• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.30 no.4 s.59
• /
• pp.741-751
• /
• 1997

Measurement of blood lead (PbB) and blood zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) are most common biological indices to identify the individual at risk for excess or the health sequences by lead exposure. Because PbB is known most important and reliable index of lead exposure, PbB is often regarded as a gold standard to detect lead exposure. But in Korea PbB is a secondary test item of detailed health check-up with positive finding of screening test in most occasion. Our lead standard requires all lead workers to take annual heath-check twice a year for investigation of their health effect due to lead exposure. Blood ZPP is one of most important index to detect high lead absorption in lead workers as a screening test. Measurement of blood ZPP is known ,well to correlate with PbB in steady state of exposure in most lead workers and is often used as a primary screening test to detect high lead absorption of lead workers with the advantage of simplicity, easiness, portability and low cost. The current cut-off criteria of blood ZPP for further detailed health check-up is $100{\mu}g/d\ell$ which is supposed to match the level of $40{\mu}g/d\ell$ of PbB according to our standard. Authors tried to investigate the validity of current criteria of cut-off level $(100{\mu}g/d\ell)$ of blood ZPP and possible another better cut-off level of it to detect the lead workers whose PbB level over $40{\mu}g/d\ell$. The subjects in our study were 212 male workers in three small scale storage battery industries. Blood ZPP, PbB and hemoglobin (Hb) were selected as the indices of lead exposure. The results were as follows. 1. The mean of blood ZPP, PbB and Hb in lead workers were $79.5{\pm}46.7{\mu}g/d\ell,\;38.7{\pm}15.1{\mu}g/d\ell,\;and\;14.8{\pm}1.2g/d\ell$, respectively. There were significant differences in blood ZPP, PbB and Hb by industry (P<0.01). 2. The percents of lead workers whose blood ZPP were above $100{\mu}g/d\ell$ in the group of work duration below 1, 1-4, 5-9 and above 10 years were 8.6%, 17.2%, 47.6%, and 50.0%, respectively. The percents of lead workers whose PbB were above $40{\mu}g/d\ell$ in those were 31.4%, 40.4%, 71.4%, and 86.4%, respectively. 3. The percents of lead workers whose PbB were below $40{\mu}g/d\ell$, $40-59{\mu}g/d\ell$ and above $60{\mu}g/d\ell$ were 54.7%, 34.9% and 10.4%, respectively. Those of lead workers whose blood ZPP were below $100{\mu}g/d\ell$, $100-149{\mu}g/d\ell$ and above $150{\mu}g/d\ell$ were 79.2%, 13.7% and 7.1%, respectively. 4. Simple linear regression of PbB on blood ZPP was statistically significant (P<0.01) and as PbB was $40{\mu}g/d\ell$, blood ZPP was $82.1{\mu}g/d\ell$. 5. While the highest sensitivity and specificity of blood ZPP test to detect lead workers with PbB eve. $40{\mu}g/d\ell$ were observed in the cut-off level of $50{\mu}g/d\ell$ and $100{\mu}g/d\ell$ of blood ZPP, respectively, the highest validity (sensitivity+specificity) of blood ZPP to detect lead workers with PbB over $40{\mu}g/d\ell$ was observed in the cut-off level of around $70{\mu}g/d\ell$ of blood ZPP. But even with optimal cut-off level of around $70{\mu}g/d\ell$ of blood ZPP, still 25.0% of false negative and 20.7% false positive lead workers were found. As the result of this study, it was suggested that reconsideration of current blood ZPP cut-off of our lead standard from $100{\mu}g/d\ell$ to somewhat lower level such as around $70{\mu}g/d\ell$ and the inclusion of PbB measurement as a primary screening test for lead workers was highly recommended for the effective prevention of lead workers.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.123-137
• /
• 2007

The advent of the Internet and related Web technologies has created an easily accessible link between a firm and its customers, and has provided opportunities to a firm to use information technology to support supplementary after-sale services associated with a product or service. It has been widely recognized that supplementary services are an important source of customer value and of competitive advantage as the characteristics of the product itself. Many of these supplementary services are information-based and need not be co-located with the product, so more and more companies are delivering these services electronically. Net-based customer service, which is defined as an Internet-based computerized information system that delivers services to a customer, therefore, is the core infrastructure for supplementary service provision. The importance of net-based customer service in delivering supplementary after-sale services associated with product has been well documented. The strategic advantages of well-implemented net-based customer service are enhanced customer loyalty and higher lock-in of customers, and a resulting reduction in competition and the consequent increase in profits. However, not all customers utilize such net-based customer service. The digital divide is the phenomenon in our society that captures the observation that not all customers have equal access to computers. Socioeconomic factors such as race, gender, and education level are strongly related to Internet accessibility and ability to use. This is due to the differences in the ability to bear the cost of a computer, and the differences in self-efficacy in the use of a technology, among other reasons. This concept, applied to e-commerce, has been called the "e-commerce divide." High Internet penetration is not eradicating the digital divide and e-commerce divide as one would hope. Besides, to accommodate personalized support, a customer must often provide personal information to the firm. This personal information includes not only name and address, but also preferences information and perhaps valuation information. However, many recent studies show that consumers may not be willing to share information about themselves due to concerns about privacy online. Due to the e-commerce divide, and due to privacy and security concerns of the customer for sharing personal information with firms, limited numbers of customers adopt net-based customer service. The limited level of customer adoption of net-based customer service affects the firm profits and the customers' welfare. We use a game-theoretic model in which we model the net-based customer service system as a mechanism to enhance customers' loyalty. We model a market entry scenario where a firm (the incumbent) uses the net-based customer service system in inducing loyalty in its customer base. The firm sells one product through the traditional retailing channels and at a price set for these channels. Another firm (the entrant) enters the market, and having observed the price of the incumbent firm (and after deducing the loyalty levels in the customer base), chooses its price. The profits of the firms and the surplus of the two customers segments (the segment that utilizes net-based customer service and the segment that does not) are analyzed in the Stackelberg leader-follower model of competition between the firms. We find that an increase in adoption of net-based customer service by the customer base is not always desirable for firms. With low effectiveness in enhancing customer loyalty, firms prefer a high level of customer adoption of net-based customer service, because an increase in adoption rate decreases competition and increases profits. A firm in an industry where net-based customer service is highly effective loyalty mechanism, on the other hand, prefers a low level of adoption by customers.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.33 no.3 s.91
• /
• pp.187-196
• /
• 2000

This paper describes a simple method that uses differences among Carlson's (1977) trophic state index (TSI) values based on total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (CHL) and Secchi depth (SD) to draw inferences regarding the factors that are limiting to phytoplankton growth and the composition of lake seston. Examples are provided regarding seasonal and spatial patterns in a large subtropical lake (Lake Okeechobee, Florida, USA) and inter- and intra-lake variations from a multilake data set developed from published studies. Once an investigator has collected routine water quality data and established TSI values based on TP, CHL, and SD, a number of inferences can be made. Additional information can be provided where it also is possible to calculate a TSI based on total nitrogen (TN). Where TSI (CHL)<>TSI (SD), light attenuating particles are large (large filaments or colonies of algae), and the phytoplankton may be limited by zooplankton grazing. Other limiting conditions are inferred by different relationships between the TSI values. Results of this study indicate that the analysis is quite robust, and that it generally gives good agreement with conclusions based on more direct methods (e.g., nutrientaddition bioassays, zooplankton size data, zooplankton removal experiments). The TSI approach, when validated periodically with these more costly and time-intensive methods, provides an effective, low cost method for tracking long-term changes in pelagic structure and function with potential value in monitoring lake ecology and responses to management.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
• /
• 2003.07b
• /
• pp.37-54
• /
• 2003

It has been recognized that the hen. like its mammalian counterparts. provides young chicks with antibodies as protection against hostile invaders. This system facilitates the transfer of specific antibodies from serum to egg yolk. and provides a supply of antibodies called immunoglobulin Y(IgY) to the developing embryo and the hatched chick. The protection against pathogens that the relatively immuno-incompetent newly hatched chick has. is through transmission of antibodies from the mother via the egg. Egg yolk. therefore. can be loaded with a large amount of IgY against pathogens which can immobilize the existing or invading pathogens during the embryo development or in day-old chicks. Thus. the immunization of laying hens to various pathogens results in production of different antigen-specific IgY in eggs. Egg yolk contains 8~20 mg of immunoglobulins (IgY) per $m\ell$ or 136~340 mg per yolk suggesting that more than 30 g of IgY can be obtained from one immunized hen in a year. By immunizing laying hens with antigens and collecting IgY from egg yolk. low cost antibodies at less than ＄10 per g compared to more than ＄20.000 per g of mammalian IgG can be obtained. This IgY technology opens new potential market applications in medicine. public health veterinary medicine and food safety. A broader use of IgY technology could be applied as biological or diagnostic tool. nut-raceutical or functional food development. oral-supplementation for prophylaxis. and as pathogen-specific antimicrobial agents for infectious disease control. This paper has emphasized that when IgY-loaded chicken eggs are produced and consumed. the specific antibody binds. immobilizes and consequently reduces or inhibits the growth or colony forming abilities of microbial pathogens. This concept could serve as an alternative agent to replace the use of antibiotics. since today. more and more antibiotics are less effective in the treatment of infections. due to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
• /
• 2005.06a
• /
• pp.110-120
• /
• 2005

For utilizing vitrification to treat low and intermediate level waste, industrial pilot plant was designed and constructed in October 1999 at Daejon, Korea through the joint research program among NETEC, MOBIS and SGN. More than 70 tests were performed on simulated IER, DAW etc. including key nuclide surrogate(Cs, Co); this plant has been shown to vitrify the target waste effectively and safely, however, some dust are generated from the HTF(High Temperature Filter) as a secondary waste. In case of long term operation, it is also concerned that pipe plugging can be occurred due to deposited dust in cooling pipe namely, connecting pipe between CCM(Cold Crucible Melter) and HTF. In this regard, we have developed the special complementary system of the off-gas treatment system to recycle the dust from HTF to CCM and to remove the interior dust of cooling pipe. Main concept of the dust recycling is to feed the dust to the CCM as a slurry state; this system is regarded as of an important position in the viewpoint of volume reduction, waste disposal cost and glass melt control in CCM. The role of DRS(Dust Recycling System) is to recycle the major glass components and key nuclides; this system is served to lower glass viscosity and increase waste solubility by recycling B, Na, Li components into glass melt and also to re-entrain and incorporate into glass melt like Cs, Co. Therefore dust recycling is helpful to control the molten glass; it is unnecessary to consider a separate dust treatment system like a cementation equipment. The effects of Dust Cleaner are to prevent the pipe plugging due to dust and to treat the deposited dust by raking the dust into CCM. During the pilot vitrification test, overall performance assessment was successfully performed; DRS and Dust Cleaner are found to be useful and effective for recycling the dust from HTF and also removing the dust in cooling pipe. The obtained operational data and operational experiences will be used as a basis of the commercial facility.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.4-17
• /
• 2000

Purpose : This study aimed to investigate and to evaluate the present conditions of hospice programs in Korea for supplying data useful in making policy in hospice, which is not institutionalized yet. Method : For this purpose we surveyed 59 hospice programs regarding the general characteristics, manpower, patients, services, financial conditions, and facilities. Thirty-seven hospice programs answered the questionnaires. Result : They were 11 tertiary hospitals, 11 other hospitals, 3 clinics, 12 home care hospice, and 1 freestanding hospice. Only 9 hospice programs have all of the essential professionals: physicians, nurses, social workers, clergies, and volunteers. In some hospice programs, volunteers who had not been trained for hospice provided services to terminal patients. More than half of the hospice said they provided services to the patients who lost their consciousness and were not suitable for hospice care. 16% of the hospice said they did not keep the patients' record. Some hospitals including tertiary hospitals provided such intensive care as radiotherapy, TPN, injections to hospice patients. Many hospice programs other than hospitals didn't charge patients for hospice care. 60% of the hospice said they suffered from financial problems. Most of the hospice wards were not built for hospice use at first. So they did not have such supplementary facilities as dayroom, waiting room, special bathing facilities etc. Conclusion : For improving the quality of terminal patients and promoting the cost effective use of health care resources, it is necessary to consider the institutionalization of hospice. The institutionalization of hospice programs can improve the quality of hospice care and the standardization of the hospice program can hasten its institutionalization.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.619-624
• /
• 1996

An experiment was carried out to find out the effects of water foxtail on weed control and rice yield as well as on the reduction of nitrogen application in no tillage transplanted paddy field. Paddy field was dominated by water foxtail whose soil covering degree was adjusted from 8 to 6 by treatment of paraquat (70 l /10a of solution diluted by 1, 000 times). Thirty five-day old seedling was mechanically transplanted and reduced nitrogen, 80% of conventional application was applied at the paddy field. The higher failure in seedling stand was observed at higher degree of soil covering by water foxtail. The failure of seedling stand with covering degree of 8(no paraquat) was 37.4%, while that of covering degree of 6(paraquat-treated) was 12.3%. However, the seedling stand failure was completely recovered at covering degree of six at two weeks after transplanting. The mechanical transplanting made water foxtail in the paddy field fall on the ground whose panicle part was recovered from falling sometimes after transplanting and whole plant died with slow scenesence untill the late of June. But the water foxtail affected by paraquat produced the new panicle from uppernode of stem with dead leaves at early of June and it become die slowly untill the early of July. Though several rice field weeds were observed in the order of Echinochloa crusgallis, Cyperus serotinus, Lemma paucicostata during the active tillering stage of rice, the value of weed control due to the dominance of water foxtail was 77~78%. The death and subsequent decay of water foxtail during the active tillering stage of rice induced the soil reduction which again defect the growth of rice root. The more vigerous rice growth was observed in the plot dominated with water foxtails, than control plot. The yields of rice in the water foxtail (degree 6) plot was 629kg per l0a as brown rice, the same as that of control plot. In conclusion, the no-tillage transplanting with control of covering degree of water foxtail (to degree 6) was effective in reduction of input cost such as herbicide and nitrogen fertilizer, as well as weed control without reduction of rice yield.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.277-288
• /
• 2010

The multi-level $H_2O/CO_2$ profile system has been widely used to quantify the storage and advection effects on energy and mass fluxes measured by eddy covariance systems. In this study, we expanded the utility of the profile system by accommodating air sampling devices for isotope analyses of water vapor and $CO_2$. A pre-evacuated 2L glass flask was connected to the discharge of an Infrared Gas Analyzer (IRGA) of the profile system so that airs with known concentration of $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ can be sampled. To test the performance of this sampling system, we sampled airs from 8 levels (from 0.1 to 40 m) at the KoFlux tower of Gwangneung deciduous forest, Korea. Air samples in the 2L flask were separated into its component gases and pure $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ were extracted by using a vacuum extraction line. This novel technique successfully produced vertical profiles of ${\delta}D$ of $H_2O$ and ${\delta}^{13}C$ of $CO_2$ in a mature forest, and estimated ${\delta}D$ of evapotranspiration (${\delta}D_{ET}$) and ${\delta}^{13}C$ of $CO_2$ from ecosystem respiration (${\delta}^{13}C_{resp}$) by using Keeling plots. While technical improvement is still required in various aspects, our sampling system has two major advantages over other proposed techniques. First, it is cost effective since our system uses the existing structure of the profile system. Second, both $CO_2$ and $H_2O$ can be sampled simultaneously so that net ecosystem exchange of $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ can be partitioned at the same temporal resolution, which will improve our understanding of the coupling between water and carbon cycles in terrestrial ecosystems.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.483-489
• /
• 2006

The behavior of rare earth compounds such as $La_{2}O_{3}$, $CeO_{2}$, and $Ca(OH)_{2}$ on the removal of fluoride and heavy metals in the steel wastewater has been investigated. The removal mechanism of fluoride by rare earth elements has been known to be the formation of insoluble compounds between $F^{-}$ and cations such as $La^{3+}$ and $Ce^{4+}$ produced by the dissociation of rare earth compounds (To reduce the running cost of the fluoride wastewater treatment facility, their fluoride removal efficiencies were compared with those of inexpensive rare earth minerals such as natural lanthanide and cerium compound used as a glass polishing agent). All of the rare earth oxides used in this study showed a higher removal efficiency of fluoride than $Ca(OH)_{2}$ in the wastewater. In the case of artificial HF solution, the removal efficiency of fluoride showed in the order: $CeO_{2}$-mineral < $CeO_{2}$ < $Ca(OH)_{2}$ < $La_{2}O_{3}$-mineral < $La_{2}O_{3}$. However, the removal efficiency of fluoride in the wastewater increased in the following order: $Ca(OH)_{2}$ < $CeO_{2}$ mineral < $CeO_{2}$ < $La_{2}O_{3}$ mineral < $La_{2}O_{3}$. All agents showed high efficiencies for the removal of Mn and total Cr in the rare earth compounds. In the case of $Ca(OH)_{2}$, fluoride removal decreased with increasing pH while. However, the rare earth compounds showed a higher fluoride removal in higher pH condition, the optimum pH condition seemed to be around 7 considering both water quality and fluoride removal. Under the pH 7 condition, the $Ca(OH)_{2}$ was superior to rare earth compounds in Mn removal and the lanthanide was superior to others in total Cr removal.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.247-256
• /
• 2012

This study was conducted to provide strategies for the reduction of plate waste and prevention of plate waste reuse in foodservice operations. To achieve these goals, we surveyed the entrepreneurs of foodservice operations, professionals in the field of foodservice management and food safety, and public officials working for food safety enforcement about their perceptions and strategies on plate waste management. The professionals' survey indicated that definition of plate waste needed to be clear for understanding. Also Korean food culture insisting on abundance and variety table settings, foodservice owners' demands for cost reduction, and foodservice workers' insufficient safety perceptions were indicated to bring forth the practice to reuse plate waste. The effective ways to control plate waste management were systematic educational supports for Korean food culture upgrade among consumers and improvements of safety perceptions among owners, as well as workers. Also small portion size was needed to reduce plate waste.