• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.36-46
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• 2001

This study was to find a way of reusing wood and plastic wastes, which considered as a troublesome problem to be solved in this age of mass production and consumption, in manufacturing wood fiber-polypropylene fiber composite panel. And the feasibility of this composite panel as a substitute for existing headliner base panel of automobile was also discussed, especially based on physical and mechanical performance. Nonwoven web composite panels were made from wood fiber and polypropylene fiber formulations of 50 : 50, 60 : 40, and 70 : 30, based on oven-dry weight, with densities of 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 g/$cm^3$. At the same density levels, control fiberboards were also manufactured for performance comparison with the composite panels. Their physical and mechanical properties were tested according to ASTM D 1037-93. To elucidate thickness swelling mechanism of composite panel through the observation of morphological change of internal structures, the specimens before and after thickness swelling test by 24-hour immersion in water were used in scanning electron microscopy. Test results in this study showed that nonwoven web composite panel from wood fibers and polypropylene fibers had superior physical and mechanical properties to control fiberboard. In the physical properties of composite panel, dimensional stability improved as the content of polypropylene fiber increased, and the formulation of wood fiber and polypropylene fiber was considered to be a significant factor in the physical properties. Water absorption decreased but thickness swelling slightly increased with the increase of panel density. In the mechanical properties of composite panel, the bending modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) appeared to improve with the increase of panel density under all the tested conditions of dry, heated, and wet. The formulation of wood fiber and polypropylene fiber was considered not to be a significant factor in the mechanical properties. All the bending MOR values under the dry, heated, and wet conditions met the requirements in the existing headliner base panel of resin felt.

• Journal of the military operations research society of Korea
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.99-117
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• 2009

Energy is essential factor of production for a firm to produce goods and services. If so, what is the condition of maintaining profit of a firm when energy price is going up? In conclusion, the condition is that the rate of productivity improvement should be greater than the rate of energy price increase. To put this concretely, when the elasticity of energy price as to the productivity improvement is greater than the weight of the energy cost on to the total revenue of the firm, the firm can escape the negative effect of energy price increase. This is that, saying that once more, the firm have to reduce the energy cost or promote energy efficiency to maintain appropriate or sufficient profit when energy price is going up fast. Therefore, in this study we will analyze the effect of the oil price increase on the energy saving investment and that of energy saving investment on the energy efficiency in the field of Korean manufacturing industry. In doing so, this study could show that the effect of energy price increase on the energy efficiency of the firm and the factor of that mechanism.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.226-235
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• 2019

Background: Panax ginseng is regarded as one of the best compounds for promoting health, and it has been used traditionally as a medicinal herb. Recently, Korean Red Ginseng (RG) has been shown to protect skin from aging and wrinkling; it can also relieve atopic dermatitis and allergy symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate RG's effects on the regeneration of the full-thickness skin wounds in rat. Methods: Full-thickness skin wounds were generated in rats, and then RG was administered either orally or topically. The wound-healing effects of RG were investigated by assessing wound size, mRNA expression patterns of genes related to wound healing, histological staining, and measurements of lipid, moisture, and elasticity in skin tissues. Results: The wound size was smaller, and tissue regeneration rate was faster in the RG-treated group than that in the control group on days 15 and 20 after initiating treatment. On postoperative day 20, skin lipid and moisture content had increased significantly in the RG-treated group. Significant increases in the gene expression levels of transforming growth $factor-{\beta}1$ and vascular endothelial growth factor were found in the RG group during the early stages of wound healing. Matrix metalloproteinase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 showed significant increases in gene expression levels on day 20. Conclusion: The results suggested that RG may promote healing of full-thickness skin wounds in rats. They also provided basic insights into the effects of RG on skin regeneration, supporting its use as a dressing material for wound treatment and its development as a functional food.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.17 no.6 s.90
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• pp.923-930
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• 2005

This paper was to evaluate the high strength lightweight self-compacting concrete(HLSCC) manufactured by Nan-Su, which main factor, Packing Factor(PF) for mixing design, has been modified and improved. We have examined HLSCC performance at its fresh condition as well as its mechanical properties at the hardened condition. The evaluation of HLSCC fluidity has been conducted per the standard of second class rating of JSCE, by three categories of flowability(slump-flow), segregation resistance ability(time required to reach 500mm of slump-flow and time required to flow through V-funnel) and filling ability(U-box test) of fresh concrete. The compressive strength of HLSSC at 28 days has come out to more than 30MPa in all mixes. The relationship between the compressive strength-splitting tensile strength and compressive strength-modulus of elasticity of HLSSC were similar those of typical lightweight concrete. Compressive strength and dry density of HLSCC at 28 days from the multiple regression analysis resulted as $f_c=-0.16LC-0.008LS+50.05(R=0.83)\;and\;f_d=-3.598LC-2.244LS+2,310(R=0.99)$, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.22-25
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• 2004

Purpose: The heel fat pad has a unique structure that is important for its shock absorbing function. Loss of elasticity and change in the thickness of the heel pad have been suggested as cause of heel pain. The present study shows the relationship between the thickness of heel fat pad and age, sex, obesity and plantar heel pain. Materials and Methods: A study of heel pad thickness using plain lateral radiographs, unloaded by body weight, was carried out on 66 patients with plantar heel pain and 326 normal subjects. The population was divided into two or three groups according to their age, sex, body mass index, and the presence of symptom. We evaluated the differences in heel pad thickness between groups, and the relationship between BMI and Sex and Age was also determined, using statistically analytic method by SPSS version 10.1 program. Results: Heel pad thickness was greater in the subject over 40 years old (p<0.001), and in the overweight (p<0.001), and male heel pad was thicker than female (p<0.001). But there was no statistically significant difference for heel pad thickness between normal subject and plantar heel pain group. Conclusion: In this study, we found that there is a relationship between heel pad thickness and age, sex, and obesity. But we could not show that the difference of heel pad thickness is contributing factor to plantar heel pain. Although it could not be proved statistically, we believe that a change of heel pad thickness play a role in the development of heel pain. So we are planning to assess a relationship of heel pad elasticity and thickness and plantar heel pain again with prospective study method on the basis of the results of this study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.371-383
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• 1999

This report gave analysis of food demand both in Korea and Japan through introducing the concept of cohort analysis to the conventional demand model. This research was done to clarify the factors which determine food demand of the household. The traits of the new model for demand analysis are to consider and quantify those effects on food demand not only of economic factors such as expenditure and price but also of non-economic factors such as the age and birth cohort of the householder. The results of the analysis can be summarized as follows: 1) The comparison of the item-wise elasticities of food demand demonstrates that the expenditure elasticity is higher in Korea than in Japan and that the expenditure elasticity is -0.1 for cereal and more than 1 for eating-out in both countries. In respect to price elasticity, the absolute values of all the items except alcohol and cooked food are higher in the Korea than in Japan, and especially the price elasticities of beverages, dairy products and fruit are predominantly higher in Japan. In this way, both expenditure and price elasticities of a large number of items are higher in Korea than in Japan, which may be explained from the fact that the level of expenditure is higher in Japan than in Korea. 2) In both of Korea and Japan, as the householder grows older, the expenditure for each item increases and the composition of expenditure changes in such a way that these moves may be regarded as due to the age effect. However, there are both similarities and differences in the details of such moves between Korea and Japan. Those two countries have this trait in common that the young age groups of the householder spend more on dairy products and middle age groups spend more on cake than other age groups. In the Korea, however, there can be seen a certain trend that higher age groups spend more on a large number of items, reflecting the fact that there are more two-generation families in higher age groups. Japan differs from Korea in that expenditure in Japan is diversified, depending upon the age group. For example, in Japan, middle age groups spend more on cake, cereal, high-caloric food like meat and eating-out while older age groups spend more for Japanese-style food like fish/shellfish and vegetable/seaweed, and cooked food. 3) The effect of the birth cohort effect was also demonstrated. The birth cohort effect was introduced under the supposition that the food circumstances under which the householder was born and brought up would determine the current expenditure. Thus, the following was made clear: older generations in both countries placed more emphasis upon stable food in their composition of food consumption; the share of livestock products, oil/fats and externalized food was higher in the food composition of younger generation; differences in food composition among generations were extremely large in Korea while they were relatively small in Japan; and Westernization and externalization of diet made rapid increases simultaneously with generation changes in Korea while they made any gradual increases in Japan during the same time period. 4) The four major factors which impact the long-term change of food demand of the household are expenditure, price, the age of the householder, and the birth cohort of the householder. Investigations were made as to which factor had the largest impact. As a result, it was found that the price effect was the smallest in both countries, and that the relative importance of the factor-by-factor effects differed among the two countries: in Korea the expenditure effect was greater than the effects of age and birth cohort while in Japan the effects of non-economic factors such as the age and birth cohort of householder were greater than those of economic factors such as expenditures.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.135-148
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• 2004

Rice is not only main food but also key farm income source of Korean farmers. In spite of the above facts, rice productivity was decreased on account of drought in every 2 or 3 years interval owing to the vulnerability of irrigation facilities throughout Korea in the past decades. As an context of the first five year economic development plan, all weather farming programme including 4 big river basin comprehensive development projects and large and medium sized irrigation water development projects were carried out successfully. Therefore the area of irrigated paddy were increased from 58% in 1970 to 76.2% in 1999. In the past decades, the Government had invested heavy financial funds to develop irrigation water but as an factor share analysis, the contribution rates of irrigation water and investment for farmland base development project have not been identified yet in national agricultural economic level. It is very scarce to find out the papers concerned to macro-economic factor share analysis or contribution rates of water and investment cost to rice production value in Korea considering the production function of the quantity of irrigation water and investment cost as independent variables. Accordingly this paper covered and aimed at identifying (1) derivation of rice production function with the time serial data from 1965 to 1999 and the contribution rates of irrigation water and total investment cost for farmland base development project. The analytical model of the contribution rates was adapted the famous Cobb-Douglass production function. According to the model analysis, the contribution rate of irrigation water to rice production in Korea was shown 37.8% which was equivalent to 0.28 of the production elasticity of water. The contribution rate of farmland base development project cost was revealed 22% and direct production cost of rice was contributed 60% in the growth of rice production and farm mechanization costs contributed to 18% of it respectively. The two contribution rates comparing with the direct production cost were small but without irrigation water and farmland base development, application of high-pay off inputs and farm mechanization might be impossible. Considering the food security and to cope with the frequent drought, rice farming and investment for the irrigation water development should be continued even in WTO system.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.387-396
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• 2018

This study examined the instability factor of real income and net profits of Chung-yang Green Pepper Farm through an analysis of the operating costs. Furthermore, this paper suggests a plan for stabilizing the price by shipment adjustments resulting from an analysis of the price elasticity by A Linear Approximated Inverse Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/IAIDS). The income instability factor of the farm based on an analysis of the operating costs was attributed to the unexpected loading of utility expenses and collapse of the price due to oversupply at a specific point in time. On the other hand, this is insufficient to completely explain the income instability factor of Chung-yang Green Pepper Farm because a price collapse does not include the monthly price changes. An analysis of the price and scale flexibility of Chung-yang Green Pepper Farm by monthly data showed that annual farm net yield increases by 1.21% due to a 2.21% increase in price if the shipment quantity is reduced to 1% a year. In summary, a plan that supports the farm price received through declining shipments in winter is effective in stabilizing the income of farms. Because Chung-yang Green Pepper in Gyeongnam region has an especially high market share of 82.5%, the prices and income of Gyeongnam Chung-yang Green Pepper farms can be stabilized effectively if they form an association of producers around the Gyeongnam region and adjust the shipment.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.72-90
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• 2008

What has been the contribution of industrial innovation to economic growth? Typically, the issue has been approached with growth-accounting methods augmented to include a "stock of knowledge". An independent estimate of the rate of return to R&D is found in order to impute patents granted to the accumulation of knowledge. Griliches(1973) then uses a regression approach to assess the effect of an R&D variable on the computed TFP growth rate. The regression coefficient on the R&D variable would provide an estimate of the social rate of return to R&D. The related studies tend to show high social rates of return to R&D, typically in a range of 20 to 40 % per year. We need to provide multiple equation dynamic system for productivity and innovation in Korean economy in state space form. A wide range of time series models, including the classical linear regression model, can be written and estimated as special cases of a state space specification. State space models have been applied in the econometrics literature to model unobserved variables like productivity. Estimation produces the following results. Considering the goodness of fit, we can see that the evidence is strongly in favor of the range $0.120{\sim}0.135$ for the elasticity of TFP to R&D stock in the period between 1970's and the early 2000's.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2014

Tendon elasticity is an important factor affecting muscle function and thus human movements. It has been reported that the mechanical properties of tendon are adaptable to external loading condition. Based on the adaptability of muscle and tendon to external loading conditions, one can assume that there might be an optimum ratio between muscle strength and tendon stiffness. The present study aimed to investigate whether there is correlation between plantar flexor muscle strength and stiffness of the achilles tendon (AT). Twenty two male subjects (age: $23.2{\pm}1.5yrs$, height: $175.5{\pm}6.2cm$, weight: $75.4{\pm}9.8kg$) performed maximum voluntary isometric plantarflexion on a custom-built dynamometer and muscle-tendon junction of the medial gastrocnemius muscle was simultaneously monitored using a real-time ultrasound imaging machine. The averages of muscle force and tendon stiffness were $366.38{\pm}79.37N$, $35.34{\pm}10.42N/mm$, respectively. Significant positive correlation was observed between muscle strength and tendon stiffness (r=0.8507), indicating that the muscle force is proportional to tendon stiffness. The results might have been used in computational modeling and criterion of training progress level in the fields of training and rehabilitation.