• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.17-21
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• 2014

Purpose With the recent rise of social issue regarding radiation exposure, attention to medical radiation use has been placed under a great spotlight. During PET-CT examination, generally about 40% more of $^{18}F$-FDG is used than EANM recommendation. While maintaining the diagnostic test result, we hope to find optimal injection dose to minimize the $^{18}F$-FDG in patients by utilizing the latest PET-CT scanner which is equiped with the newest technology. Materials and Methods During this experiment, the Biograph Truepoint 40 (siemens, USA) installed in 2007 and mCT 64 (siemens, USA) installed in 2011 were used and evaluated NECR (noise-equivalent counting rate) by using a scatter phantom. For the image quality evaluation of each scanner, we injected 3.7, 4.44 and 5.18 MBq/kg of $^{18}F$-FDG in NEMA IEC Body Phantom and also evaluated SNR between two scanners by using the data acquired at 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120 sec per bed. For the clinical evaluation, actual data of patients who were injected $^{18}F$-FDG 3.7, 4.44, 5.18 MBq/kg were used to compare SNR and draw a final result. Results As a result, mCT 64 peak NECR value was 1.65e+005, which is 10% higher than Turepoint 40. SNR values using the IEC body phantom was 17.9%, 17.4% and 17.1% higher in $^{18}F$-FDG 3.7 MBq/kg, 4.44 MBq/kg and 5.18 MBq/kg. In clinical patients, SNR values of the image mCT 64 was 16.5, which is 25% higher than Turepoint 40 scanner. Conclusion To draw a conclusion from the test result of this experiment, the same quality of SNR could be attained even with 10% reduced injection dose, if when the duration is extended by 10 sec/bed. This optimal result was possible due to enhanced equipment. The NECR (one of the equipment's performance assessment criteria for the scanner) increased by 10% and the SNR (one of the image quality assessment criteria) also increased by 17.5%. Therefore, we can expect to reduce the injection dose without deterioration of image quality. In consequence, it will also help to decrease the patient's anxiety of the radiation exposure.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.705-715
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• 2010

The adoption of carbon foot print system is being activated mostly in the developed countries as one of the long-term response towards tightened up regulations and standards on carbon emission in the agricultural sector. The Korean Ministry of Environment excluded the primary agricultural products from the carbon foot print system due to lack of LCI (life cycle inventory) database in agriculture. Therefore, the research on and establishment of LCI database in the agriculture for adoption of carbon foot print system is urgent. Development of LCA (life cycle assessment) methodology for application of LCA to agricultural environment in Korea is also very important. Application of LCA methodology to agricultural environment in Korea is an early stage. Therefore, this study was carried out to find out the effect of lettuce cultivation on agricultural environment by establishing LCA methodology. Data collection of agricultural input and output for establishing LCI was carried out by collecting statistical data and documents on income from agro and livestock products prepared by RDA. LCA methodology for agriculture was reviewed by investigating LCA methodology and LCA applications of foreign countries. Results based on 1 kg of lettuce production showed that inputs including N, P, organic fertilizers, compound fertilizers and crop protectants were the main sources of major emission factor during lettuce cropping process. The amount of inputs considering the amount of active ingredients was required to estimate the actual quantity of the inputs used. Major emissions due to agricultural activities were $N_2O$ (emission to air) and ${NO_3}^-$/${PO_4}^-$ (emission to water) from fertilizers, organic compounds from pesticides and air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion in using agricultural machines. The softwares for LCIA (life cycle impact assessment) and LCA used in Korea are 'PASS' and 'TOTAL' which have been developed by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Ministry of Environment. However, the models used for the softwares are the ones developed in foreign countries. In the future, development of models and optimization of factors for characterization, normalization and weighting suitable to Korean agricultural environment need to be done for more precise LCA analysis in the agricultural area.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.5-25
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• 1991

This study was conducted from July to December 1990, in order to diagnose nurses' educational need for home care. The study subjects consisted of 145 nursing educators, and the 3 groups of nurses, namely 250 senior nursing students of diploma and collegiate program, 235 health center nurses, 521 university' hospital nurses in Seoul. Four types of questionaires were formulated by Delphi method. Two questionaires for the nursing educators were designed to measure their expectations of nurses' knowledge and of their skill for home care, and another two questionaires for the nurses to measure their actual home care knowledge and skill. The results of the study were as follows : 1) The mean scores of educators' expectation for home care knowledge were 17.68 for the care of dependence on medical equipment, 17.44 for the care of mobility impairment patient, 16.56 for the care of cardiopulmonary impairment patient, 16.40 for the care of nutrition and elimination impairment patient, '1.20 for the care of psychiatric disorder patient and 9.03 for the care of cancer and terminally ill patient,. 2) The mean scores of nurses' home care knowledge tested by 20 items were 14.36 for the care of mobility impairment patient, 13.28 for the c8;re of dependence on medical equipment, 13.78 for the care of cardiopulmonary impairment patient, 12.92 for the care of nutrition and elimination impairment patient, and those of tested by 10 items were 7.08 for the care of psychologic disorder patient, 7.80 for the care of cancer and terminally ill patient. The sum of means marked 69.23. As for the nurses' home care knowledge categorized by tasks in terms of the group, significant difference were shown in the care of mobility impairment(P=0.00), cancer and terminally ill(P=0.03), nutrition and elimination impairment(P=0.00) and psychologic disorder patient(P=0.00). No significant difference were shown in the care of dependence on medical equipment and cardiopulmonary impairment patient. 3) Regard to educational need of nurses' home care knowledge categorized by task according to the group it was found that all sampled nurses had educational need in the care of mobility impairment, dependence on medical equipment, cardiopulmonary impairment, cancer and terminally ill patient. It was found that health center nurses had educational need in the care of psychologic disorder. No educational need were found in the health center nurses whose career less than 2 years, in the care of mobility impairment, cardiopulmonary impairment and psychologic disorder patient, and in those of career with 2-5 year in the care of psychologic disorder patient. No educational need were found in the hospital nurses whose career more than 15 years, in the care of cardiopulmonary impairment patient and in those of career with 11-15 year, in the care of cancer and terminally ill patient. 4) The mean scores of educators' expectation for home care skill measured by Likert 5 points scale were 4. 21 for assessing, 4.49 for planning, 4.29 for basic care, 4.42 for curative care, 4.40 for rehabilitative care, 4.36 for emergency care, 4.53 for medication, 4.31 for nutritional care, 4.32 for other means for care, and 4.38 for evaluation. 5) Regard to nurses' home care skill measured by Likert 5 points scale of self evaluation, there was a significant difference between the nurses' home care skill and group(P=0.00l). The higher scores reported by students were vital sign checking and basic care while the scores of below medium were curative care and emergency care. The higher scores reported by health center nurses were vital sign checking, other means for care and care of specimen while the scores below medium were curative, emergency and nutritional care. The higher scores reported by hospital nurses were vital sign checking, care of specimen and basic care, while the score below medium was emergency care. 6) Regard to educational need of nurses' home care skill by nursing process activity according to the group it was found that health center nurses had educational need in all nursing skills including vital sign checking, care of specimen, health assessment, socioeconomic assessment, nursing diagnosis, care plan, basic care, curative care, rehabiitative care, psychological care, emergency care, medication, nutritional care, other means for care and evaluation. And students had educational need in all nursing skills except vital sign checking, and hospital nurses had educational need in all nursing skills except vital sign checking, care of specimen and basic care. 7) In short, the result of this study suggests that the curriculum should be organized in accordence with nurses' educational background and their career for the education of nurses for home care. It should be considered to develop the short term educational program focused on curative and rehabilitative care for health center nurse or community health nurse practitioner and which was focused on family care for hospital nurse. Concerning about this field practice for home care nurse, they are required not only community practice but also . clinical practice including emergency, curative and rehabilitative care.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.266-271
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• 2008

Background: Estimation of the probability of a patient having an acute pulmonary embolism (PE) for patients with a suspected PE are well established in North America and Europe. However, an assessment of the prediction rules for a PE has not been clearly defined in Korea. The aim of this study is to assess the prediction rules for patients with a suspected PE in Korea. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 210 inpatients or patients that visited the emergency ward with a suspected PE where computed tomography pulmonary angiography was performed at a single institution between January 2005 and March 2007. Simplified Wells rules and revised Geneva rules were used to estimate the clinical probability of a PE based on information from medical records. Results: Of the 210 patients with a suspected PE, 49 (19.5%) patients had an actual diagnosis of a PE. The proportion of patients classified by Wells rules and the Geneva rules had a low probability of 1% and 21%, an intermediate probability of 62.5% and 76.2%, and a high probability of 33.8% and 2.8%, respectively. The prevalence of PE patients with a low, intermediate and high probability categorized by the Wells rules and Geneva rules was 100% and 4.5% in the low range, 18.2% and 22.5% in the intermediate range, and 19.7% and 50% in the high range, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the revised Geneva rules had a higher accuracy than the Wells rules in terms of detecting PE. Concordance between the two prediction rules was poor ($\kappa$ coefficient=0.06). Conclusion: In the present study, the two prediction rules had a different predictive accuracy for pulmonary embolisms. Applying the revised Geneva rules to inpatients and emergency ward patients suspected of having PE may allow a more effective diagnostic process than the use of the Wells rules.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.97-122
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• 2007

In 2006, the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, completed the construction on national environmental geographic informations including National Environmental Assessment Map, Ecological Map, Land Cover Map and so on. At this point of time, it is necessary to establish the advance strategy on national environmental geographic information, considering the complicated characteristics. Therefore, this study suggests the advance strategy on national environmental geographic information, reflecting results of analyzing the given condition and the trend of informatization. National environmental geographic information has spacial quality to be managed dispersedly in a department unit or an operations unit. According to this quality, requirements for users who need the policy based on national environmental geographic information and complex information are not satisfactory. And, the information system centering the process of administrative affairs should be converted to one putting decision supporting first in importance. Therefore, this study sets up "the realization of the sustainable land management system by advancing national environmental geographic information" as the vision of the advancing strategy. In order to accomplish the vision, this study established the purpose as follow; constructing strategic and geographic information based on knowledge, arranging the foundation to open information to the public transparently, building expanded and integrated national environmental geographic information, embodying the environmental administration based on national environmental geographic information, enhancing the efficiency of national environmental geographic information, and supporting efficiently the process of administrative affairs. And this study suggests executive plans to achieve the vision and the purpose as next; developing the quality control program to verify the information confidence, building the system to integrate and to provide environmental information, collecting information, readjusting laws and regimes in parts of the construction, the application and the management of the system, and operating the task process, human power, organization and information technology. This study puts the emphasis on providing the turning opportunity politically which is possible to make sure of the information confidence in quality, advancing from the expansion of one in quantity. However, this improvement strategy doesn't reflect all national environmental geographic information and current status of environmental administrations. Therefore, for applying the result of this study to the actual environmental administration, it is necessary to discuss regularly the systematic categorization of national environmental geographic information, to interview with the contracting parties and so on hereafter.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.166-175
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• 2023

This study aims to identify the cause of the red-water occurrence (the phenomenon of water being red) that occurs at some points and sections of rivers in Yongin City. As a result of conducting a preliminary investigation, total three sites were selected as the investigation point as it was found that the red-water occurrence continued. As a result of the investigation, it is judged that the cause of the red-water in Yongin-city river is due to the soil color and iron content of the region. JPS, SBS, and JJS sites all showed that the color of soil is mainly consist of reddish brown and red-yellow. The average Fe concentration was 13.75 mg/L, 10.85 mg/L, and 1.31 mg/L, for each sites, and considering that the Fe concentration in general river water was less than 0.5 mg/L, it was confirmed that the concentration was quite high. At the JPS and JJS points, the red-water occurrence occurred mainly in stagnant places, which is believed to be strengthened by the reaction of organic and microorganisms. In the case of SBS, the wateris red, but as a result of observing the actual color, it is judged that the iron component deposited in the pipe causes an optical illusion with a deep red color. In addition, it is believed that the iron concentration can be reduced to the general river water concentration range by removing the particulate iron component through a decrease of more than 95% as a result of filtering with glass fiber filter with particulate iron. As a result of this study, it is necessary to manage the river to maintain the flow, and it is believed that the occurrence of red-water at the survey point can be alleviated through uptake action through planting and agglomeration precipitation and agglomeration filtration methods for particulate iron treatment.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2023

Skin sanitizers are effective in killing or removing pathogenic microbial contaminants from the skin of food handlers, and the progressive growth of consumer interest in personal hygiene tends to drive product diversification. This review covers the advances in the application of efficacy tests for hand sanitizers to suggest future perspectives to establish an assessment system that is optimized to each product type (gel, liquid, and wipes). Previous research on the in vivo simulative test of actual consumer use has adopted diverse experimental conditions regardless of the product type. This highlights the importance of establishing optimal test protocols specialized for the compositional characteristics of sanitizers through the comparative analysis of test methods. Although the operational conditions of the mechanical actions associated with wiping can affect the efficacy of the removal and/or the inactivation of target microorganisms from the skin's surface, currently there is a lack of standardized use patterns for the exposure of hand sanitizing wipes to skin. Thus, major determinants affecting the results from each step of the overall assessment procedures [pre-treatment - exposure of sanitizers - microbial recovery] should be identified to modify current protocols and develop novel test methods. The ex vivo test, designed to overcome the limited reproducibility of in vivo human trials, is also expected to replicate the environment for the contact of sanitizers targeting skin microorganisms. Recent progress in the area of skin microbiome research revealed distinct microbial characteristics and distribution patterns after the application of sanitizers on hands to establish the test methods with the perspectives on the antimicrobial effects at the community level. The future perspectives presented in this study on the improvement of efficacy test methods for hand sanitizers can also contribute to public health and food safety through the commercialization of effective sanitizer products.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.533-544
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• 2023

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has been promoting policies to strengthen the functions of rural centers (culture, welfare, economy, education, etc.) and to ensure that services from the centers are delivered to and connected to hinterland villages. For this policy purpose, the rural center revitalization project and the basic living base creation project within the rural development projects are being promoted. However, in the process of carrying out the actual project, as the focus is on strengthening the functions of rural centers, service delivery and connection with hinterland villages are not being actively promoted. therefore, in this study, we analyze the projects previously carried out in Jeoksang-myeon, Muju-gun and the regional status, analyze the reasons why hinterland village services were not connected and activated, and propose a direction for the second phase of the basic living base creation project to be carried out in the future. As a result of analyzing the reasons for the failure of hinterland village services to be activated, problems such as disadvantages in accessing services due to dispersed residence in rural areas and limitations in topographical structure, and the lack of a service delivery system to develop demand in hinterland areas were found to be problems. Improvement measures were derived as follows. First, it is a stepping stone construction plan proposed to overcome topographical limitations. Establish a stepping base that will function as a service intermediate terminal to ensure efficient service delivery. Second, for a rational decision-making structure, we proposed a plan for deploying communication channels that could closely collect local opinions by operating various small-scale communities along with the efficient composition of a resident committee that includes residents of the central and hinterland villages and various classes. Third, it is a virtuous cycle of local manpower training plans that train local residents into professional instructors. We aim to complete a sustainable, resident-led service supply system by nurturing the most important service deliverers, that is, activists, in service delivery.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.77-90
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• 2023

This study aims to investigate the potential of alternative credit assessment through Social Networking Sites (SNS) as a complementary tool to conventional loan review processes. It seeks to discern the impact of SNS usage characteristics and loan product attributes on credit loan repayment. To achieve this objective, we conducted a binomial logistic regression analysis examining the influence of SNS usage patterns, loan characteristics, and personal attributes on credit loan conditions, utilizing data from Company A's credit loan program, which integrates SNS data into its actual loan review processes. Our findings reveal several noteworthy insights. Firstly, with respect to profile photos that reflect users' personalities and individual characteristics, individuals who choose to upload photos directly connected to their personal lives, such as images of themselves, their private circles (e.g., family and friends), and photos depicting social activities like hobbies, which tend to be favored by individuals with extroverted tendencies, as well as character and humor-themed photos, which are typically favored by individuals with conscientious traits, demonstrate a higher propensity for diligently repaying credit loans. Conversely, the utilization of photos like landscapes or images concealing one's identity did not exhibit a statistically significant causal relationship with loan repayment. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between the extent of SNS usage and the likelihood of loan repayment. However, the level of SNS interaction did not exert a significant effect on the probability of loan repayment. This observation may be attributed to the passive nature of the interaction variable, which primarily involves expressing sympathy for other users' comments rather than generating original content. The study also unveiled the statistical significance of loan duration and the number of loans, representing key characteristics of loan portfolios, in influencing credit loan repayment. This underscores the importance of considering loan duration and the quantity of loans as crucial determinants in the design of microcredit products. Among the personal characteristic variables examined, only gender emerged as a significant factor. This implies that the loan program scrutinized in this analysis does not exhibit substantial discrimination based on age and credit scores, as its customer base predominantly consists of individuals in their twenties and thirties with low credit scores, who encounter challenges in securing loans from traditional financial institutions. This research stands out from prior studies by empirically exploring the relationship between SNS usage and credit loan repayment while incorporating variables not typically addressed in existing credit rating research, such as profile pictures. It underscores the significance of harnessing subjective, unstructured information from SNS for loan screening, offering the potential to mitigate the financial disadvantages faced by borrowers with low credit scores or those ensnared in short-term liquidity constraints due to limited credit history a group often referred to as "thin filers." By utilizing such information, these individuals can potentially reduce their credit costs, whereas they are supposed to accrue a more substantial financial history through credit transactions under conventional credit assessment system.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.177-198
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• 2018

Recently, as economic property it has become necessary to acquire and utilize the framework for water resource measurement and performance management as the property of water resources changes to hold "public property". To date, the evaluation of water technology has been carried out by feasibility study analysis or technology assessment based on net present value (NPV) or benefit-to-cost (B/C) effect, however it is not yet systemized in terms of valuation models to objectively assess an economic value of technology-based business to receive diffusion and feedback of research outcomes. Therefore, K-water (known as a government-supported public company in Korea) company feels the necessity to establish a technology valuation framework suitable for technical characteristics of water resources fields in charge and verify an exemplified case applied to the technology. The K-water evaluation technology applied to this study, as a public interest goods, can be used as a tool to measure the value and achievement contributed to society and to manage them. Therefore, by calculating the value in which the subject technology contributed to the entire society as a public resource, we make use of it as a basis information for the advertising medium of performance on the influence effect of the benefits or the necessity of cost input, and then secure the legitimacy for large-scale R&D cost input in terms of the characteristics of public technology. Hence, K-water company, one of the public corporation in Korea which deals with public goods of 'water resources', will be able to establish a commercialization strategy for business operation and prepare for a basis for the performance calculation of input R&D cost. In this study, K-water has developed a web-based technology valuation model for public interest type water resources based on the technology evaluation system that is suitable for the characteristics of a technology in water resources fields. In particular, by utilizing the evaluation methodology of the Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan to match the expense items to the expense accounts based on the related benefit items, we proposed the so-called 'K-water's proprietary model' which involves the 'cost-benefit' approach and the FCF (Free Cash Flow), and ultimately led to build a pipeline on the K-water research performance management system and then verify the practical case of a technology related to "desalination". We analyze the embedded design logic and evaluation process of web-based valuation system that reflects characteristics of water resources technology, reference information and database(D/B)-associated logic for each model to calculate public interest-based and profit-based technology values in technology integrated management system. We review the hybrid evaluation module that reflects the quantitative index of the qualitative evaluation indices reflecting the unique characteristics of water resources and the visualized user-interface (UI) of the actual web-based evaluation, which both are appended for calculating the business value based on financial data to the existing web-based technology valuation systems in other fields. K-water's technology valuation model is evaluated by distinguishing between public-interest type and profitable-type water technology. First, evaluation modules in profit-type technology valuation model are designed based on 'profitability of technology'. For example, the technology inventory K-water holds has a number of profit-oriented technologies such as water treatment membranes. On the other hand, the public interest-type technology valuation is designed to evaluate the public-interest oriented technology such as the dam, which reflects the characteristics of public benefits and costs. In order to examine the appropriateness of the cost-benefit based public utility valuation model (i.e. K-water specific technology valuation model) presented in this study, we applied to practical cases from calculation of benefit-to-cost analysis on water resource technology with 20 years of lifetime. In future we will additionally conduct verifying the K-water public utility-based valuation model by each business model which reflects various business environmental characteristics.