• Title/Summary/Keyword: Physical functioning

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The Contribution of Innovation Activity to the Output Growth of Emerging Economies: The Case of Kazakhstan

  • Smagulova, Sholpan;Mukasheva, Saltanat
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.10 no.7
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    • pp.33-41
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    • 2012
  • The purpose of this study is to analyse the state of the energy industry and to determine the efficiency of its functioning on the basis of energy conservation principle and application of innovative technologies aimed at improving the ecological modernisation of agricultural sectors of Kazakhstan. The research methodology is based on an integrated approach of financial and economic evaluation of the effectiveness of the investment project, based on calculation of elasticity, total costs and profitability, as well as on comparative, graphical and system analysis. The current stage is characterised by widely spread restructuring processes of electric power industry in many countries through introduction of new technical installations of energy facilities and increased government regulation in order to enhance the competitive advantage of electricity market. Electric power industry features a considerable value of creating areas. For example, by providing scientific and technical progress, it crucially affects not only the development but also the territorial organisation of productive forces, first of all the industry. In modern life, more than 90% of electricity and heat is obtained by Kazakhstan's economy by consuming non-renewable energy resources: different types of coal, oil shale, oil, natural gas and peat. Therefore, it is significant to ensure energy security, as the country faces a rapid fall back to mono-gas structure of fuel and energy balance. However, energy resources in Kazakhstan are spread very unevenly. Its main supplies are concentrated in northern and central parts of the republic, and the majority of consumers of electrical power live in the southern and western areas of the country. However, energy plays an important role in the economy of industrial production and to a large extent determines the level of competitive advantage, which is a promising condition for implementation of energy-saving and environmentally friendly technologies. In these circumstances, issues of modernisation and reforms of this sector in Kazakhstan gain more and more importance, which can be seen in the example of economically sustainable solutions of a large local monopoly company, significant savings in capital investment and efficiency of implementation of an investment project. A major disadvantage of development of electricity distribution companies is the prevalence of very high moral and physical amortisation of equipment, reaching almost 70-80%, which significantly increases the operating costs. For example, while an investment of 12 billion tenge was planned in 2009 in this branch, in 2012 it is planned to invest more than 17 billion. Obviously, despite the absolute increase, the rate of investment is still quite low, as the total demand in this area is at least more than 250 billion tenge. In addition, industrial infrastructure, including the objects of Kazakhstan electric power industry, have a tangible adverse impact on the environment. Thus, since there is a large number of various power projects that are sources of electromagnetic radiation, the environment is deteriorated. Hence, there is a need to optimise the efficiency of the organisation and management of production activities of energy companies, to create and implement new technologies, to ensure safe production and provide solutions to various environmental aspects. These are key strategic factors to ensure success of the modern energy sector of Kazakhstan. The contribution of authors in developing the scope of this subject is explained by the fact that there was not enough research in the energy sector, especially in the view of ecological modernisation. This work differs from similar works in Kazakhstan in the way that the proposed method of investment project calculation takes into account the time factor, which compares the current and future value of profit from the implementation of innovative equipment that helps to bring it to actual practise. The feasibility of writing this article lies in the need of forming a public policy in the industrial sector, including optimising the structure of energy disbursing rate, which complies with the terms of future modernised development of the domestic energy sector.

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Efficacy and Safety of Red Ginseng on Women's Health Related Quality of Life and Sexual Function (여성의 건강관련 삶의 질과 성기능에 대한 홍삼의 효과 및 안전성 연구)

  • Kim, Dong-II;Choi, Min-Sun;Alm, Hong-Yeop
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • v.33 no.2
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    • pp.115-126
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    • 2009
  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of red ginseng on women's health-related quality of life (QOL) and sexual function. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical study was performed. The main efficacy was measured using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFl) and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Twenty-four healthy, married women aged 30-45 years with FSFl scores below 25 were randomly divided into two groups: the red-ginseng group (N=12) and the placebo group (N=12). During the first six-week period (Study 1), each group was given red ginseng or placebo twice a day. Before the start of the second six-week period (Study 2), a crossover design was chosen with a two-week break (washout period). Interchanging the two groups after the washout period, red ginseng and placebo were given to each group. The outcomes were measured before and after each six-week period. Overall, 23 participants completed the study. In Study 1, the changes relative to the baseline in the FSFl total score were 22.50% and 22.99% for red ginseng and placebo, respectively. In Study 2, the relative changes were 8.14% for red ginseng and 6.29% for placebo. The results showed a greater improving trend in Study 1 with respect to all of the participants' sexual functions, but no significant difference was found between the groups (P=0.9567). After taking red ginseng, all the participants exhibited an improving trend in the desire domain of FSFl, but no significant difference was shown. In the measurement of SF-36, no significant difference was likewise shown. After taking red ginseng, though, all the participants exhibited an improving trend in the physical functioning (PF) domain of SF-36, with no significant difference. Moreover, there was no significant adverse event related to red ginseng. The QOL and sexual function of the study participants in the red-ginseng group were mostly improved, but no statistically significant effect of red ginseng was shown. It is supposed that this result was partly due to the affirmative impression of red ginseng in Korea. Thus, it is anticipated that a long-term clinical trial will show a significant effect of red ginseng on the QOL and sexual function.

A Study on the Pavement Status and Improvement Directions of the Viewing Road in Royal Tombs of Joseon Dynasty (조선 왕릉 관람로의 포장현황과 개선방향)

  • Paek, Chong-Chul;Hong, Youn-Soon
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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    • v.37 no.2
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    • pp.66-73
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    • 2019
  • The Royal Tomb of the Joseon Dynasty, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009, is a cultural resource recognized for its 'outstanding universal value' around the world. The royal tomb of Joseon has been managed with an emphasis on the preservation of cultural assets since it was designated as a historical site in the 1970s, but it has received many visitors as a valuable historical and cultural resource and haven that connects the past and the present in today's bustling city. In order to investigate and analyze the current status of pavements in the royal palace in terms of quality and quantity, and to suggest the direction of improvement, this study conducted a complete survey of 53 royal palace viewing roads in 18 regions, and the results are as follows. First of all, problems are found in both the early Masato pavement of the creation, which was introduced with an emphasis on the preservation and protection of cultural assets, and the hardening pavement(KAP), which began to be used in the 1990s for the convenience of maintenance. In other words, the Masato pavement used to create a more environmentally friendly atmosphere of the Joseon royal tombs is showing a high percentage of use, but it lacks support for walking activities, such as the slippage of the pavement and water pooling during the rainy season or during the ice season. Also, hardening pavement introduced for convenience of maintenance, such as the movement of repair vehicles, is not functioning properly as it is damaged by physical deformation after construction. In addition, in awe zones such as parking lots, although the first image of the Joseon royal tombs is determined, the formation of the functional landscape centered on the carriageway does not harmonize with the traditional landscape, and, because of its lack of walking and environment-friendly features, there is a need for improvement, such as the experimental introduction of relevant pavement materials developed afterwards and continuous monitoring.