• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2020

Background: Exploratory study to investigate whether co-exposure to physical wrist stressors and chemicals is associated with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in French male farmers and agricultural workers. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 711 men aged 30-65 years and working as either farmers or agricultural workers in 2009-2010 within a cohort covered by the French Agricultural Workers' and Farmers' Mutual Benefit Fund. CTS and exposure to physical wrist stressors and chemicals were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Associations between CTS and personal/medical factors, exposure to physical wrist stressors, exposure to chemicals, and co-exposure to physical wrist stressors and chemicals were studied using multivariate logistic regression models. Results: Forty-four men {5.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.0-7.7]} reported that they had suffered from unilateral/bilateral CTS during the last 12 months. CTS was associated with age, current smoking [odds ratio (OR) = 2.1 (1.0-4.5)], and exposure to physical wrist stressors [OR = 2.6 (1.1-5.9)]. An association was found between CTS and co-exposure to physical wrist stressors and chemicals [OR = 3.3 (0.8-14.3), p = 0.044] in comparison with the no-exposure group. Conclusions: This exploratory study shows an association of CTS with exposure to biomechanical wrist stressors in male farmers and agricultural workers and suggests an association of CTS with co-exposure to physical wrist stressors and chemicals. Owing to the limitations of the study, this result must be confirmed by a prospective study with objective assessments of the outcome and exposure before drawing conclusions on the possible synergistic effects of mechanical stressors and chemicals on the impairment of the median nerve.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.131-151
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• 2019

This paper is conducted to find out if the previous corporate internal reservation has a significant effect on current investment and dividend payments by using the dummy variables of each classified industry. The results of the research show that previous corporate internal reservation had a significant effect on current material investments in following fields - manufacturing industries, technical services, wholesale and retail industries, information services, construction and transportation industries - over two years. Especially, investments in tangible assets were more effective than those in development expenses. In human resource investment, previous corporate internal reservation had a significant effect on current human investments in fields of manufacturing, technical services, information services and transportation industries. Among them, investments in education training expense and welfare benefit expense were more effective than those in wages. In the dividend section, previous corporate internal reservation had a significant effect on current dividends in the fields of manufacturing, wholesale and retail, information services, transportation industries, and in other businesses. Among them, Expenditure on dividend amounts was found to be more effective than that on dividend ratio. This paper contributed to the field in a way of empirically demonstrating the effects of previous corporate internal reservation on current investments and dividends by using the method of industrial classification. On the other hand, it also has a limitation since collecting precise taxation data was practically difficult. Therefore, a further developed study is required to find out the standard which shows exactly how much the measured results of the regression analysis reflect the effects of the government policies. Moreover, it is considered necessary for the government to devise policies on vagueness and uncertainties in the domestic and overseas economic and business environments so that companies can conduct investment with confidence.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.21-38
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• 2014

This study investigates whether and how a firm's cost of equity is influenced by the extent of a firms's name change. Even though corporate name change doesn't give any benefit to investors, it can be a signaling about firm's future valuation. And also, if that signaling has high credibility, it can be decrease information cost and the firm's cost of equity. on the contrary to this, if corporate name change is kind of break with the past and corporate image laundering, it is bad signaling to investors. So it can be increase information risk and the firm's cost of equity. Using yearly cross-sectional regressions of the cost of equity on our proxies for corporate name change, size, beta, market-to-book ratio and other innate risk factor over the 2005-2010, we find that the cost of capital is positively associated with corporate name change after controlling for all other factors. This result implies that corporate name change increase information risk of the business, and thus increase information asymmetries between managers and outside investors with respect to a firm's true future value. This increases information risk, and creates an adverse selection problem, on the part of outside investors. Rational investors therefore demand a premium for bearing this corporate name change-related information risk, which in turn leads us to observe a positive relation between the intensity of corporate name change and the cost of equity.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.415-421
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• 2011

The purposes of this study were to identify the economic impacts of hosting a marine leisure event and thus provide fundamental information that helps maximize the economic value of the event. In order to accomplish such purposes, this study employed both an economic impact analysis(EIA) using regional input output model and a benefit and cost ratio analysis(BCR). In specific, this study utilized a survey method with a total of 300 event visitors and 70 foreign players and thus collected expenditure data from 110 valid out of town visitors and 58 foreign players. In addition, investment expenditure data were collected from the host city official. Accordingly, EIA and BCR indicated following findings. First, the total direct impact from both visitors and players was 387 million Won and this direct impact resulted in output multiplier effect(OME) of 591 million Won, value added multiplier effect(VAME) of 306 million Won and income multiplier effect(IME) of 252 million Won. Second, the host city's investment expenditure created OME, VAME and IME of 825, 432 and 366 million Won, respectively. In conclusion, these findings suggest that in order to effectively boost potential economic benefits, more marketing efforts development policies should be implemented for increasing the number of out of town visitors and the amount of spendings from them.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.13-22
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• 2016

This study is aimed at compare and evaluate the environmental impact of End-of-Life Vehicle(ELV) on the eco-friendly technology dismantling and recycling system, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. In this study, it was analyzed for the environmental impacts of raw materials, disassemble process, recycle parts separation and waste treatment into the process of ELV treatment by greenhouse gas and resource consumption, etc. Through this study, the indoor rail type dismantling technology were recycling rate applied on the alternate system was increased by approximately 8%. As a result, it was 3 to 88% by improving the environmental impact category. In addition, the added benefit of approximately 8 - 62% in pre-market occurred through the recycling rate, improve parts reuse rate of ELV. Through the results of this study, legal compliance, improved reuse and recycling ratio, used parts market reach, enable exports has identified the need for the effort that the dissemination and diffusion of eco-friendly technology.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1210-1223
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• 2018

Background/Aims: The co-occurrence of obesity aggravates asthma symptoms. Diet-induced obesity increases helper T cell (TH) 17 cell differentiation in adipose tissue and the spleen. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor pravastatin can potentially be used to treat asthma in obese patients by inhibiting interleukin 17 (IL-17) expression. This study investigated the combined effects of pravastatin and anti-IL-17 antibody treatment on allergic inflammation in a mouse model of obesity-related asthma. Methods: High-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity was induced in C57BL/6 mice with or without ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge. Mice were administered the anti-IL-17 antibody, pravastatin, or both, and pathophysiological and immunological responses were analyzed. Results: HFD exacerbated allergic airway inflammation in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of HFD-OVA mice as compared to OVA mice. Blockading of the IL-17 in the HFD-OVA mice decreased airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) and airway inflammation compared to the HFD-OVA mice. Moreover, the administration of the anti-IL-17 antibody decreased the leptin/adiponectin ratio in the HFD-OVA but not the OVA mice. Co-administration of pravastatin and anti-IL-17 inhibited airway inflammation and AHR, decreased goblet cell numbers, and increased adipokine levels in obese asthmatic mice. Conclusions: These results suggest that the IL-17-leptin/adiponectin axis plays a key role in airway inflammation in obesity-related asthma. Our findings suggest a potential new treatment for IL-17 as a target that may benefit obesity-related asthma patients who respond poorly to typical asthma medications.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.336-343
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• 2019

Background Sternal rigid plate fixation (RPF) has been adopted in recent years in high-risk cases to reduce complications associated with steel wire cerclage, the traditional approach to sternal closure. While sternal RPF has been associated with lower complication rates than wire cerclage, it has its own complication profile that requires evaluation, necessitating a critical examination from a national perspective. This study will report the outcomes and associated risk factors of sternal RPF using a national database. Methods Patients undergoing sternal RPF from 2005 to 2016 in the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program were identified. Demographics, perioperative information, and complication rates were reviewed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for postoperative complications. Results There were 381 patient cases of RPF identified. The most common complications included bleeding (28.9%), mechanical ventilation >48 hours (16.5%), and reoperation/readmission (15.2%). Top risk factors for complications included dyspnea (odds ratio [OR], 2.672; P<0.001), nonelective procedure (OR, 2.164; P=0.010), congestive heart failure (OR, 2.152; P=0.048), open wound (OR, 1.977; P=0.024), and operating time (OR, 1.005; P<0.001). Conclusions Sternal RPF is associated with increased rates of three primary complications: blood loss requiring transfusion, ventilation >48 hours, and reoperation/readmission, each of which affected over 15% of the study population. Smokers remain at an increased risk for surgical site infection and sternal dehiscence despite RPF's purported benefit to minimize these outcomes. Complications of primary versus delayed sternal RPF are roughly equivalent, but individual patients may perform better with one versus the other based on identified risk factors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.102-110
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• 2019

The shipbuilding and offshore plant industry of Korea is important and leads Korea's economic growth, designated as the 1st to 4th export items in Korea in terms of export contribution over the period from 2011 to 2015. This study proposes ways to improve the national competitiveness of Korean shipyards in the global offshore drilling market by reviewing a business model for providing an integrated offshore drilling commissioning service in Korea. This commissioning service model, which was attempted in 2014, was reviewed, and a new proposed business model for overcoming the limitations of the previous model and activating further business was evaluated. As a result of an economic evaluation, it was found that a 150-meter water depth model is economically more effective. As the number of integrated commissions increased from 2 to 5 times per year, NPV, IRR and B/C ratios increased and the fee per use decreased. Therefore, for offshore drilling facilities constructed and delivered in Korea, it will be necessary to encourage integrated offshore commissioning.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1-18
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• 2019

A short-turn bus is a bus that is operated within a subsection of an existing bus line. Previous studies regarding short-turn buses decided optimal turn-back points for a single bus line rather than a bus network. Also, in-vehicle crowding which has a significant impact on transit convenience was rarely considered. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a methodology to set priorities for the introduction of short-turn buses of bus lines and sections, considering crowding. To achieve this objective, we calculated occupancies and crowding alleviation benefits of existing bus lines overlapping a new short-turn route based on transit card data, before and after the introduction of short-turn strategy. Also, operator and social costs caused by the introduction of short-turn buses were calculated. Those procedures were iterated over bus lines and sections to operate a short-turn service, and a section whose benefit-to-cost ratio (B/C) is the largest in a line was selected to operate a short-turn service in the line. After, priorities of bus lines to introduce short-turn services could be determined based on B/C values, and the optimum total fleet size could be determined when a short-turn strategy is applied in multiple lines.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.243-249
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• 2020

This study analyzes the earnings management that can occur in the process of public offering in the process of SMEs reducing cost of capital, risks and seeking opportunities for direct financing. Since a company is subject to strict supervision during the IPO process, it is possible to prevent the phenomenon that the company value evaluated in the market is underestimated, or to perform earnings management in consideration of overestimation. This study attempted to verify the degree of earnings management through discretionary accruals and actual earnings management values that can affect the earnings ratio of the IPO of a company. For this study, total accruals were calculated and analyzed through discretionary accruals, sales, costs, and actual earnings management adjustments from production activities. As a result of the analysis, discretionary accruals, which are the countermeasures for earnings management during the listing process, have a positive(+) relationship in both the stock price return and the sales adjustment value, which can be viewed as a factor that induces high valuation. As a result of this, there may be a risk of adverse selection for the benefit amount, and information asymmetry may exist for public offering stocks. This study can provide useful guidelines for evaluating corporate value to domestic SMEs and investors that do business with Chinese companies as well as China through the current and type of earnings management of Chinese listed companies.