• Title/Summary/Keyword: health costs

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Evaluation of Common Activity and Life in Swedish Cohousing Units

  • Choi, Jung-Shin;Paulsson, Jan
    • International Journal of Human Ecology
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.133-146
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    • 2011
  • This study evaluates common activity and quality of life in Swedish cohousing units to examine whether Swedish cohousing functions properly or not. A questionnaire survey was fulfilled during the autumn of 2010 in G$\ddot{o}$teborg Sweden. The subjects of study were 12 of 44 cohousing units in Sweden that included 4 of the +40 cohousing and 8 of the mixed-age cohousing. A total of 242 of 353 distributed questionnaires were collected (68.6%) and analyzed by SPSS statistical program. The findings are as follow: 1) General characteristics of the respondents are that they are mostly healthy, evenly aged from age 50s to 70s and highly educated with significant proportions of academics and civil workers. There are more females than males and more singles than cohabitants. 2) The most frequent and preferred common activity is a common meal followed by a coffee meeting. A common dinner, the 'hub of living together' is held almost every day or at least a few times a week. A common meal is considered one of the most important activities because of practical and social advantages in that residents can save time and cooking costs as well as engage in social contact. Referring to evaluation of frequency and content of common activity, more than a half of the respondents prefer the current situation. 3) All of the variables (except health conditions and education level) affect participation in common activity with statistical significance. 4) Most of the respondents indicate a high level of life satisfaction and are willing to recommend others move to cohousing. They agree that there is more mutual support among residents in cohousing units than in a conventional community. In conclusion, Swedish cohousing units function successfully as they have pursued intentional community ideology and most of the residents are proud of their current living situations.

Estimation of Ship Emissions and Environmental Costs : focusing on Port of Busan (선박 배기가스 배출량 및 환경비용 산출에 관한 연구 : 부산항을 중심으로)

  • Lee, Min-woo;Lee, Hyang-sook
    • Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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    • v.32 no.4
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    • pp.15-28
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    • 2016
  • Port of Busan is Korea's largest trading port processing over 18,000 TEU a year. This rapid growth causes air pollution problems in Busan. Ship emissions are significant air pollution sources and port area is relatively close to the business district, therefore it may have serious effects to the health of local people and environment. In this study, ship emissions are estimated, especially on hotelling large vessels. As a result, Port of Busan has 50,686, 48,842 ship calls and 2,343,037 and 2,297,118 tons of ship emissions in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Also, the environmental cost in Port of Busan is approximately 1.2 trillion won per year. This study emphasizes the necessity of ship emissions regulation, hence, it is expected to make a significant contribution in setting up ship emission management system.

An original device for train bogie energy harvesting: a real application scenario

  • Amoroso, Francesco;Pecora, Rosario;Ciminello, Monica;Concilio, Antonio
    • Smart Structures and Systems
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.383-399
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    • 2015
  • Today, as railways increase their capacity and speeds, it is more important than ever to be completely aware of the state of vehicles fleet's condition to ensure the highest quality and safety standards, as well as being able to maintain the costs as low as possible. Operation of a modern, dynamic and efficient railway demands a real time, accurate and reliable evaluation of the infrastructure assets, including signal networks and diagnostic systems able to acquire functional parameters. In the conventional system, measurement data are reliably collected using coaxial wires for communication between sensors and the repository. As sensors grow in size, the cost of the monitoring system can grow. Recently, auto-powered wireless sensor has been considered as an alternative tool for economical and accurate realization of structural health monitoring system, being provided by the following essential features: on-board micro-processor, sensing capability, wireless communication, auto-powered battery, and low cost. In this work, an original harvester device is designed to supply wireless sensor system battery using train bogie energy. Piezoelectric materials have in here considered due to their established ability to directly convert applied strain energy into usable electric energy and their relatively simple modelling into an integrated system. The mechanical and electrical properties of the system are studied according to the project specifications. The numerical formulation is implemented with in-house code using commercial software tool and then experimentally validated through a proof of concept setup using an excitation signal by a real application scenario.

Wireless structural health monitoring of bridges: present and future

  • Hoult, Neil A.;Fidler, Paul R.A.;Hill, Peter G.;Middleton, Campbell R.
    • Smart Structures and Systems
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    • v.6 no.3
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    • pp.277-290
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    • 2010
  • Internationally the load carrying capacity of bridges is decreasing due to material deterioration while at the same time increasing live loads mean that they are often exposed to stresses for which they were not designed. However there are limited resources available to ensure that these bridges are fit for purpose, meaning that new approaches to bridge maintenance are required that optimize both their service lives as well as maintenance costs. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) provide a tool that could support such an optimized maintenance program. In many situations WSNs have advantages over conventional wired monitoring systems in terms of installation time and cost. In order to evaluate the potential of these systems two WSNs were installed starting in July 2007 on the Humber Bridge and on a nearby approach bridge. As part of a corrosion prevention strategy, a relative humidity and temperature monitoring system was installed in the north anchorage chambers of the main suspension bridge where the main cables of the bridge are anchored into the foundation. This system allows the Bridgemaster to check whether the maximum relative humidity threshold, above which corrosion of the steel wires might occur, is not crossed. A second WSN which monitors aspects of deterioration on a reinforced concrete bridge located on the approach to the main suspension bridge was also installed. Though both systems have provided useful data to the owners, there are still challenges that must be overcome in terms of monitoring corrosion of steel, measuring live loading and data management before WSNs can become an effective tool for bridge managers.

Cost , Benefit Analysis of Operation System Change in the Hospital Foodservice (대학병원 영양부서 운영체계 변경의 비용.편익분석)

  • Kim, Hyeong-Mi;Yang, Il-Seon;Park, Eun-Cheol;Im, Hyeon-Suk
    • Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.33-43
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    • 2000
  • Environmental pressures from such sources an economic condition, the government and inter-institutional competition create managerial challenges. Economic pressures may be forcing dietetic dept, in hospital to utilize cost∙benefit analysis to assist them in their problem solving. Cost∙benefit analysis have been widely used in business, industry and many other fields with only limited application to foodservice. Due to the lack or this information the purposes of this study were to identify use of cost∙benefit analysis in hospital foodservice system to evaluate the economic efficiency of alternatives, and to make recommendation for operation system change. Using the cost∙benefit method, cash flows are separated into cost and benefits. For an alternative to be selected, indicators, such as NPV, benefit-cost ratio (B/C ratio) with 5% discount rate per annum. The sensitivity analysis was also conducted with difference rate 3%, 7% respectively and reduced employee payroll change. The result of this study can be summarized as follows : 1. The total cost of investment for operation system change was 390,570 thousand won and the total benefit through operation system change was 865,808 thousand won. 2. Net present value(NPV) for 5 years was 475,239 thousand won and benefit-cost ratio was 2.22. 3. In sensitivity analysis with different discount rate 3%, 7%, benefit-cost ratio was 2.25, 2.18 respectively, with total reduced employee payroll change, benefit-cost ratio was 2.86. In conclusion, total benefits were exceeded total costs. Therefore, the project of operation system change in hospital foodservice was found to be economically efficient.

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The Correlation between HTMA(Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) Results and Obese Degree (모발미네랄분석결과와 비만도의 상관성)

  • Song, Jae-Chol;Lee, Jae-Sung;Lee, Kyung-Hee;Shin, Hyun-Taeg
    • Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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    • v.4 no.1
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    • pp.67-80
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    • 2004
  • Objectives: Obesity is a growing epidemic with subsequent health consequences leading not only to reduced quality of life but also to increased medical costs. Recently nutritional balances are emphasized in the field of obesity, and especially maintaining proper equilibriums of minerals. The correlation of minerals obtained from the method of HTMA(Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) with obese degree has not been studied in Korea yet. We studied any significant difference of mineral concentrations and components according to the obese degree. Methods: 78 subjects were analyzed who visited Garosero clinic of oriental medicine to lose their weight from June to November 2004. We used BMI(Body Mass Index), PBF(Percent Body Fat), WHR(Waist-Hip Ratio) and abdominal circumference obtained by bio-electrical impedance analysis as an obese degree. And we analyzed correlation with mineral concentrations and ratios obtained from HTMA. Results & Conclusion: 1. Na, K, Zn, Se had significant correlation with obese degree in case of nutritional minerals from HTMA. Especially, K had high significance. 2. Toxic minerals from HTMA had no significance with obese degree. 3. Rb had significant correlation with obese degree in case of additional minerals from HTMA. 4. Among important ratios from HTMA, Na/K had significant correlation with obese degree, but Ca/K had correlation except PBF, and Na/Mg had correlation except WHR. 5. Among toxic ratios from HTMA, Se/Hg had significant correlation with obese degree, but S/Hg had correlation except BMI. 6. Na, K, Zn, Rb, Na/K, Ca/K had significant differences between obesity groups classfied by BMI. Ob II group had sinificant difference from NW group in cases of K, Zn, Rb, Na/K, and Ob II group had sinificant difference from OW group in case of Ca/K.

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Profiling of Recovery Efficiencies for Three Standard Protocols (FDA-BAM, ISO-11290, and Modified USDA) on Temperature-Injured Listeria monocytogenes

  • Lee, Hai Yen;Chai, Lay Ching;Pui, Chai Fung;Wong, Woan Chwen;Mustafa, Shuhaimi;Cheah, Yoke Kqueen;Issa, Zuraini Mat;Nishibuchi, Mitsuaki;Radu, Son
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.21 no.9
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    • pp.954-959
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    • 2011
  • There have been a number of studies conducted in order to compare the efficiencies of recovery rates, utilizing different protocols, for the isolation of L. monocytogenes. However, the severity of multiple cell injury has not been included in these studies. In the current study, L. monocytogenes ATCC 19112 was injured by exposure to extreme temperatures ($60^{\circ}C$ and $-20^{\circ}C$) for a one-step injury, and for a two-step injury the cells were transferred directly from a heat treatment to frozen state to induce a severe cell injury (up to 100% injury). The injured cells were then subjected to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the ISO-11290, and the modified United States Department of Agriculture (mUSDA) protocols, and plated on TSAyeast (0.6% yeast), PALCAM agar, and CHROMAgar Listeria for 24 h or 48 h. The evaluation of the total recovery of injured cells was also calculated based on the costs involved in the preparation of media for each protocol. Results indicate that the mUSDA method is best able to aid the recovery of heat-injured, freeze-injured, and heat-freeze-injured cells and was shown to be the most cost effective for heat-freeze-injured cells.

TREATMENT OF HIGH-CONCENTRATION SWINE WASTEWATER BY ANAEROBIC DIGESTION AND AN AQUATIC PLANT SYSTEM

  • Kim, B.U.;Kwon, J.H.
    • Environmental Engineering Research
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    • v.11 no.3
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    • pp.134-142
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    • 2006
  • The treatment of high-strength swine wastewater by anaerobic digestion combined with an aquatic plant system was investigated. Anaerobic digestion of swine wastewater gave volatile solids (VS) removal efficiencies of 43.3%, 52.1% and 54.5% for hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 20, 30, 40 days, respectively. The removal efficiencies of VS, total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) decreased with increasing VS volumetric loading rate (VLR). Higher organic removal efficiency was observed at longer HRTs for the same VS volumetric loading rate. As VS volumetric loading rate increased, biogas production increased and the methane content of the biogas decreased. Experiments using duckweed (Lemna species) as an aquatic macrophyte gave the following results. In the case of nitrogen, removal efficiency was above 60% and effluent concentration was below 10.0 mg/L when the influent ammonia-N loading was about $1.0\;g/m^2/day$. In the case of phosphorus, removal efficiency was above 55% and effluent concentration was below 2.0 mg/L when the influent $PO_4$-P loading was about $0.15\;g/m^2/day$. In addition, crude protein and phosphorus content of duckweed biomass increased from 15.6% to 41.6% and from 0.8% to 1.6%, respectively, as the influent nutrient concentration increased. The treatment of high-strength swine wastewater by anaerobic digestion combined with an aquatic plant system offers good performance in terms of organics and nutrient removal for relatively low operation and maintenance costs. The results indicate that under appropriate operational conditions, the effluent quality is within the limits set by Korean discharge criteria.

Development of fault diagnostic system for mass unbalance and aerodynamic asymmetry of wind turbine system by using GH-Bladed (GH-Bladed를 이용한 풍력발전기의 질량 불평형 및 공력 비대칭 고장진단 시스템 개발)

  • Kim, Se-Yoon;Kim, Sung-Ho
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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    • v.24 no.1
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    • pp.96-101
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    • 2014
  • Wind power is the fastest growing renewable energy source in the world and it is expected to remain so for some times. Recently, there is a constant need for the reduction of Operational and Maintenance(O&M) costs of Wind Energy Conversion Systems(WECS). The most efficient way of reducing O&M cost would be to utilize CMS(Condition Monitoring System) of WECS. CMS allows for early detection of the deterioration of the wind generator's health, facilitating a proactive action, minimizing downtime, and finally maximizing productivity. There are two types of faults such as mass unbalance and aerodynamic asymmetry which are related to wind turbine's rotor faults. Generally, these faults tend to generate various vibrations. Therefore, in this work a simple fault detection algorithm based on spectrums of vibration signals and simple max-min decision logic is proposed. Furthermore, in order to verify its feasibility, several simulation studies are carried out by using GH-bladed software.

Design of RFID-based Integration System for Collection and Recycling Process of EOL Household Electric Appliances in Korea (국내 폐가전제품의 회수 및 재활용을 위한 RFID 기반 통합관리시스템 설계)

  • Kim, Hyun-Soo;Han, Dae-Hee;Jeong, Hae-Jun;Lee, Seong-Hyun
    • Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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    • v.32 no.2
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    • pp.120-131
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    • 2009
  • Most world-leading companies are aware that Environment and Health and Safety Issues are critical to the product quality and sustainable growth of their company. Environment-friendly efforts are seen in almost all aspects of business operations in an advanced nation. The Extended Producer Responsibility(EPR) and EU Directive on Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment(WEEE) attempt to tackle the growing quantity of WEEE by making producers responsible for the costs of the collection and recycling of their products at the End-of-Life(EOL). To implement the RFID-based integration system for EOL household electric appliances, such as washing machines and refrigerators, we analyzed the process of collecting, recovering, and recycling the EOL products returned from the distribution points. Furthermore, we proposed a soon-to-be process using the RFID-based integration system in the metropolitan recycling center(MRC). This soon-to-be process model is composed of RFID tags, readers, ALEs, applications and several devices. Through the introduction of the RFID-based integration system, we are expecting to see increasing traceability and real-time management for EOL products from customers, and also improvements in valuable reusable materials(VRM) produced from recycling processes.