box or H-steel) and PSC (Pre-Stressed Concrete) girder bridge are the representative upper structures of railroad and road bridges. These structures account for 75% of the total bridge constructions and 80% of the total construction cost. Since the form work for concreting bridge slab is difficult, various construction methods developed and applied. However, several problems in those methods did not solve partially, including cost increase by material loss and rise of labor costs, quality deterioration by unskilled workers, increased construction time by complicated method, reduced productivity, safety accident by high place work, difficult transportation by big member, and rise of maintenance cost by material characteristic. Alternative method is needed to solve problems of as-is methods. Therefore, the purpose of this study is development of the purlin hanging system form for the girder bridge slab and its economic analysis. Through the findings of this study, it was verified that the purlin hanging system form is possible 60% reduction in cost and 80% reduction in time as comparison with conventional method.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Back School Program for Occupational Low Back Pain Patients (직업성 요통환자에서 재활 프로그램(Back School Program) 도입의 비용-편익분석)

  • Ju, Yeong-Su;Ha, Mi-Na;Han, Sang-Hwan;Kwon, Ho-Jang;Cho, Soo-Hun;Kim, Chang-Yup;Kim, Sun-Min
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.29 no.2 s.53
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    • pp.347-357
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    • 1996
  • Although occupational low back pain accounts for $20\sim40%$ of all occupational illness and injury, there are limited numbers of studies regarding the effectiveness of back school program. The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic benefit of back school program for early return to work of occupational low back pain patients in the current occupational injury compensation and management system. The cost-benefit analysis in this study was conducted to evaluate the relative magnitude of benefit to cost. The total cost was estimated by calculating the value of components in back school program according to governmental budget protocol. The back school program was consisted of three major approaches, pain center, work-hardening program and funcional restoration program and each of components had various facilities and experts. The total amount of cost was estimated as 250,866,220 won per year. The most promising type of back school program were quite intensive (a 3 to 5-week stay in a specialized center), therefore, if we adopted the 5-week stay course, 10 courses could be held in a year. Following to the medical act, 20 patients per doctor could participate in a each course, ie, total 200 patients in a year. As a result, we could estimate the cost of 1,254,331 won a patient. We estimated the benefit by using data of a few local labor offices about average medical treatment beneficiary and off-duty beneficiary of 46 occupational low back pain patients in 1994. Ullman and Larsson (1977) mentioned that the group of chronic low back pain patients who participated in back school program needed less time to recover by 48.4% of beneficiary duration. And in the trying to estimate the benefit, we asked 10 rehabilitation board certificate doctors about reduction proportion of treatment cost by introducing back school program. The answered reduction proportions were in the range of $30\sim45%$, average 39%. As a final result, we could see that the introduction of back school program in treatment of chronic occupational low back pain patients could produce the benefit to cost ratio as 3.90 and 6.28. And we could conclude that the introduction of back school program was beneficial to current occupational injury compensation and management system.

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Application of High-Performance Steels to Enhance the Punching Shear Capacity of Two-Way Slabs (2방향 슬래브의 펀칭전단성능 향상을 위한 고성능 철근의 적용)

  • Yang, Jun Mo;Shin, Hyun Oh;Lee, Joo Ha;Yoon, Young Soo
    • Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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    • v.15 no.2
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    • pp.161-169
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    • 2011
  • Two-way slabs reinforced with high-performance steels, which have several practical advantages of a reduction of congestion in heavily reinforced members, savings in the cost of labor and repair, the higher corrosion resistance, and a reduction of construction time, were constructed and tested. The influences of the flexural reinforcement ratio, concentrating the reinforcement in the immediate column region, and using steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) in the slab on the punching shear resistance and post-cracking stiffness were investigated, and compared with the punching shear test results of the slabs reinforced with conventional steels and GFRP bars. In addition, the strain distribution of flexural reinforcements and crack control were investigated, and the effective width calculating method for the average flexural reinforcement ratio was estimated. The use of high-performance steel reinforcement increased the punching shear strength of slabs, and decreased the amount of flexural reinforcements. The concentrating the top mat of flexural reinforcement increased the post-cracking stiffness, and showed better strain distribution and crack control. In addition, the use of SFRC showed beneficial effects on the punching shear strength and crack control. It was suggest that the effective width should be changed to larger than 2 times the slab thickness from the column faces.