• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 2002

Purpose : We intended to decrease late CNS reaction after radical radiotherapy for an intracranial germinoma by using combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy and involved-field radiotherapy. The efficacy in terms of its acute toxicity and short-term relapse patterns was analyzed. Materials and Methods : Eighteen patients were treated with combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy between 1995 and 2001. The chemotherapy regimen used was the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) 9921A (cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, VP-16, vincristine) for 5 patients younger than 16 years, BEP (bleomycin, VP-16, cisplatin) for 12 patients, and EP (VP-16, cisplatin) for 1 patient. The radiotherapy covered the whole craniospinal axis for 5 patients, the whole brain for 1, and the partial brain (involved field) for 12. the primary lesion received tumour doses between 3,960 and 5,400 cGy. Results : The male to female ratio was 16:2 and the median age was 16 years old. The tumors were located in the pineal gland in 12 patients, in the suprasellar region in 1, in the basal ganglia In 1, in the thalamus in 1. Three patients had multiple lesions and ventricular seedings were shown at MRI. In 3 patients, tumor cells were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid and MRI detected a spinal seeding in 2 patients. The response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was complete remission in 5 patients, partial remission in 12, and no response in 1. However, after radiotherapy, all except 1 patient experienced complete remission. The toxicity during or after chemotherapy greater than or equal to grade III was remarkable; hematologic toxicity was observed in 11 patients, liver toxicity in none, kidney toxicity in none, and gastrointestinal toxicity in one. One patient suffered from bleomycin-induced pneumonitis. Radiotherapy was therefore stopped and the patient eventually died of respiratory failure. The other 17 are alive without any evidence of disease or relapse during an average of 20 months follow-up. Conclusion : A high response rate and disease control was experienced, which was the same as observed other studies and the morbidity from chemotherapy-induced toxicity was similar. With these results, the results from adjuvant chemotherapy and involved-field radiotherapy cannot be concluded to be equal to those from extended-field radiotherapy. The long term follow-up study on later complications are required in order to draw definite conclusions on the optimal management with minimum side effects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.577-586
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• 2013

This study investigated black garlic and mugwort extracts have anti-stress activity. The antioxidant activities of extracts from black garlic (BEP), mugwort (MEP), and three mixtures (MPA, 95:5; MPB, 90:10; MPC, 85:15, w/w% for BEP and MEP, respectively) were tested in vitro. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities for the mixtures (MPA, MPB and MPC) were significantly elevated in a dose-dependent manner by the amount of mugwort extract. A restraint stress was imposed on six groups of Sprague-Dawley rats supplemented with an AIN-93 diet (RSC) or one of five kinds of hot water extract drinks containing (black garlic, RS1; mugwort, RS2; and mixtures of black garlic : mugwort at 95:5, RS3; 90:10, RS4, and a mixture of black garlic : mugwort : apple extract : xylitol=90.25:4.75:2:3, RS5; v/v%) for 4 weeks. The normal group was fed with the AIN-93 diet and not exposed to restraint stress. Food intake was higher in the group fed with garlic extract (RS1), while the body weight gain and food efficiency ratio did not significantly change. The total serum cholesterol content in the RS1 and RS2 groups was significantly lower than the RSC group (control), and the RS5 group was not significantly different compared to the RS3 group. The serum triglyceride content was significantly higher RS3~RS5 groups than RS1 and RS2 groups. In terms of HDL-C and LDL-C contents, AI and CRF in the serum were not significantly different between RS3 and RS5 groups. AST and ALP activities of RS1~RS5 groups were significantly lower than the RSC group. The liver total lipid and cholesterol contents of RS1~RS5 groups were significantly lower than RSC group, and triglyceride content was significantly lower in the RS1 group. Glycogen in the liver tissue was significantly higher in the RS2 and RS3 group compared to the RSC group. These results show that the intake of a mixture of black garlic and mugwort extracts may be effective in the alleviation of hyperlipidemia caused by restraint stress.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.67-80
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• 2022

This study was conducted to derive policy measures such as fostering and supporting by examining the actual conditions of domestic startups. The subject of this study was the start-ups located in Seongnam-si, where Pangyo Techno Valley, which is the highest-level innovation cluster in Korea and is evaluated as a start-up mecca. Startups were defined as startups under 7 years old based on new technologies such as IT, BT, and CT, and the subjects of the study were selected. This can be seen as a step forward from previous research in that it embodies the concept of a startup that was previously abstract in a quantitatively measurable way. As a result of the analysis, about 94% of startups are distributed in the so-called "Death Valley" growth stage, and startups above scale-up, which means full-scale growth beyond BEP, account for about 6%. appeared to be occupied. He cited the problem of start-up funds as the biggest difficulty in the early stages of startups, and cited the loan evaluation method that prioritizes sales or collateral in raising funds as the biggest problem. In addition, start-ups rated the access to private investment capital such as VC, AC, and angel investors at a low level compared to policy funds, which are public funds. Most startups showed a lot of interest in overseas expansion, and they chose matching overseas investors such as overseas VCs as the biggest support for overseas expansion. The overall competitiveness in the overseas market was 49.6 points, which is less than 50 points out of 100, indicating that the overall competitiveness was somewhat inferior. It was analyzed that public support and investment in overseas sales channels (sales channels, distribution networks, etc.) should be prioritized along with enhancement of technological competitiveness in order for domestic startups to increase their competitiveness in overseas markets as well as in the domestic market.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.23-48
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to provide criteria which help executives to make decisions through the analysis of profitability of ultrasonography conducted in each medical department. In order to achieve such purpose, the study conducted break-even analyses on three medical departments of a university hospital in which has used ultrasonography was largely conducted in diagnosing diseases and performing surgeries. The research was carried out from January to June 2008. The data necessary for calculating cost, were collected using by computerized data. The results of the study were summarized as follows. 1. The Cost structure of each medical department: The Cost of ultrasonography was divided into direct cost and indirect cost through the categorization by cost object. Labor cost accounted for the largest portion of the direct cost with 69.3% in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, 67.4% in the department of radiology and 58.2% in the cardiac ultrasonography center, which followed by the depreciation cost of ultrasonography equipment. The calculation of the average material cost of each ultrasonographic test by medical test found that the cardiac ultrasonography center took first place with 2,355 won, followed by the department of obstetrics and gynecology with 266 won and the department of radiology with 233 won. As for the power cost of ultrasonography equipment, the department of radiology took fist place with 442,000 won. The power cost, however, did not affect much the cost price, because it accounted for only a small portion of the cost. As for indirect cost, the cardiac ultrasonography center ranked first with 7,156,000 won. Building depreciation cost accounted for the largest portion of the indirect cost. 2. Break-even analysis: Under the supposition that cost price can be divided into fixed cost and variable cost, a break-even analysis was conducted using the cost price confirmed through the cost structure of each medical department. As for the average customary charge of ultrasonography test conducted in each medical department, the department of obstetrics and gynecology charged 24,627 won, the department of radiology 53,179 won and the cardiac ultrasonography center 65,174 won. According to these results, the charges of ultrasonography test imposed by the department of radiology and the cardiac ultrasonography center wre enough to surpass break-even levels, but the charge imposed by the department of obstetrics and gynecology was not enough to offset the cost price. In conclusion, labor cost accounted for the largest proportion of cost price of ultrasonography test conducted in diagnosing diseases and performing surgeries in medical departments, followed by the fixed cost of ultrasonographic equipment depreciation cost. In medical department where the current charge of ultrasonography test turned out not to offset cost price through the break-even analysis of ultrasonographic equipment, ways to reduce fixed cost which accounts for the largest proportion of the cost price should be sought. Even medical departments whose current charge of ultrasonography test is enough to surpass break-even level are required to work for efficient management and cost reduction to continuously generate profits.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.245-253
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• 2009

For the growth optimization of InAs/GaSb (8/8-ML) strained-layer superlattice (SLS), the structure has been grown under various conditions and modes and characterized by the high-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. In this study, the strain modulation is induced by changing parameters and modes, such as the growth temperature, the ratio of V/III beam-equivalent-pressure (BEP), and the growth interruption (GI), and the strain variation is analyzed by measuring the angle separation of 0th-order satellite peak in XRD patterns. The XRD results reveal that the growth temperature and the V/III(Sb/Ga) ratio are major parameters to change the crystallineity and the strain modulation in SLS structures, respectively. We have observed that the SLS samples with compressive strain prepared in this study are show a transition to tensile strain with decreasing V/III(Sb/Ga) ratio, and the GI process is a sensitive factor giving rise to strain modulation. These results obtained in this study suggest that optimized growth temperature and V/III(Sb/Ga) ratio are $350^{\circ}C$ and 20, respectively, and the appropriate GI time is approximately 3 seconds just before InAs growth that the crystallineity is maximized and the strain relaxation is minimized.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.57-64
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• 2022

A plant factory is a facility that creates an artificial environment in a controlled space and produces plants systematically through automated facilities. However, automation in the cultivation process is insufficient compared to the internal environment control technology in plant factories. This causes the problem of an increase in operating costs due to the input of a large number of workers. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate economic feasibility by comparing before and after introducing automation in the cultivation process of plant factories. The target plant factory to be analyzed was selected, and the break-even point analysis method was used by comparing the cost required compared to the operating period. As a result, the break-even point was analyzed to be 3.4 years when automation was introduced into six processes for plant cultivation. Therefore, it can be judged that the introduction of automation is excellent in terms of economic feasibility when the target plant factory has been operated for more than 3.4 years. This study is expected to be used as basic data to analyze the economic feasibility of introducing automation in domestic and foreign plant factories.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.283-295
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• 2011

Many actions against climate change have been taken to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions at home and abroad. As of 2007, the GHGs emitted from buildings accounted for about 23 % of Korea's total GHGs emission, which is the second largest GHG reduction potential following industry. In this study, we introduced Carbon Zero Building (CZB), which was constructed by the National Institute of Environmental Research to cut down GHGs from buildings in Korea, and evaluated the main applied technologies, the amount of energy load and reduced energy, and economic values for CZB to provide data that could be a basis in the future construction of this kind of carbon-neutral buildings. A total of 66 technologies were applied for this building in order to achieve carbon zero emissions. Applied technologies include 30 energy consumption reduction technologies, 18 energy efficiency technologies, and 5 eco-friendly technologies. Out of total annual energy load ($123.8kWh/m^2$), about 40% of energy load ($49kWh/m^2$) was reduced by using passive technologies such as super insulation and use of high efficiency equipments and the other 60% ($74.8kWh/m^2$) was reduced by using active technologies such as solar voltaic, solar thermal, and geothermal energy. The construction cost of CZB was 1.4 times higher than ordinary buildings. However, if active technologies are excluded, the construction cost is similar to that of ordinary buildings. It was estimated that we could save annually about 102 million won directly from energy saving and about 2.2 million won indirectly from additional saving by the reduction in GHGs and atmospheric pollutants. In terms of carbon, we could reduce 100 ton of $CO_2$ emissions per year. In our Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis, the Break Even Point (BEP) for the additional construction cost was estimated to be around 20.6 years.