• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.370-375
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• 2011

In this paper, as a follow-up PRT studies of "J. Lee & K. Kim[2]", in terms of public transportation systems, economic feasibility of PRT systems was investigated. Based on previous studies, PRT demand was estimated and the required number of PRT vehicles has been calculated and the benefit was estimated. To ensure the economic feasibility, construction cost of a PRT system should be the level of 8 billion won per km, and the annual operating costs of the PRT system construction should be approximately 4.63% level. As a result, how much to reduce PRT construction costs, depending on whether decisions are considered to be economically feasible. Thus, PRT technology development will be conducted by targeting the most lightweight and by minimizing the infrastructure and vehicles of PRT.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.79-89
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• 2006

Current removing process is labor intensive and time consuming, employing a conventional grinding type manual machine. From a social and economic point of views, these kinds of manual tasks bring about social inconvenience and economic loss including traffic jam and high labor costs. The objective of the study was to develop and evaluate a road stripe removal equipment using water jet technology. The following shows the results. First, It was analyzed that the obtainable productivity from the equipment developed in the study is 280% compared to the current equipment. In this study, it was also calculated the Benefit/Cost Ratio and the result showed that the ratio is 3.28, so it is expected that the equipment can produce great benefits for the relevant companies. Second, an analysis was also conducted on the traffic congestion cost, and the equipment could save about \2,550 million per day compared to the conventional equipment. Therefore, it is analyzed that the economic viability of the equipment is sufficient.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.127-143
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• 2005

The taxonomic sufficiency approach has been proposed as a surrogate for the typical analysis of species-abundance data, especially in conditions involving prominent pollution gradients. Here, we evaluate the use of taxonomic sufficiency with infralittoral macrobenthic data derived from samples taken in a moderate polluted subtropical environment in southeastern Brazil, analysing five taxonomic levels and including two functional levels throughout polychaete feeding guilds and trophic groups. The data were collected seasonally at nine stations and studied for two abundance data series (0.5 and 1.0 mm sieve mesh-size). The results showed a similar ordination pattern between the two sieve mesh-size, but with the 0.5 mm sieve data a different pattern was observed during austral summer. A slight loss of information was detected using genus, family, polychaete species and their feeding guilds as taxonomic/functional units. These results together with those of the cost! benefit ratio, suggested that the family level seemed to be sufficient to detect the impact caused by moderate pollution in this shallow-water, subtropical environment. In additional, through the use of feeding guilds, similar patterns are obtained. Correlation analysis showed that chlorophyll a, total organic matter, zinc, and chromium sediment content were the variables that best explained the biological pattern observed and not always the best correlation coefficient occurring at the species level. The feeding guild approach seems to be useful and generates interpretable results similar to those obtained with the species level of the whole macroinfauna. The results showed an important cost reduction in the sample processing, suggesting that it is possible to adopt a coarser taxonomic level monitoring program even in species-rich communities.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1-20
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to find the determinant variables to make profitability in regional public hospitals. The data come from financial statements and annual reports of 34 regional public hospitals for five years (from year 2003 to year 2007). The T or F-test and hierarchical multiple regression analysis are used. The dependant variables are the profitability indicators, ordinary income to total asset and operating margin to gross revenue, and the independent variables are general characteristics, diagnosis and treatment patterns, financial and public benefits. The findings of this study are summarized as follows. First, Variables affecting the profitability indexes revealed from DEA results is the bed occupancy rate, number of hospitalized patients to outpatients, ratio of first medical examination for outpatients, number of daily patients per medical specialist, labor cost per patient and managerial expenses per patient. Second, the ordinary income to total asset representing the asset usage performance is affected by the average hospitalized days, bed occupancy rate, labor cost per patient and ratio of patients with medical insurance coverage. Third, the operating martin to gross revenue obtained from the actual operations of hospitals has its significance with the bed occupancy rate, number of hospitalized patients to outpatients, managerial expenses per patient and public benefit indicator. This study has some restriction not to use pannel data analysis, although it used data for five years. Accordingly, various additional studies should be done to supplement such problems.

• Clean Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2009

The adoption of compressed natural gas (CNG) as a vehicle fuel is a common phenomenon as it is accelerating worldwide. Increasing number of CNG driven vehicles around the world has jumped up from one million in 1996 to five million in 2006. CNG as a vehicle fuel is very popular to the end users because of its clean-burning properties and cost effective solution compared to other alternative fuels like diesel and gasoline. The use of CNG as a fuel reduces vehicular emission that is consisted of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen ($NO_x$), carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) etc. This research highlights the characteristics of CNG vehicles, CNG arrangement in the vehicles, CNG fueling procedures and most importantly the environmental and economic factors that are highly considered as cost effective solution for the flexibility of using CNG in the automobiles.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.75-78
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• 2001

The whitefly, Dialeuropora decempuncta Quaintance and Baker (Homoptera : Aleyrodidae) causing considerable damage to mulberry, Morus alba. Crop loss caused by the whitefly was estimated in mulberry. Quantitative yield loss was estimated on the basis of harvest data from both sprayed and unsprayed plots. Data on pest incidence has been recorded at weekly intervals in both sprayed and unsprayed plots from 30 th day of plant age till harvesting i.e., 60 days after pruning in August October season. An attempt has been made to establish a relationship between whitefly population and percentage of crop loss due to it. Percentage of crop loss due to whitefly has got a linear relationship with the whitefly population. An initial population of 24 adults/top leaf would be able to cause 24% loss (l,630 Kg leaf/ha ) in a period of 30 days. Economic analysis postulates that application of pesticide can stove a net amount of 1,630 Kg leaf/ha which is sufficient to produce 67.65 Kg of additional multivoltine cocoons. This determines the cost/benefit ratio which will enable to workout the economics of management practices.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-27
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• 2003

Urban forests have various environmental benefits, contributing to the quality of urban life. However, these values have been underestimated or never been reflected in the urban development planning in Korea. As a result, a number of forests in urban areas were either partly or wholly destroyed without their public's values being assessed explicitly. The objective of this paper is to estimate the economic benefits attached to Mt. Kwanggyo in the Capital Region using contingent valuation method, aiming to provide policy-makers with useful information to make an informed public decision in urban development planning. The survey was carefully designed and implemented to meet a number of recommendation rules suggested in the literature. The overall results show that the respondents well accepted the contingent market and would be willing to pay a significant amount for the proposed program of conserving the mountain. Total economic benefits for the population amounted to approximately 3.8 billion Korean won per year. This quantitative information can be used in cost-benefit analysis of urban development plans.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2007

Purpose : Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is effective screening test for inherited metabolic diseases. In this study, we estimate potential costs and benefits of using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to screen new borns for inherited metabolic diseases (phenylketonuria, BH4 deficiency, citrullinemia, maple syrup urine disease, propionic aciduria, isovaleric aciduria, glutaric aciduria type 1, LCHAD deficiency) in Korea. Methods : From April 2001 to March 2004, 79,179 new borns were screened for amino acid disorders, organic acid disorders, and fatty acid oxidative disorders. Twenty-eight new borns were diagnosed with one of the metabolic disorder and the collective estimated prevalence amounted to 1 in 2,800 with a sensitivity of 97.67%, a specificity of 99.28%, a recall rate of 0.05%, and a positive preditive value of 6.38%. We calculated and compared the total costs in case when neonatal screening on pheny lketonuria, BH4 deficiency, citrullinemia, maple syrup urine disease, propionic aciduria, isovaleric aciduria, glutaric aciduria type 1, LCHAD deficiency is implemented, and when not. Results : If the neonatal screening on pheny lketonuria, BH4 deficiency, citrullinemia, maple syrup urine disease, propionic aciduria, isovaleric aciduria, glutaric aciduria type 1, LCHAD deficiency is implemented, total benefits far exceed costs at a ratio of 1.40:1. Conclusion : Although, this study only concerns the monetary aspects of the neonatal screening, tandem mass spcetrometry for neonatal screening is cost-effective compared with not screening. The study appears to support the introduction of tandem mass spectrometry into a Korea neonatal screening programme for inherited metabolic diseases.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2013

Since the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in March 2011, critical views on the increase in operation of nuclear power plants including the safety and the economic feasibility thereof have been expanding across the world. In these circumstances, we are to find out solutions to the controversial questions on whether nuclear power plants are economically more feasible than other energy sources, while the safety thereof is fully maintained. Thereby, nuclear power plants will play a key role as a sustainable energy source in the future as well as at present. To measure the social safety level that Korean people are actually feeling after the Fukushima accident, a method of cost-benefit analysis called the Contingent Valuation Method(CVM) was used, whereby we wanted to estimate the amount of expenses the general public would be willing to pay for the safety based on their acceptance rather than the social safety. As a result of calculating the trade-off value of the economic feasibility versus the safety in nuclear power plants through the survey thereon, it caused the nuclear power generation cost to be increased by 4.75 won/kWh. Reflecting this on the current power generation cost of 39.11 won/kWh would increase the cost to 43.86 won/kWh. It is thought that this potential cost is still more competitive than the coal-fired power generation cost of 67 won/kWh. This result will be available as a basic data for the 2nd Energy Basic Plan to be drawn up this year, presenting policy implications at the same time.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.165-172
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• 2015

The appropriateness of railway route design is generally evaluated by the future value corresponding to the travel demand or benefit-cost analysis. These methods may have the limitation for the reasons that all the design alternatives cannot be considered, and the differentiation between the alternatives may not be significant because the alternatives are based on the strict basic scheme such as the design criteria. In addition, the cost varies by the design elements. In this study, all the design alternatives are considered with the automatized tool and the design criteria, and evaluated with the multi-criterion decision making method. The weight for each design element with the analytic hierarchical process may be helpful to derive more efficient railway alignment.