• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2016.05a
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• pp.518-518
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• 2016

Agriculture is the lifeblood of the economy in Ghana, employs about 42% of the population work force and accounts for 30% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Corn (maize) is the major cereal crop grown as staple food under rain fed conditions, covers over 92% of the total agricultural area, and contributes 54% of the caloric intake. Issues of hunger and food insecurity for the entire nation are associated with corn scarcity and low production. The climate changes are expected to affect corn production in Ghana. This study evaluated variations of corn yields based on different climate conditions of rain-fed area in the Dangbe East District of Ghana. AquaCrop model has been used to simulate corn growing cycles in study area for this purpose. The main goal for this study was to predict yield of corn using selected climatic parameters from 1992 to 2013 using different climate scenarios. The Model was calibrated and validated using observed field data, and the simulated grain yields matched well with observed values for the season under production giving an R squared (R2)of 0.93 and Nash-Sutcliff Error(NSE) of 0.21. Study results showed that rainfall reduction in the range of -5% to -20% would reduce the yield from 1.315ton/ha to 0.421ton/ha (-21. 3%) whereas increasing temperature from 1% to 7% would result in the maximum yield reduction of -20.6% (1.315 to 1.09 ton/ha.). On the other hand, increasing rainfall from 5-20% resulted in yield increment of 68% (1.315-2.209 ton/ha) and decreasing temperature produce 7% increase in yield ( 1.315 to 1.401ton/ha). These results provide useful information to adopt strategies by the Government of Ghana and farmers for improving national food security under climate change.

• Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research
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• v.95 no.6
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• pp.297-302
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• 2018

Purpose: Increased robotic surgery is attended by increased reports of complications, largely due to limited operative view and lack of tactile sense. These kinds of obstacles, which seldom occur in open surgery, are challenging for beginner surgeons. To enhance robotic surgery safety, we created an augmented reality (AR) model of the organs around the thyroid glands, and tested the AR model applicability in robotic thyroidectomy. Methods: We created AR images of the thyroid gland, common carotid arteries, trachea, and esophagus using preoperative CT images of a thyroid carcinoma patient. For a preliminary test, we overlaid the AR images on a 3-dimensional printed model at five different angles and evaluated its accuracy using Dice similarity coefficient. We then overlaid the AR images on the real-time operative images during robotic thyroidectomy. Results: The Dice similarity coefficients ranged from 0.984 to 0.9908, and the mean of the five different angles was 0.987. During the entire process of robotic thyroidectomy, the AR images were successfully overlaid on the real-time operative images using manual registration. Conclusion: We successfully demonstrated the use of AR on the operative field during robotic thyroidectomy. Although there are currently limitations, the use of AR in robotic surgery will become more practical as the technology advances and may contribute to the enhancement of surgical safety.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.9 no.8
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• pp.123-133
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• 2019

This research empirically investigated halo effect in evaluating culture and art performance program. We diagnosed halo effect by using correlation analysis, factor analysis, and regression model on results and scores of fifteen evaluation indicators within three categories for the 107 Local Representative Performance Art Festivals in 2014 and 2015. The results indicates strong possibility of halo effect in culture and art performance evaluation. The correlation coefficients between evaluation indicators is higher than 0.5 and factor structure does not match with evaluation categories in both years. Scores in categories and standard deviations also are also significantly correlated with each other. The results implies that more sophisticated standard, diversification of evaluator, education, and meta-anlysis are need to control halo effect.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.34.1-34.13
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• 2018

Sexual maturity ($L_{50}$), the length at which 50% of fish in a size class are mature, is a key aspect of domestication of new fish species because it guides the procedure for identification of appropriate broodstock size for artificial spawning. In this study, the $L_{50}$ was determined for 1083 Barbus altianalis samples obtained from Lake Edward and the Upper Victoria Nile. Gonads of freshly killed samples were examined macroscopically and verified with standard histological procedures for the maturation stages that were used to determine $L_{50}$. Oocytes and spermatogenic cell sizes were compared for fish obtained from both water bodies. Results indicated that there were no variations in macro gonad features observed for fish from Lake Edward and Upper Victoria Nile. Similarly, there were no significant differences in oocyte sizes (P > 0.05) between the two populations but significant differences in spermatogenic cell sizes were noted (P < 0.05) except for spermatozoa (P > 0.05). This however did not suggest peculiar differences between the two populations for staging the gonads. Consequently, no staging variations were suggested for both populations in determination of $L_{50}$. Sexual maturity was found in the same class size of fork length (FL) 20-24.9 cm and 35-39.9 cm for males and females from both water bodies, respectively. At this FL, however, males were too small, and for good selection of vigor broodstocks for spawning and conservation purposes, they are better picked from class size of 30-34.9 cm FL and above. These findings were crucial for integration of appropriate breeding size in spawning protocol by farmers and fisheries scientists conserving wild B. altianalis populations.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.34-44
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• 2019

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to present what the port of Pyeongtaek, the hub of Korean trade with China, should improve in the current situation, wherein the e-commerce trade volume between Korea and China is increasing due to the development of online technology. Design/methodology - In this study, through prior research and expert interviews on e-commerce and port activation between borders, we derived the main improvement factors for 1) Administration and Systems, 2) Facilities, 3) Transport, and 4) Manpower, and selected 12 detailed variables for the major improvement factors. To identify the relative importance of the major improvement factors, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was applied, and a survey was conducted among 15 related experts. Findings - As a result, among the 12 detailed variables, Composition of Association (0.267) was the first factor to be improved, followed by Incentive Support (0.143) and E-Commerce Cluster (0.131). Based on these analyses, the main implications of this study are, first, in the current situation where the cross-border e-commerce market is growing, Pyeongtaek Port needs to form a consultative body among the government, local governments, and related businesses in connection with cross-border e-commerce and develop various support policies for the e-commerce market. Second, it will have to be able to provide differentiated services from competing ports by establishing e-commerce market-oriented clusters. Originality/value - In existing related studies, various improvements were presented to revitalize trade in line with the growth of the cross-border e-commerce market. However, with regard to most cross-border e-commerce businesses, one-dimensional improvement measures, such as improvement of payment systems, improvement of customs clearance services, and promotion of human resources, are presented in a piecemeal manner. In other words, none of the studies have proposed the importance and priority of each measure in terms of both the forward-looking and efficient allocation of resources, which is the purpose of this study. Therefore, this study contributed politically, practically, and academically by presenting countermeasures for ports to revitalize cross-border e-commerce and presenting strategic priorities using quantitative analysis methods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.145-151
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to evaluate foodservice hygiene in middle school students by analyzing the importance and performance of school foodservice by meal service area in Busan. Questionnaires were administered to 826 students in 10 middle schools (five schools for classroom service, five schools for dining room service). The average importance and performance scores were 4.11/5.00 and 3.38/5.00 for classroom service and 4.34/5.00 and 3.89/5.00 for dining room service. Dining room service had significantly (P<0.001) higher average scores importance and performance of food hygiene, environment hygiene, equipment hygiene, and employee hygiene than those of classroom service. The gap average score of dining room service was significantly (P<0.001) lower than those of classroom service. In the importance-performance analysis, 'cleanliness of tray' showed high importance and low performance for classroom service and dining room service. Areas of low importance and low performance were 'tray drying', 'cleanliness of employee' clothes', 'wearing sanitary gown, cap', 'wearing sanitary mask', and 'wearing sanitary gloves' for the classroom service, whereas 'tray drying', 'comfortable atmosphere in diningroom', 'well ventilated', 'no odor of the food in classroom', and 'cleanliness around rubbish bins' were relevant for dining room service. These findings suggest that employee hygiene management should be intensively managed for classroom service, and equipment hygiene management must be improved for classroom service and dining room service, especially cleanliness of tray. Meal service places should be changed to the dining room with support the government and private sector.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.58-89
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to evaluate comparatively the content of the Expanded National Immunization Program according to the provision method between 2005 and 2006 in Korea. We assessed the impact of the mutually exclusive vaccination policy using the result reports of the 2005 and 2006 Demonstration Project and the related references by the content analysis. The public health centers paid vaccination fees to the private clinic and hospital in the 2005 Demonstration Project in Daegu metropolitan city and Gunpo city. But, the public health centers directly supplied free vaccination services to the children in the 2006 Demonstration Project in Gangneung city, Yangsan city, and Yeongi-gun. The total budgets of 2005 and 2006 Demonstration Project were 6.57 billion won and 0.65 billion won, respectively. The computerized registration rates and timeliness rates of administration of each vaccination had improved all in the 5 Demonstration Project regions. However, the computerized registration rates of most vaccination in Gunpo city were higher than those in the 2006 Demonstration Project regions except hepatitis B. Especially, the computerized registration rate of BCG was 48.3%, but the BCG coverage rate by the follow-up telephone survey was 99.8% in Daegu metropolitan city. The community parents in all the regions were satisfied because of expanding financial and geographical access to immunization coverage. In conclusions, from the aspect of the main outcomes, the implementation of two different financial immunization aids appears to be widely accepted among these parents and to have had an impact on vaccination coverage. In the future, the government must try to enact that the national immunization policy including under-immunised or incompletely immunised groups would be achieved by the affordable method of the public-private dynamics.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.3D
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• pp.399-408
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• 2009

The major changes in construction environment are that construction project is bigger and more complicated and the power of construction market changes from the supplier to the client or the user. Especially public construction enterprises have advanced to introduce the value engineering (VE) which is one of the cost management based on the owner's leading at the design phase for economical efficiency and quality improvement. According to the these efforts, the implementation of VE was legislated in the revised Construction Technology Management Act in 2000, governmental agencies, local autonomies, and construction public enterprises universally has taken the VE into consideration. In this circumstance, the scope that VE construction applied at 50 billion won projects from 2003 has been extended to 10 billion won projects in 2006. Therefore, the VE construction will be activated in the future. The cost savings and function improvement, which are the purpose of VE are not only construction public enterprises, but also every public client supported from government's budget or owned by the government. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to propose the improved process and performance index of VE for governmental agencies, local autonomies, and construction public enterprises which want to introduce or improve the VE process. This research also suggested the To-be design-phased VE process model. In addition, it suggested the To-be model of design management reflected the To-be design-phased VE process model, which is eliminated two problems reflected for the performance improvement of the As-is model of design management.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.271-276
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• 2006

This study set out to analyze the relationships between the senior citizens' dental health activities and dental health conditions, to provide basic data to develop a program for their better dental health, and finally to search for the ways to improve their life quality through dental health care. The subjects were 142 senior citizens(58 were male and 84 were female) who were 65 years old or older and visited a dental hospital or clinic in the Seoul metropolitan area from April 17 to April 28, 2006. With the cooperation from the dentists, the investigators examined their dental conditions and conducted one-on-one interviews to collect the information about their demographic characteristics, dental health activities, and subjective dental health conditions. The collected data were analyzed with T-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficient using the SPSS WIN 11.5 program. The analysis results were summarized as follows: First, 58 men(40.8%) and 84 women(59.2%) consisted of the subject group, where percentage of the female participants was bigger Those who were aged from 65 to 69 made the biggest age group in the subjects, accounting for 58.5% with 83. Second, those who had three dental caries or less and then didn't treat them or treated them(F) accounted for the biggest percentage with 117(82.4%) and 72(50.7%) respectively. As for the remaining teeth, the biggest number of them(40 subjects, 28.2%) had three or less remaining. Third, it turned out the female subjects had a higher level of dental health activities than their male counterparts(P = 0.00). As for living expenses, those who were paid salary or earned income themselves carried out their dental health activities in a higher level than those who lived on the benefit from the government(p = 0.02). Fourth, the subjects' subjective dental health conditions had negative correlations with their dental caries not treated. And there were positive correlations between their dental caries not treated and dental caries lost and between their dental caries treated and remaining teeth. Fifth, those subjects who earned their living expenses themselves had the most dental caries treated at 5.4(p = 0.02), and there was statistically significant difference with the numbers. Sixth, those subjects who brushed their teeth in their own manner had 11.8 teeth lost(p = 0.05), which was more than the number of those who brushed their teeth in other methods. And there was statistically significant difference among them. The remaining teeth were found most at 17.3(p = 0.00) among those who brushed their upper and lower teeth separately. In addition, those who visited the public health center often had significantly more teeth treated(4.3) than others(p = 0.00).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.93-100
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• 2005

Background : Cancer is the leading cause of death and one of the largest burdens of disease in Korea. In 1996, the Ten year Plan for Cancer Control was formulated and the government then adopted the plan as a national policy. As part of this plan, the National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) for Medicaid recipients was formulated, and the government adapted this in 1999. For low-income beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC), the screening program has been in place since 2002. In 2002, the target cancers of NCSP were stomach, breast and cervical cancer. This study was conducted to examine the relationships between the participation rate, the abnormal screening rate and the socio-demographic factors associated with participation in the screening program. Methods : To analyze the participation rate and abnormal rate for the NCSP, we used the 2002 NCSP records. The information on the socio-demographic factors was available from the database of the beneficiaries in the NHIC and Medicaid. Results : The participation rate of the Medicaid beneficiaries for the stomach, breast and cervical cancer screening were 9.2%, 15.5% and 15.0%, respectively, and 11.3% and 12.5%, except cervical cancer which wasn't be included in the NCSP, for the beneficiaries of the NHIC. The abnormal rate of stomach, breast and cervical cancer screening were 25.7%, 11.2% and 21.0%, respectively, for the beneficiaries of Medicaid and 42.6% and 19.4% for the beneficiaries of the NHIC. On the multiple logistic regression analysis, gender, age and place of residence were significantly associated with participation rates of the NCSP. For stomach cancer, women participated in the NCSP more than men. The participation rate was higher among people in their fifties and sixties than for those people in their forties and those people over seventy years in age. For the breast and cervical cancer, people in their fifties were more likely to participate in the NCSP than people in their forties and people over sixty. For the place of residence, people in the rural areas participated more than those people in any other places. Conclusions : The above results show that the participation rate and abnormal rate were significantly associated with the socio-demographic factors. To improve the participation rate for the NCSP, more attention should be given to the underserved groups.