• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.984-996
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Prior studies, mostly conducted in Western countries, have suggested that the low cost of energy-dense foods is associated with an increased risk of obesity. This study aimed to investigate the association between food costs and obesity risk among Koreans who may have different food cost and dietary patterns than those of Western populations. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We used baseline data from a cohort of 45,193 men and 83,172 women aged 40-79 years (in 2006-2013). Dietary intake information was collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Prudent and Western dietary patterns extracted via principal component analysis. Food cost was calculated based on Korean government data and market prices. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association of daily total, prudent, and Western food cost per calorie with obesity. RESULTS: Men in the highest total food cost quintile had 15% higher odds of obesity, after adjusting for demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors (adjusted odds ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.22; P-trend < 0.001); however, this association was not clear in women (P-trend = 0.765). While both men and women showed positive associations between prudent food cost and obesity (P-trends < 0.001), the association between Western food cost and obesity was only significant in men (P-trend < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In countries in which consumption of Western foods is associated with higher food costs, higher food costs are associated with an increased risk of obesity; however, this association differs between men and women.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 1993

Since most people spend a large majority of their time indoors (at least in the industrialized countries), indoor air may affect human health more than outdoor air. This study was carried out to characterize the reference and equivalent methods against the low volume method which was promulgated by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. The Laser and Piezo air sampler offer the advantage of real time data and low labor costs. The arithmetic mean concentrations were found to be 102.9% (Laser-2 min method) and 65.9% (Piezo method) against low volume method (100%). The statistical analysis procedure for this comparision is linear regression. The linear regression line of low volume method had slopes of 0.5487 and 0.9697 and Y intercepts of 0.0266 and 0.0110 $\mu$g/m$^3$ about Laser (2 min) and (24 h) method respectively. And the correlation coefficients were 0.7271 and 0.9433.

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.249-257
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• 2023

This paper discusses the increasing need for autonomous delivery robots due to the current growth in the delivery market, rising delivery fees, high costs of hiring delivery personnel, and the need for contactless services. Additionally, the cost of hardware and complex software systems required to build and operate autonomous delivery robots is high. To provide a low-cost alternative to this, this paper proposes a autonomous delivery robot platform using a low-cost sensor combination of 2D LIDAR, depth camera and tracking camera to replace the existing expensive 3D LIDAR. The proposed robot was developed using the RTAB-Map SLAM open source package for 2D mapping and overcomes the limitations of low-cost sensors by using the convex hull algorithm. The paper details the hardware and software configuration of the robot and presents the results of driving experiments. The proposed platform has significant potential for various industries, including the delivery and other industries.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2024

This paper presents applications of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) energy storage batteries, while showing merits and demerits of several techniques to mitigate their electrochemical challenges. Unmanned aerial vehicles, electric cars, and grid-scale energy storage systems represent main applications of Li-S batteries due to their low cost, high specific capacity, and light weight. However, polysulfide shuttle effects, low conductivities, and low coulombic efficiencies signify key challenges of Li-S batteries, causing high volumetric changes, dendritic growths, and limited cycling performances. Solid-state electrolytes, interfacial interlayers, and electrocatalysts denote promising methods to mitigate such challenges. Moreover, nanomaterials have capability to improve kinetic reactions of Li-S batteries based on several properties of nanoparticles to immobilize sulfur in cathodes, stabilizing lithium in anodes while controlling volumetric growths. Li-S energy storage technologies are able to satisfy requirements of future markets for advanced rechargeable batteries with high-power densities and low costs, considering environmentally friendly systems based on renewable energy sources.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1-8
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• 2013

The housing policy of Korea has been pushed with a focus on the middle-class. This contributed to alleviate the absolute lack problem of housing, but this program for the housing policy of low-income brackets is also true as insufficient attention. Thanks to Bulk supply-oriented housing policy, the rising penetration of housing and living conditions are improving as a whole, but low-income housing problem has been exacerbated by a relative. National and local government will solve the residential housing problem of low-income brackets by expanding welfare programs, but the quality of existing housing issues and the alternative policy are regarded as insufficient. Homeless households in Korea are still nearly 400 million, Housing costs higher than income weighted for buying a home and rent payments of low-income brackets. In this study, I investigated the concept of low-income housing welfare and housing policy changes. This paper is aimed to present the basic data through the investigation and analysis residential status of low-income brackets.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.6
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• pp.152-171
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• 2002

This study analyses the avatar service, which is recognized as an alternative strategy of animation industry. The research questions of this study are following: (1) How have the avatar services been developed and what are the present dominant types? (2) Which structural characteristics of e-business environment are needed for the success of avatar services? (3) What is the economic characteristics of avatar business model? To solve these research questions, the basic conditions and the structural characteristics of avatar services have been investigated. In the first place, two forms of avatar service are classified. One is the internet service site whole primary service is to provide chatting service based on avatar service. The other is the portal site in which many kinds of products and services are presented as bundles to meet the needs of internet users. So avatar service is one of bundles which those portal sites are providing with. In this study, the big five internet service sites are selected based on the profits they earned through the sales of avatar service. The result of analysis is that the pricing strategy of those big five sites is very different from those of traditional off-line markets. The pricing mechanism are based on the value which internet users endow with the avatar items, not based on the costs of making the products. Avatar is the representative informative goods. The informative goods have the original cost structures, constant fixed costs and zero marginal costs, so the providers of avatar services make much of the subjective values of consumers. The sayclub, which is the most successful avatar service site and earn the average sales of 3 billing won a month, takes the aggressive strategy of pricing avatar items at highest price in the industry. The avatar service providers which make lots of profits are planning of making differentiate the services, introducing well-known brand items and star-named items. Nevertheless, the fact that the members of the sayclub are not decreasing means that the network effect of the site is so strongly manifest. Moreover, the costs the members have paid for the avatar items are so big not as to switch from one site to the other site, it can be very costly. These switching costs are endemic in high-technology industries and digital contents industries. It can be so large that switching suppliers is virtually unthinkable, a situation known as 'lock-in'. When switching costs are substantial, competition can be intense to attract new customers, since, one they are locked in, they can be a substantial source of profit. The consumers of avatar items have switching costs if they subscribe for the new avatar service site. The switching costs can be subscription costs as well as the costs of giving up the items they already paid for. One common example of switching costs involves specialized supplies, as with inkjet printer cartridges. In this example, the switching cost is the purchase of a new printer. The market is competitive ex ante, but since cartridges are incompatible, it is monopolized dx post. So the providers of printer/cartridges set pricing printer so cheap and cartridges expensive. On the contrary, since the avatar service can be successful with the strong network effect, the providers of avatar services have to compete aggressively for new customers. So they allow the subscription at a low price(almost marginal cost) in the early market. The network effect can be maximized when the members are sufficiently growing. The providers which have the monopoly power with sufficient subscribers. begin to raise the prices over the lifetime of the product and make profits.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.21-47
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• 2004

This study has investigated the effects of relieving and promoting factors on dissolution intention under the condition of low commitment buyer-seller relationships. Based on intensive literature reviews, eight alleviating factors (dependence, cooperation, communication, relational norms, transaction specific investments, relationship termination costs, satisfaction, and trust) and five promoting factors (opportunism, conflict, goal incongruity, attractiveness of alternatives, and unfairness) were included. A total of thirteen hypotheses were testee using data collected from a dining franchising system. Among 300 collected, 79 cases of low commitment buyer-seller relationships were analyzed. The results showed that eight out of thirteen hypotheses were supported. But five hypotheses related to the variables of cooperation, transaction specific investments, relationship termination costs, attractiveness of alternatives, and opportunism were not supported. following a detailed presentation of the analysis results, the paper concludes by discussing the academic and managerial implications of the findings.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.175-187
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• 2013

Fuel consumption in fisheries is a primary concern due to environmental effects and costs to fishermen. Much research has been carried out to reduce the fuel consumption related to fishing operations. The fuel consumption of fishing gear during fishing operation is generally related to hydrodynamic resistance on the gear. This research demonstrates a new approach using numerical methods to reduce fuel consumption. The results from the simulation were verified with results that mirrored the model experiments. By designing the fishing gear using drawing software, the whole and partial resistance force on the gear can be calculated as a result of simulations. The simulation results will suggest suitable materials or gear structure for reducing the hydrodynamic forces on the gear while maintaining the performance of the gear. Furthermore, the efficiency of low energy used anchovy dragnet as economic point of view will be dealt. This research will helpful to reduce the GHG emissions from fishing operations and lead to reduce fishing costs due to fuel savings.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.92-108
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• 2009

This study suggests a model for continuing and comprehensive management of hypertension or Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Korea. Moreover, this paper computed the contribution cost of hypertension or T2DM management using the healthcare medical cost, which could have occurred from stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) that were successfully prevented from the effective hypertension or T2DM management. Additionally, these costs were compared with the cost of implementing the hypertension or T2DM management model suggested in this study. This study used the medical fee summary of the health insurance claims submitted to National Health Insurance Corporation by medical facilities for services provided during the period from January 1st 1999 to December 31st 2006. The prevalence rate with treatment referred to cases in which patients submitted their medical claims at least once during the period, along with an accordant diagnosis. The incidence rate with treatment referred to cases in which patients who never submitted claims for the accordant disease during the five years from 1999 to 2003 submitted claims for the accordant disease in 2004 and 2005. The relative risk of the occurrence of stroke, MI and ESRD was 11.0, 13.6, and 30.3, respectively. The attributable risk of hypertension or T2DM for stroke was 0.730, and that for MI and ESRD were 0.773 and 0.888, respectively. Based on these, the contribution cost of hypertension or T2DM is estimated to be 986.3 billion Korean Won(KRW) for stroke patients, 330.5 billion KRW for MI patients, and 561.7 billion KRW for ESRD patients as in 2005. Hence, the total contribution cost of hypertension or T2DM to stroke, MI, and ESRD is 1.878 trillion KRW. The estimate for operational costs included an annual expenditure of 50,000 KRW per each recipient and an annual subsidy of 0.22 million KRW per person for the 1.6 million low.income individuals with hypertension or T2DM to cover their out.of.pocket medical expenses. Under this assumption, it took approximately 0.6 trillion KRW to manage 5 million high.risk patients in the low. and mid.income range, coverings up to 50% of costs. In conclusion, considering the potential benefits of preventing stroke, MI, and ESRD, the costs seems to be reasonable.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.427-434
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• 2000

In tradition, there have been two kinds of drying methods, which are sun drying and artificial drying. The sun drying method which has been adopted traditionally has been replaced by the hot-air drying method which is one of the most general methods of artificial drying, with its simple drying system, low initial cost of drying plant, and easy operating method. But the hot-air drying method has some defects; (1) much energy loss happens due to the discharge of hot air during the drying process, (2) control of drying rate is not easy on account of changing relative humidity of inlet air for uniform hot air temperature, (3) high temperature of foods in drying process brings about the production of low-grade drying products. Vacuum drying takes advantage of energy saving and mass production because it reduces the drying time by increasing the drying rate under low temperature condition. The aim of this paper is to develop the low temperature vacum dryer, with low initial investments and operating costs, easy operating method and trouble-free operation.