• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.262-275
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• 2024

In Indonesia, Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren and Cryptotermes cyanocephalus Light termite attacks can damage wood and causing losses of 8.7 trillion rupiah per year. Wood treatment and soil barrier are very important to protect structures and their components from termite infestation. The application of synthetic chemicals that pose risks to the environment and human health. The growing movement to replace these chemicals with new termiticides that are safe for the environment in place of persistent organic pollutants. Efficacy performance in entomopathogenic fungi spores such as that produce decanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, and octadecadienoic acid are potential compounds that provide for ecofriendly termite control. Entomopathogenic fungal spores from Metarhizium anisopliae, Trichoderma harzianum, and Beauveria bassiana, as the active ingredient were formulated with nanocellulose was added as an inert ingredient to which helped to deliver the active ingredients on controlling the target pest, and enhance the utility ability of the product fungi to control termites. The mortality of these termites successively entomopathogenic fungi was the main cause of death. The higher concentrations being associated with of nanocellulose used affect increased the number of termites mortality. M. anisopliae paired with 60% nanocellulose concentrate was the best percentage for yielded the greatest C. curvignathus and C. cynocephalus termite control. In the field testing, M. anisopliae provided better, it showed the finest result of termite control rather than B. bassiana and T. harzianum. The results of the research indicate that entomopathogenic fungi can be used for Pest Control Management as the subterranean termite and drywood termite control.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.469-473
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• 2024

In this paper proposes a study on the development of a multi-camera inline inspection system using machine vision for quality inspection of pharmaceutical containers. The proposed technique captures the pharmaceutical containers from multiple angles using several cameras, allowing for more accurate quality assessment. Based on the captured data, the system inspects the dimensions and defects of the containers and, upon detecting defects, notifies the user and automatically removes the defective containers, thereby enhancing inspection efficiency. The development of the multi-camera inline inspection system using machine vision is divided into four stages. First, the design and production of a control unit that fixes or rotates the containers via suction. Second, the design and production of the main system body that moves, captures, and ejects defective products. Third, the design and development of control logic for the embedded board that controls the entire system. Finally, the design and development of a user interface (GUI) that detects defects in the pharmaceutical containers using image processing of the captured images. The system's performance was evaluated through experiments conducted by a certified testing agency. The results showed that the dimensional measurement error range of the pharmaceutical containers was between -0.30 to 0.28 mm (outer diameter) and -0.11 to 0.57 mm (overall length), which is superior to the global standard of 1 mm. The system's operational stability was measured at 100%, demonstrating its reliability. Therefore, the efficacy of the proposed multi-camera inline inspection system using machine vision for the quality inspection of pharmaceutical containers has been validated.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.238-244
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• 2010

Currently, in vitro suspension tests using tubes are used as a authorized test method for sanitizers and disinfectants. However, the methods could not accurately assess the efficacy of sanitizers and disinfectant on the food-contacted surfaces in the field. This study evaluated the effectiveness of 5 kinds of representative sanitizers and disinfectants against E. coli and S. aureus to compare three quantitative surface testing methods that have been internationally standardized. As a result, the ASTM E2111-05 (ASTM(1)) test method obtained 5.18 $\pm$ 0.03 and 5.27 $\pm$ 0.04 log cfu/carrier reduction in dealing with E. coli and S. aureus, respectively, the ASTM E2197-02 (ASTM(2)) test method obtained 4.63 $\pm$ 0.04 and 3.97 $\pm$ 0.03 log cfu/carrier reduction and the CEN EN 13697 test method should 6.14 $\pm$ 0.05 and 5.31 $\pm$ 0.10 log cfu/carrier reduction in clean condition (CEN(1)) but 4.37 $\pm$ 0.02 and 4.06 $\pm$ 0.01 log cfu/carrier reduction in dirty condition (CEN(2)). Among them, CEN(1) showed the highest bactericidal effects, whereas ASTM(2) and CEN(2) revealed low performance (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the bactericidal effects of the ASTM(2) method and the CEN EN 13697 method adopting stainless steel were lower than the ASTM(1) method, which uses glass. The effectiveness assessment results among nationally accredited test methods were different each other. This implies that they could not fit for in the accurate evaluation of sanitization and disinfection on food-contact surfaces in practical food-processing fields. These results could be used as a basic data for establishment of an official surface test methods applicable in the field.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.146
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• pp.307-328
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• 2018

The use of thought experiments has a long history in many disciplines including science. In the field of philosophy, thought experiments have frequently appeared in the pre-existing literature on the contemporary Analytic Philosophy. A thought experiment refers to a synthetic environment where the designer of the experiment-with his or her intuition and imagination-tests common-sense knowledge. It can be understood as a conceptual tool for testing the validity of the common understanding of an issue or a phenomenon. However, we are not certain about the usefulness or efficacy of a thought experiment in knowledge production. The design of a thought experiment is meant to lure readers into believing as intended by the experiment itself. Thus, regardless of the purpose of a thought experiment, many readers who encounter the experiment could feel deceived. In this paper, to analyze the logic of thought experiments and to seek the source of uneasiness the readers and critics may feel about thought experiments, I draw lessons from three renowned thought-experiments: Thomson's 'ailing violinist', Putnam's 'brain in a vat', and Searle's 'Chinese room'. Imaginative thought experiments are usually constructed around a gap between the reality and the knowledge/information at hand. From the three experiments, several lessons can be learned. First, the evidence of the existence of a gap provided via thought experiments can serve as arguments for counterfactual situations. At the same time, the credibility and efficacy of the thought experiments can be damaged as soon as the thought-experiments are carried out with inappropriate and/or murky directions regarding the procedures of the experiment or the background of the study. According to D. R. Hofstadter and D. C. Dennett(1981), the 'knob setting' in a thought experiment can be altered in the middle of a simulation of the experimental condition, and then the implications of the thought experiment change altogether, indicating that an entirely different conclusion can be deduced from thought experiment. Lastly, some pre-suppositions and bias of the experiment designers play a considerable role in the validity and the chances of success of a thought experiment; thus, it is recommended that the experiment-designers refrain from exercising too much of their imagination in order to avoid contaminating the design of the experiment and/or wrongly accepting preconceived/misguided conclusions.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-61
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• 2000

Introduction. Despite the fact that half of premature deaths are caused by unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking tobacco, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol and drug abuse and poor nutrition, there are no theoretical models which accurately explain these health promotion related behaviors. This study tests a new model of health behavior called the Model of Health Promotion Behavior. This model draws on elements and frameworks suggested by the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, the Theory of Planned Action and the Health Promotion Model. This model is intended as a general model of behavior but this first test of the model uses amount of exercise as the outcome behavior. Design. This study utilized a cross sectional mail-out, mail-back survey design to determine the elements within the model that best explained intentions to exercise and those that best explained amount of exercise. A follow-up questionnaire was mailed to all respondents to the first questionnaire about 10 months after the initial survey. A pretest was conducted to refine the questionnaire and a pilot study to test the protocols and assumptions used to calculate the required sample size. Sample. The sample was drawn from 2000 eligible participants at two blue collar (utility company and part of a hospital) and two white collar (bank and pharmaceutical) companies located in Southeastern Michigan. Both white collar site had employee fitness centers and all four sites offered health promotion programs. In the first survey, 982 responses were received (49.1％) after two mailings to non-respondents and one additional mailing to secure answers to missing data, with 845 usable cases for the analyzing current intentions and 918 usable cases for the explaining of amount of current exercise analysis. In the follow-up survey, questionnaires were mailed to the 982 employees who responded to the initial survey. After one follow-up mailing to non-respondents, and one mailing to secure answers to missing data, 697 (71.0％) responses were received, with 627 (63.8％) usable cases to predict intentions and 673 (68.5％) usable cases to predict amount of exercise. Measures. The questionnaire in the initial survey had 15 scales and 134 items; these scales measured each of the variables in the model. Thirteen of the scales were drawn from the literature, all had Cronbach's alpha scores above .74 and all but three had scores above .80. The questionnaire in the second mailing had only 10 items, and measured only outcome variables. Analysis. The analysis included calculation of scale scores, Cronbach's alpha, zero order correlations, and factor analysis, ordinary least square analysis, hierarchical tests of interaction terms and path analysis, and comparisons of results based on a random split of the data and splits based on gender and employer site. The power of the regression analysis was .99 at the .01 significance level for the model as a whole. Results. Self efficacy and Non-Health Benefits emerged as the most powerful predictors of Intentions to exercise, together explaining approximately 19％ of the variance in future Intentions. Intentions, and the interaction of Intentions with Barriers, with Support of Friends, and with Self Efficacy were the most consistent predictors of amount of future exercise, together explaining 38％ of the variance. With the inclusion of Prior Exercise History the model explained 52％ of the variance in amount of exercise 10 months later. There were very few differences in the variables that emerged as important predictors of intentions or exercise in the different employer sites or between males and females. Discussion. This new model is viable in predicting intentions to exercise and amount of exercise, both in absolute terms and when compared to existing models.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2024

Numerous methods have been applied to assess the antibacterial effectiveness of hand hygiene products. However, the different results obtained through various evaluation methods have complicated our understanding of the real efficacy of the products. Few studies have compared test methods for assessing the efficacy of hand hygiene products. In particular, reports on ex vivo pig skin testing are limited. This study aimed to compare and characterize the methodologies applied for evaluating hand hygiene products, involving in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo approaches, applicable to both leave-on sanitizers and wash-off products. Our further aim was to enhance the reliability of ex vivo test protocols by identifying influential factors. We performed an in vitro method (EN1276) and an in vivo test (EN1499 and ASTM2755) with at least 20 participants, against Serratia marcescens or Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. For the ex vivo experiment, we used pig skin squares prepared in the same way as those used in the in vivo test method and determined the optimal treated sample volumes for sanitizers and the amount of water required to wash off the product. The hand sanitizers showed at least a 5-log reduction in bacterial load in the in vitro test, while they showed little antibacterial activity in the in vivo and ex vivo tests, particularly those with a low alcohol content. For the hand wash products, the in vitro test was limited because of bubble formation or the high viscosity of the products and it showed low antibacterial activity of less than a 1-log reduction against E. coli. In contrast, significantly higher log reductions were observed in ex vivo and in vivo tests, consistently demonstrating these results across the two methods. Our findings revealed that the ex vivo and in vivo tests reflect the two different antibacterial mechanisms of leave-on and wash-off products. Our proposed optimized ex vivo test was more rapid and more precise than the in vitro test to evaluate antibacterial results.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.65-88
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• 2004

In general, empowerment is defined as the motivational concept of autonomy and self-efficacy. Recently, the concept of empowerment is applied to improve organizational staff's job satisfaction and organizational commitment in many organizations. Empower-ment in service organizations, i.e., hospitals, has certainly generated more publicity than any other organizations. The objectives of this study are, first, to measure the degree of hospital employees' empowerment using Spreitzer(1995)'s empowerment theory, second, to analyze the causal relationship of organizational and job characteristics, a degree of empowerment, and organizational performance(job satisfaction and organizational commitment), and third, to offer the strategy for the improvement of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Spreitzer insists that the empowerment is composed of 4 dimensions(meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact). And he argues that various work-related characteristics is a direct cause of empowerment and the indirect cause of job satisfaction and organizational commitment, mediated by the empowerment latent variable. In order to perform this study, data were collected by self-administered questionnaires from hospital employees working in administrative department of 3 university hospitals in Inchon and Kyunggi-Do region. The number of cases is 181(response rate; 86%). The Collected data were analyzed with SPSS Ver. 10.0 and AMOSV Ver. 4.0. First, to test validity of variables, the factor analysis was used. Second, to test reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficients was calculated. Cronbach's alpha of empowerment variable is 0.8323 showing that there's no problem in regard to the internal consistency. Also the Cronbach's alpha of other variables are 0.8301 of the degree of perceived control, 0.6705 of job characteristics, O.8787 of compensation, 0.9254 of job satisfaction, and 0.8389 of organizational commitment, respectively. Among the questions of job characteristics, two survey questions are deleted due to lowering the reliability. Third, to test multicollinearity and correlation of variables, the correlation analysis was performed. There was no problem of multicollinearity. Finally structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was conducted to find the causal relationship of organizational and job Characteristics, empowerment, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The 16 variables are included for the SEM analysis. The major results of this study are as follows: First, in the case of model fitness, the condition of x$^2$ statistic(92.187) is not fully satisfied, but the indices of GFI(0.912), AGFI(0.863), NFI(0.917) and CFI(0.928) are partially satisfied, which needs to upper 0.90. Second, in the result of hypotheses testing, all hypotheses are accepted and have a positive effect in 95% or 99% confidence interval(P<0.05 or P<0.001) except the effect of compensation variable on empowerment(P=0.082). Third, in regard to the direct, indirect, and total effect of variables, the direct effect of perceived control, task characteristics, and compensation on job satisfaction are 0.728, 2.264, 0.328 and on organizational commitment are 0.094, 1.411, 0.418, respectively. Also the indirect effect of perceived control, task characteristics, and compensation on job satisfaction are 0.311, 0.196, 0.028 and on organizational commitment are 0.210, 0.132, 0.019, respectively. Thus, these findings imply that various work-related factors are direct effect of empowerment and indirect effect of result variables, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Also These results showed that the workplace empowerment is significant mediating factor of employee's job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.274-278
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• 2010

Potato late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans was the most constrain disease at potato cultivation areas. The mating type distribution and fungicides response of P. infestans were investigated to elucidate the changes of pathogen from Gangwon province. On the fungal isolates in 2006, 58.7% were A1 mating type and 41.3% were A2 mating type. In 2007, A1 mating type isolates increased to 93.3% and A2 mating type isolates were collected from Jinbu areas as much as 6.7%. About 234 isolates analysed for metalaxyl response, the results was resistance 73.7%, intermediate 18.8% and sensitive 7.5% in 2006. And it was resistance 59.4%, intermediate 4.0% and sensitive 36.6% in 2007. It meant that mating type distribution and fungicide response were very different over the collection sites. Minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) of dimethomorph examined with 126 isolates in 2006 and 106 isolates in 2007. MIC over $1.0\;{\mu}g/ml$ was 56.3% in 2006 and it was 3.8% in 2007. The average $EC_{50}$ value of P. infestans was $0.37\;{\mu}g/ml$ in 2006, but it decreased to $0.12\;{\mu}g/ml$ in 2007. Fungicides response and pathogenesis of P. infestans should be monitored continuously to enhance the chemical efficacy at potato fields.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.32-38
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• 2010

Purpose: Although radiation-induced fibrosis is one of the common sequelae occurring after irradiation of skin and soft tissues, the treatment methods are not well standardized. This study aimed to establish the skin fibrosis mouse model by fractionated radiation for the further mechanism studies or testing the efficacy of therapeutic candidates. Materials and Methods: The right hind limbs of BALB/c mice received two fractions of 20 Gy using a therapeutic linear accelerator. Early skin damages were scored and tissue fibrosis was assessed by the measurement of a leg extension. Morphological changes were assessed by H&E staining and by Masson's Trichrome staining. TGF-${\beta}1$ expression from soft tissues was also detected by immunohistochemistry and PCR. Results: Two fractions of 20 Gy irradiation were demonstrated as being enough to induce early skin damage effects such as erythema, mild skin dryness, dry and wet desquamation within several weeks of radiation. After 13 weeks of irradiation, the average radiation-induced leg contraction was $11.1{\pm}6.2mm$. Morphologic changes in irradiated skin biopsies exhibited disorganized collagen and extracellular matrix fibers, as well as the accumulation of myofibroblasts compared to the non-irradiated skin. Moreover, TGF-${\beta}1$ expression in tissue was increased by radiation. Conclusion: These results show that two fractions of 20 Gy irradiation can induce skin fibrosis in BALB/c mice accompanied by other common characteristics of skin damages. This animal model can be a useful tool for studying skin fibrosis induced by radiation.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.519-531
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• 2004

In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on performance assessment to evaluate students' abilities. Our nation has introduced a change in testing and assessment. Additional work on the efficacy, reliability, and comparability in order to develop the performance assessment item has been needed in the enforcement of the 7th National Science Curriculum. Also, criteria for professional and technical standards has been needed to be developed. The purpose of this study was to draw out various key concepts and to develop achievement standards, assessment standards and performance assessment items based on the 7th National Science Curriculum on the subject matter of reproduction(chapter 13) and biological accumulation(chapter 17). And also, this study examined the validity of completed performance assessment items based on classical test theory and polytomous item response theory. Twelve key concepts in chapter 13(reproduction) and four from chapter 17(biological accumulation) were abstracted. Twenty-six achievement standards in chapter 13(reproduction), and nine in chapter 17(biological accumulation) were developed. The achievement standards were determined in terms of knowledge(K), process skill(P) and attitude(A). Twenty-five assessment standards in chapter 13(reproduction) and nine in chapter 17(biological accumulation) were developed. Based on the developed achievement standards and assessment standards, twenty-two performance assessment items(seventeen open-ended questions, three essays, and two portfolios) with concrete grading criteria were developed. Eight open-ended items were applied to 240 10th graders to evaluate reliabilities of the test which consisted of four items per each chapter. The results would be suggested that the applied items were valid for performance assessment because item difficulties and item discriminations were proper. There was not much differences in item discrimination between interpretation from classical test theory and that from polytomous item response theory. However, there were some differences in item difficulties between the interpretations of two theories because the characteristics of examinees were reflected in classical test theory.