• Title/Summary/Keyword: Control facilities

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Outer Space Activities and an Observation of Related Laws of Korea (국내 우주활동과 관련법 소고)

  • Park, Won-Hwa
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.163-186
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    • 2009
  • The missile technology and its development in south Korea have been restrained to the limit of 180 km by America which instead provided to Korea with security protection. In the same vein, America pressured South Korea to abort its nuclear weapons program so as to prevent another possible military encounter that can easily develop into a war between South and North Korea. This restraint was a bit relaxed when South Korea joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2001 whereby the limit was 300 km. The situation of South Korea is in much contrast with its neighbor, North Korea, which has fired Taepo Dong 1 and Taepo Dong 2 to put its alleged satellite respectively into the Earth orbit. The range of this rocket believed to be reaching more than 5,500 km, a range of the intercontinental ballistic missile, without any rein. South Korea that has just geared its full powers for its outer space industry, with the current space projects of putting its satellites into the low Earth orbit, will in future put its satellite into the geostationary orbit, 36,000 km above the Earth. To do so, such restraint had better be resolved. Korean space industry, as it is alike in other countries, started with putting and manufacturing sounding rockets, producing satellites but relying on foreign launching facilities, and learning launching capacities. Experiencing three time launchings of KITSAT, the current satellite projects of Korea are undertaken as follows: - Koreasat - STSAT - Komsat - MBSAT - COMS (Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite) Koreans waked up to the things of outer space in 2008 with the first Korean astronaut Li So-yeon, a lady bio systems engineer. Although the first Korean made rocket in cooperation with a Russian company to fire last August 2009 was a failure, it should be considered as an inevitable process for future endeavors. There are currently three outer space related laws of Korea: Aerospace Industry Development Promotion Act 1987, Outer Space Development Promotions Act 2005, and Space Damage Compensation Act 2008. The first two stemming from the two different ministries are, however, overlapping in many aspects and have some shortcomings to be improved.

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The Relationships among Patient's Perception, Patient's Satisfaction of Nursing Service Quality and Revisiting intention (간호서비스 질에 대한 환자의 인식과 만족도 및 재방문의도와의 관계)

  • Lee, Sun-Ah
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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    • v.4 no.2
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    • pp.307-319
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    • 1998
  • This study is an empirical investigation and study on the measurement of nursing service quality as perceived by patients. A series of H1. H2. H3 alternative hypotheses were tested using a sample of 250 patients in Taegu City. Korea. HI hypothese were tested for application of five component of service quality (SERVQlTAL and SE RPERF : tangiblity. reliability. responsiveness. accessibility. understandability) in Taegu area Hospitals. Validity test - the five components of service quality were rearranged into two components of service quality (personal factor. nonpersonal factor). Although SERVQUAL was verified in USA. application for five components of service quality in Korea indicated that it need more analytical studies. Nobody can deny the fact that the recent growth of the nursing service quality is one of the most important driving forces of hospital management. In many hospitals. the nursing quality charges more than 50% of the medical service quality. As a result. many hospital managers should be enormous interests in the investment potentiality of the nursing service. However. doesn't many researchers invest their time and effort on the research of the quality control in nursing service. Nursing service management is the process to satisfy customer's desires and expectations through the various service activities. Presently nursing service are being faced with three Common tasks of improving quality of nursing service. competitively differential advantage and productivity because of quantitative expansion of Nursing service. Such a phenomenon is also found in our medical service industry. resulting from increasing demands for medical service owing to national medical insurance policy and consumer's attitude change emphasizing prevention of illness. excessiveness of medical facilities in large cities and increasing medical lawsuits due to influence of consumerism. Therefore. under such circumstances. this research on nursing service is conducted from nursing managements to improve the nursing service quality problems faced by medical institutions. The results of this theoretical/empirical research are as follows: 1. Nursing service Quality is regarded as patients' perceived quality and evaluated on the basis (5 dimension) of technical and functional quality. 2. Nursing service Quality is a concept of patients evaluation on the measurable multi-dimensions intrinsic and extrinsic attributes of service. 3. Nursing service Quality is conceptually defined as the difference between the perceived service and the expected service. 4. Korean consumers trend to evaluate nursing service quality based on such dimensions as responsiveness and reliability. understandability. accessibility. tangibility. 5. After analyzing whether or not there are some differences in respective medical institution. it was found that there are significant difference on understandability. reliability. communicability. courtesy. competence. 6. After analyzing the difference between the expected nursing service and the nursing perceived service, it was found that the expected nursing service is higher than the perceived service in every medical institution. 7. HI hypothesis was tested with regard to the validity test between SERVQUAL and SERVPERF in nursing service quality. The result of validity test between SERVQUAL and SERVPERF was found to have differential result. That is the R2 of SERVPERF is higher than that of SERVQUAL. Therefore. HI was verified in nursing management. H2. H3 hypotheses were tested whether or not the nursing service quality and patient satisfaction is the preceding variable. The result of H2 hypothes is that the nursing service quality is the preceding variable of patient satisfaction and the patient satisfaction is that of revisiting intention. After analyzing whether or not there is any differences on the demographic variable of five nursing service quality factor. it was found that there are statistically significant differences on communicability and courtesy at the sex. understand ability. accessibility and tangibility at the age. understandability at the academic background respectively.

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Study on Radioactive Material Management Plan and Environmental Analysis of Water (II) Study of Management System in Water Environment of Japan (물 환경의 방사성 물질 관리 방안과 분석법에 관한 연구 (II) 일본의 물 환경 방사성물질 관리 체계에 대한 고찰)

  • Han, Seong-Gyu;Kim, Jung-Min
    • Journal of radiological science and technology
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    • v.38 no.3
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    • pp.305-313
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    • 2015
  • After Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, study and maintenance of monitoring systems have been made at home and abroad. As concerns about radioactive contamination of water have increased in Korea, update of maintenance of managing radioactive materials in water is being made mainly by Ministry of Environment. In this study, we analysed current state of monitoring system modification in Japan, the country directly involved and neighboring country. According to the result, Japan modified the legislations first. Then Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) provides theoretical background of radiological monitoring. And Ministry of the Environment actually watches state of water pollution in public waters and underground water. Finally related agencies like local government are monitoring current state of radioactive contamination in water environment. By region, local monitoring stations share the investigation of the whole country. Also, additional monitoring is running around nuclear facilities. After Fukushima disaster, monitoring for area near Fukushima is added. Among the reference levels, management target value of drinking water and tap water is 10 Bq/kg, and those of public water and underground water are 1 Bq/L. Measuring intervals varied from every hour to once a year, regularly or irregularly depending on the investigation. The main measuring items are air dose rate, gross ${\alpha}$, gross ${\beta}$, ${\gamma}$ radionuclide, Cs-134, Cs-137, Sr-89, Sr-90, I-131, and so on. In comparison, regulations about general public water in Korea need to be modified, while those about area near nuclear facility and drinking water are organized well. In future, therefore, domestic system would be expected to be modified with making reference to the guidelines like WHO's one. As good case of applying international guideline to domestic environment, Japanese system could be a reference when general standard of radioactivity in public water is made in Korea.

Why A Multimedia Approach to English Education\ulcorner

  • Keem, Sung-uk
    • Proceedings of the KSPS conference
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    • 1997.07a
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    • pp.176-178
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    • 1997
  • To make a long story short I made up my mind to experiment with a multimedia approach to my classroom presentations two years ago because my ways of giving instructions bored the pants off me as well as my students. My favorite ways used to be sometimes referred to as classical or traditional ones, heavily dependent on the three elements: teacher's mouth, books, and chalk. Some call it the 'MBC method'. To top it off, I tried audio-visuals such as tape recorders, cassette players, VTR, pictures, and you name it, that could help improve my teaching method. And yet I have been unhappy about the results by a trial and error approach. I was determined to look for a better way that would ensure my satisfaction in the first place. What really turned me on was a multimedia CD ROM title, ELLIS (English Language Learning Instructional Systems) developed by Dr. Frank Otto. This is an integrated system of learning English based on advanced computer technology. Inspired by the utility and potential of such a multimedia system for regular classroom or lab instructions, I designed a simple but practical multimedia language learning laboratory in 1994 for the first time in Korea(perhaps for the first time in the world). It was high time that the conventional type of language laboratory(audio-passive) at Hahnnam be replaced because of wear and tear. Prior to this development, in 1991, I put a first CALL(Computer Assisted Language Learning) laboratory equipped with 35 personal computers(286), where students were encouraged to practise English typing, word processing and study English grammar, English vocabulary, and English composition. The first multimedia language learning laboratory was composed of 1) a multimedia personal computer(486DX2 then, now 586), 2) VGA multipliers that enable simultaneous viewing of the screen at control of the instructor, 3) an amplifIer, 4) loud speakers, 5)student monitors, 6) student tables to seat three students(a monitor for two students is more realistic, though), 7) student chairs, 8) an instructor table, and 9) cables. It was augmented later with an Internet hookup. The beauty of this type of multimedia language learning laboratory is the economy of furnishing and maintaining it. There is no need of darkening the facilities, which is a must when an LCD/beam projector is preferred in the laboratory. It is headset free, which proved to make students exasperated when worn more than- twenty minutes. In the previous semester I taught three different subjects: Freshman English Lab, English Phonetics, and Listening Comprehension Intermediate. I used CD ROM titles like ELLIS, Master Pronunciation, English Tripple Play Plus, English Arcade, Living Books, Q-Steps, English Discoveries, Compton's Encyclopedia. On the other hand, I managed to put all teaching materials into PowerPoint, where letters, photo, graphic, animation, audio, and video files are orderly stored in terms of slides. It takes time for me to prepare my teaching materials via PowerPoint, but it is a wonderful tool for the sake of presentations. And it is worth trying as long as I can entertain my students in such a way. Once everything is put into the computer, I feel relaxed and a bit excited watching my students enjoy my presentations. It appears to be great fun for students because they have never experienced this type of instruction. This is how I freed myself from having to manipulate a cassette tape player, VTR, and write on the board. The student monitors in front of them seem to help them concentrate on what they see, combined with what they hear. All I have to do is to simply click a mouse to give presentations and explanations, when necessary. I use a remote mouse, which prevents me from sitting at the instructor table. Instead, I can walk around in the room and enjoy freer interactions with students. Using this instrument, I can also have my students participate in the presentation. In particular, I invite my students to manipulate the computer using the remote mouse from the student's seat not from the instructor's seat. Every student appears to be fascinated with my multimedia approach to English teaching because of its unique nature as a new teaching tool as we face the 21st century. They all agree that the multimedia way is an interesting and fascinating way of learning to satisfy their needs. Above all, it helps lighten their drudgery in the classroom. They feel other subjects taught by other teachers should be treated in the same fashion. A multimedia approach to education is impossible without the advent of hi-tech computers, of which multi functions are integrated into a unified system, i.e., a personal computer. If you have computer-phobia, make quick friends with it; the sooner, the better. It can be a wonderful assistant to you. It is the Internet that I pay close attention to in conjunction with the multimedia approach to English education. Via e-mail system, I encourage my students to write to me in English. I encourage them to enjoy chatting with people all over the world. I also encourage them to visit the sites where they offer study courses in English conversation, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, reading, and writing. I help them search any subject they want to via World Wide Web. Some day in the near future it will be the hub of learning for everybody. It will eventually free students from books, teachers, libraries, classrooms, and boredom. I will keep exploring better ways to give satisfying instructions to my students who deserve my entertainment.

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The Different View Point of Child Education Center Food Service Program between the Parents and the Teachers (유아교육기관에서의 급식관리 실태에 대한 교사 및 학부모의 인식 연구)

  • Lee, Young-Mee
    • Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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    • v.10 no.5
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    • pp.654-667
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    • 2005
  • To survey the different view points about food service programs among parents and teachers, 2 types of questionnaires, which consisted of attitude, perception, satisfaction and demand of the food service program in child education centers, were used. The data was collected from 2450 parents and 450 teachers who attended a child education center in 16 provinces, nationwide. SPSS was used for descriptive analysis and ANOVA test and $X^2-test$. The frinding results were as follows. 1. The average serving size of meal (lunch) were 80 meals per day and 167 meals per day at large institutions. Mean cost of snacks was 14,709 won per month and mean costs of lunch were 29,319 won per month. The mean price was not significantly different according to the scale of institution. The numbers of servings of lunch, morning snack and afternoon snack were 5, 3.4 and 3.5 times per week each. $56.4\%$ of the institutions served meals to children in classrooms, but the national/public institutions, which were attending elementary school, served meals in a dining place in the elementary school. 2. Teacher controlled serving portion size of snacks $(79.6\%)$ and lunch $(88.8\%)\;and\;30.1\%$ of teacher did not allow leaving lunch food. The ratio of knowing about preserved meals of the teacher who worked at a small institution was significantly higher than the teacher who worked at large institutions (p<0.01). 3. Between parents and teachers, several different view points about school lunch programs were detected. Most parents and teachers wanted that the school lunch to be fully cooked and served at the child education institution itself, but $12.2\%$ of parents and $14.4\%$ of teachers wanted a catering service. The teachers group preferred 'lunch box from home' and 'home partially prepared lunch' as an ideal meal serving type than the parent groups (p<0.01). And there were significantly different view points about price factors in school meals, teachers group highly answered that operating expenses must be added in meal prices. 4. The teacher groups' priorities of education activities during meal time were a significantly lower score than parents group in overall education activities. Teacher and parent groups pointed out that individual sanitation activities were most important of the education activities during meal time, but promoting good eating habits was the lowest score in both groups. 5. 'Improving taste and food quality' was most urgent in food service at child education centers, but there were significantly different view points between parent groups $(64.5\%)$ and teacher groups $(43.8\%)\;(p<0.05)$. They answered at a lower percent in 'employee qualified person' and 'cost control' point to improve food service, but there were also different opinions between the two groups (p<0.01). 6. As to the matter of the advantages and disadvantages of catering services, two group answered that the advantages of a catering service were 'convenience' and 'to solve facilities and labor problems', disadvantages were 'lower in food freshness' and 'sanitation problems'. There were also several different view pionts in catering services, the parents groups were more anxious about food sanitation than teachers. This study found several different view points about school food services among parents and teachers. To improve food services at child education institutions, there is a need to adjust the differences between the two groups through interactive communication channels and education and to employ dietitians as taking charge of adjusting roles between the two groups.

A Study on the Indoor-Outdoor $NO_2$ Levels and Personal Exposures to $NO_2$ with Analysis of factors Affecting the $NO_2$ Concentrations - Centering on Urban Homes and Housewives - (실내외 $NO_2$농도 및 $NO_2$개인폭로량과 이들에 영향을 미치는 요인에 관한 연구 -도시지역 주택 및 주부를 대상으로-)

  • Chun, Jin-Ho;Lee, Chae-Un;Kim, Joon-Youn;Chung, Yo-Han
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.21 no.1 s.23
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    • pp.132-151
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    • 1988
  • This study was conducted to establish the control program for preventing unfavorable health effects of nitrogen dioxide($NO_2$) exposure in homes by preparing the fundamental data for evaluation of relation-ships between $NO_2$ levels and influencing factors through measurements of indoor-outdoor $NO_2$ levels and personal $NO_2$ exposures for housewives with questionnaire survey on 172 homes in Pusan area from April to June, 1987 $NO_2$ measurements were made by using diffusion tube samplers(Palmes tube $NO_2$ sampler) for one week at 4 sites in homes ; kitchen(KIT), bedroom(BED), living room(LIV), outdoor(OUT) and near the collar of housewives(personal exposure livel, PNO). The details of questionnaire were number of household members(FAM), number of regular smokers (SMOKER), daily number of meals eaten(MEAL), type of housing units(HOUSE), location of house with distance from the heavy traffic roads as walking time(DIST), and of kitchen(KAREA), kind of cooking fuels(FUEL), cooking time of each meal(CTIME), usage of kitchen fan for cooking(FAN), type of heating facilities(HEAT) and so on of subject homes. The Obtained results were as fellows : 1) The mean $NO_2$ level was significantly higher at indoors than outdoors(p<0.01) and the kitchen $NO_2$ level was the highest with $33.7{\pm}13.6ppb$(9.5-81.5ppb). The mean personal exposure level of $NO_2$ for housewives was $20.6{\pm}8.8ppb$(3.1-46.9ppb). 2) The mean indoor $NO_2$ level was significantly higher in the group of household members above 5 than below 4(p<0.05), in detached dwellings than apartments(p<0.001), within 5 minutes of distance than over 5 minutes(p<0.001), in the group of unusing fan(p<0.001), in the group of longer cooking time(p<0.001), and it was in order of coal briquette, gas, electricity and oil by kind of cooking fuels(p<0.05). 3) Variables showing significant correlation(p<0.001) with indoor $NO_2$ level were kitchen $NO_2$ level(r=0.8677), cooking time(r=0.5921), outdoor $NO_2$ level(r=0.5192), personal $NO_2$ exposure level(r=0.4615), usage of kitchen fan(r=0.3573) and location of house(r=-0.2988) 4) As a result of multiple regression analysis, the most significant influencing variable to the kitchen $NO_2$ level was cooking time[KIT=$-0.378{\pm}11.772$(CTIME)+0.298(OUT)+3.102(FAN)], it was kitchen $NO_2$ level to the indoor $NO_2$ level[IND=6.996+0.458(KIT)+0.230(OUT)-1.127(KAREA)], and it was indoor $NO_2$ level to the personal $NO_2$ exposure level[PNO=15.562+0.729(IND)-4.542(DIST)-0.200(KIT)] 5) It was recognized that aritificial ventilation in the kitchen, suppression of unnecessary combustion and replacement of cooking fuel, as much as possible, were effective means for decreasing indoor $NO_2$ levels in homes.

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The Effects of the Level of Use of LIS by Functions and the Linkage of Logistics Activities on the Logistics Performance (통합물류정보시스템의 활용이 물류성과에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구)

  • Shim, Kyu-Yeol;Lee, Hyun-Ki;Kim, Woo-Hyun
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.8
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    • pp.375-402
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    • 2001
  • While the national economy has rapidly grown, both insufficience in indirect capital facilities of society and attempt to avoid having a logistical job as one of the so-called dirty, difficult and dangerous jobs have resulted in the leak of labor in the logistical industry. First of all, it was shown that the functional utilization level of the logistical information system had a partial effect on the logistical performance, that the reduction of logistical costs was influenced by the information system of connecting and supporting functions, and that the improvement of customer service was significantly influenced by only the supporting-function system. Second, the logistical performance was partially influenced by the linkage between logistical activities, only the customer linkage had a significant effect on the reduction of logistical costs, and the improvement of customer service was influenced by the intra-company linkage. Third, in verifying a hypothesis that the logistical information system's functional utilization level and organizational structure would interact with each other and have an effect on the logistical performance, it was shown that based on their mutual interaction at a normalized level this center's functional information system had a significant effect on the reduction of logistical costs. Fourth, in testing a hypothesis that both the linkage between logistical activities and logistical organization structure would interact with each other and would have an effect on the logistical performance, it was shown that their interaction at a normalized level was significant concerning only the reduction of logistical costs, while there was I10 its significance in the customer service. In proving a hypothesis that the linkage between logistical activities and logistical strategy patterns would interact with each other and would have an effect on the logistical performance, it was shown in a differentiated, aggressive investment one among variously patterned logistical strategies that the customer linkage had a significant effect on the reduction of logistical costs, and in the improvement of customer service that the supplier linkage had a remarkable impact. It also was shown that in case of the cost reduction and offensive control strategy, the customer linkage had a remarkable effect, and th at in the improvement of customer service the intra-company and customer linkage had a significant effect. In the marketing and customer service strategy, finally, there was no any significant influence while the customer linkage had a significant impact in the improvement of customer service. Accordingly, whether or not individual companies utilize the logistical information system's functional utilization levels well will have an effect on their logistical performance, and how their supply chain management is well-linked will affect their logistical performance.

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Optimizated pH and Mitigated Ammonia Emission in Pig Manure Slurry by Soluble Carbohydrate Supplementation (수용성 탄수화물을 이용한 분뇨슬러리 pH 적정화 및 암모니아 휘산의 저감)

  • Lim, Joung-Soo;Hwang, Ok-Hwa;Lee, Sang Ryong;Cho, Sung-Back;Kwag, Jung-Hoon;Lee, Dong-Hyun;Jung, Min Woong;Han, Deug-Woo
    • Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.103-110
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    • 2017
  • In Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations(CAFOs), emission of ammonia from stored manure contributes negatively on the wellness of livestock. In CAFOs facilities, indoor aerial ammonia concentration oftentime surpasses the critical level potentially harmful to livestock's immune system. Understandably, numerous researches to control aerial ammonia have been conducted in countries where CAFOs were practiced for many decades. Some innovative technologies, such as scrubber, bio-filter, and additives emerged, as a result. Among them, microbial additives became popular in Korea, due to an easiness of use and affordability. However, microbial additives still have some weaknesses. Their price is still high enough to discourage farmers who run a small scale farm and their effectiveness are still questioned by many users and researchers. In the present study, we found soluble carbohydrates, such as sugar, glucose, and molasses, when supplemented to pig slurry manure, can mitigate ammonia emission. To be more specific, pig manure slurry(120kg), stored in container(200L), was supplemented with sugar at 0.1%(w/w) and was, subsequently, monitored for pH and aerial ammonia for next 10 days. From this experiment, it was found that the sugar supplementation was effective in mitigating the aerial ammonia concentration (33% in average) when monitored daily. Also, the pH of manure slurry was maintained at relatively low level(8.2) in sugar-supplemented manure slurry while it was elevated to 8.5 in untreated slurry. Conclusively, the obtained data suggest that soluble carbohydrate can mitigate ammonia emission by acidifying manure slurry. Additionally, it can be suggested that soluble carbohydrates, such as sugar, glucose, and molasses, can be reasonable choices for animal farmers who have been looking for an alternative choice to replace expensive microbial additives.

An Analysis on the Current Status of Daily Outdoor Play Parents Recognize (Focused on Gyeonggi-do) (부모가 인식하고 있는 일상적 바깥놀이 실태 분석 (경기도를 중심으로))

  • Kim, Yong-Sook;Yoon, Hee-Bong;Yoo, Ji-Eun
    • The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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    • v.17 no.12
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    • pp.461-472
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    • 2017
  • The purpose of this study is to analyze the current status and condition of children's playgrounds in K which parents recognize as in Gyeonggi-do and provide basic data for the qualitative environment for daily outdoor play of young Children. To do so, a survey of 269 parents living in Gyeonggi-do was conducted and reconstructed based on the advanced research related to outdoor play. Also it was evaluated and revised after consultation with 3 children education specialists. The repossessed questionaries were frequency-analyzed with SPSS 20.0 program. The result of the analysis on outdoor playgrounds is in the following. First of all, it was analyzed that parents required 1 or 2 hours for their children to play outdoors in a type of "forest playgrounds." Moreover, they said that it was really important for the children to feel "interesting and funny" during the outdoor play, and they recognized that the play would be helpful for the children's socialization. However, they felt that a risk factor of the outdoor play was "a vehicle risk in streets." Secondly, the study suggested that there were outdoor playgrounds around parents' houses, and a type of the outdoor play was "a playground installed in the apartment complex." Furthermore, most of the parents weren't satisfied with the outdoor play because the apartment neglected the management of the playgrounds, and there were no playing facilities that were good enough to derive children's curiosity and adventurous spirit. The result also showed that most of the children played outdoors with "their mothers," and they participated in indoor activities, especially playing a game or watching TV rather than outdoor activities after attending a children educational institute. Lastly, when it comes to areas of outdoor play to be improved, it was necessary to "expand playgrounds that children can use for each season," build "safe playgrounds" for a type of the outdoor play," provide "playing spaces" for a spatial type, and "control vehicles around the playgrounds and deal with dangerous things" to prevent safety accidents. The result can expand the understanding of outdoor play for Young Children and offer discussions about the relevant organizations and studies.

A Hybrid Forecasting Framework based on Case-based Reasoning and Artificial Neural Network (사례기반 추론기법과 인공신경망을 이용한 서비스 수요예측 프레임워크)

  • Hwang, Yousub
    • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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    • v.18 no.4
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    • pp.43-57
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    • 2012
  • To enhance the competitive advantage in a constantly changing business environment, an enterprise management must make the right decision in many business activities based on both internal and external information. Thus, providing accurate information plays a prominent role in management's decision making. Intuitively, historical data can provide a feasible estimate through the forecasting models. Therefore, if the service department can estimate the service quantity for the next period, the service department can then effectively control the inventory of service related resources such as human, parts, and other facilities. In addition, the production department can make load map for improving its product quality. Therefore, obtaining an accurate service forecast most likely appears to be critical to manufacturing companies. Numerous investigations addressing this problem have generally employed statistical methods, such as regression or autoregressive and moving average simulation. However, these methods are only efficient for data with are seasonal or cyclical. If the data are influenced by the special characteristics of product, they are not feasible. In our research, we propose a forecasting framework that predicts service demand of manufacturing organization by combining Case-based reasoning (CBR) and leveraging an unsupervised artificial neural network based clustering analysis (i.e., Self-Organizing Maps; SOM). We believe that this is one of the first attempts at applying unsupervised artificial neural network-based machine-learning techniques in the service forecasting domain. Our proposed approach has several appealing features : (1) We applied CBR and SOM in a new forecasting domain such as service demand forecasting. (2) We proposed our combined approach between CBR and SOM in order to overcome limitations of traditional statistical forecasting methods and We have developed a service forecasting tool based on the proposed approach using an unsupervised artificial neural network and Case-based reasoning. In this research, we conducted an empirical study on a real digital TV manufacturer (i.e., Company A). In addition, we have empirically evaluated the proposed approach and tool using real sales and service related data from digital TV manufacturer. In our empirical experiments, we intend to explore the performance of our proposed service forecasting framework when compared to the performances predicted by other two service forecasting methods; one is traditional CBR based forecasting model and the other is the existing service forecasting model used by Company A. We ran each service forecasting 144 times; each time, input data were randomly sampled for each service forecasting framework. To evaluate accuracy of forecasting results, we used Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) as primary performance measure in our experiments. We conducted one-way ANOVA test with the 144 measurements of MAPE for three different service forecasting approaches. For example, the F-ratio of MAPE for three different service forecasting approaches is 67.25 and the p-value is 0.000. This means that the difference between the MAPE of the three different service forecasting approaches is significant at the level of 0.000. Since there is a significant difference among the different service forecasting approaches, we conducted Tukey's HSD post hoc test to determine exactly which means of MAPE are significantly different from which other ones. In terms of MAPE, Tukey's HSD post hoc test grouped the three different service forecasting approaches into three different subsets in the following order: our proposed approach > traditional CBR-based service forecasting approach > the existing forecasting approach used by Company A. Consequently, our empirical experiments show that our proposed approach outperformed the traditional CBR based forecasting model and the existing service forecasting model used by Company A. The rest of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 provides some research background information such as summary of CBR and SOM. Section 3 presents a hybrid service forecasting framework based on Case-based Reasoning and Self-Organizing Maps, while the empirical evaluation results are summarized in Section 4. Conclusion and future research directions are finally discussed in Section 5.