• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.36-46
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• 2024

Microplastics in water resources have been recognized as a serious problem. The discharge of microplastics from wastewater treatment plants is considered a major contributor to environmental pollution in water resources. However, a reliable analytical method for quantifying microplastics in wastewater treatment plants has not yet been established. This study proposes a reliable, quick, and easy analytical method for quantifying microplastics. For the removal of organic particles, preprocessing steps were applied including oxidation, sonication, washing, and sieving. Nile Red staining was used to visualize microplastics, and quantitative analysis was conducted using fluorescent imaging. The stained microplastics were ultimately quantified through image analysis software. Among the preprocessing steps, sonication and washing stages were particularly effective in efficiently removing interfering substances from wastewater, enhancing the accuracy of the microplastic analysis. Additionally, various solvents (methanol, acetone, and N-hexane) for the Nile Red staining solution were tested. When N-hexane was applied as the solvent, the quantity of stained microplastics was lower compared to methanol and acetone. This suggests that N-hexane has a greater potential of reducing false staining and counting of non-plastic particles. In summary, this research demonstrates a robust method for quantifying microplastics in wastewater treatment plants by employing effective preprocessing steps and optimizing the staining process with Nile Red and N-hexane.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.1
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• pp.2-11
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• 2021

More than 4 million women undergo breast cancer (BC) screening with mammography each year in Korea. Digital mammography (DM) was introduced in 2000, and it has been reported to have a higher diagnostic accuracy than screen-film mammography (SFM) or computed radiography (CR) in women with dense breasts. According to a study using data from the National Cancer Screening Program for BC, the diagnostic accuracy of DM was higher than those of SFM and CR, regardless of age, breast density, and screening round. Currently, despite high supply rate among OECD countries, the distribution of DM equipment is approximately 35% in Korea. For quick replacement with DM, it will be necessary to improve its fee for the National Health Insurance and support an educational program for radiologists. In addition, efforts should be made to increase the accessibility of DM.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.75-101
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• 2024

"ESG management" guides companies to prioritize corporate social responsibility and sustainable development as key management objectives, going beyond mere financial performance pursuits. This approach involves creating a sustainable and robust supply chain by urging companies, acting as 'supply chain managers', to implement ESG management practices alongside their 'supply chain partners'. The domestic business community has been quick to respond to this trend, recognizing that failure to adhere to ESG standards set by organizations such as the EU and SEC could lead to severe repercussions, including exclusion from international trade and reputational damage. POSCO and NAVER, two leading Korean companies, are at the forefront of practicing ESG management effectively. They have both produced and publicly disclosed ESG management reports, showcasing their success in enhancing supply chain ESG management. However, as supply chain managers enforce ESG-related obligations on their suppliers, the likelihood of disputes between the parties may increase. In scenarios where supply chain ESG management leads to conflicts between supply chain managers and suppliers, commercial arbitration emerges as a viable solution for dispute resolution. This method offers several advantages, including the arbitrators' expertise, time and cost efficiency, the binding nature of decisions akin to a court's final judgment, international recognition under the New York Convention, confidentiality, and ample opportunity for parties to be heard. Our analysis focuses on the emerging disputes between supply chain managers and suppliers within the context of supply chain ESG management, particularly examining the cases of POSCO and NAVER. By categorizing the expected types of disputes and assessing the appropriateness of commercial arbitration for their resolution, we highlight the effectiveness of this approach. Furthermore, we propose leveraging the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board's role to enhance the use of arbitration in resolving supply chain ESG disputes, underscoring its potential as a strategic tool for maintaining sustainable and harmonious supply chain relationships.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.118-142
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• 2003

This study is aimed at evaluating the financial structure of hospitals before and after the separation of prescription and drug dispensing policy started to be implemented in July 2000 and at making a suitable hospital managerial strategy through the verification of the factors which have effect on their profitability. This study investigated the hospitals which have passed the accredition review to be designated as a accredited training hospital each year for three years from 1999 to 2001. Those hospitals were selected from members of the Korea Hospital Association. 106 hospitals were targeted for analysis except for the hospitals whose financial statements and managerial performance were not reported faithfully. The financial indicators used in this study were stability indicators(liability to total assets, ratio of debt to fund balance, fixed ratio), liquidity indicators(current ratio, quick ratio), activity indicators(total assets turnover, fixed assets turnover), profitability indicators(net profit to total assets, net profit to net worth, operating margin), and operating expenses to patient revenues indicators(drug and supplies costs/payroll/overhead expenses). The result of this study are as follows: First, the analysis of the increase of loss-making hospitals before and after. The separation of prescription and drug dispensing policy shows that the number of loss-making hospitals increase after the separation(22.6% before the separation; 31.1% after the separation). However, there was no significant statistical difference. Second, the analysis of operating expenses to patient revenues indicators showed that the ratio of drug and supplies cost became lower in all hospitals but the ratio of payroll/overhead expenses became higher. Additionally, the factor which have the greatest effect on profitability was operating expenses to patient revenues indicators (drug and supplies costs/payroll/overhead expenses). Third, the analysis of managerial performance by four types of loss-loss, loss-profit, profit-loss and profit-profit compared the results before the separation with those after the separation revealed as follows : Reliance on liability to total assets became higher in the profit-loss type($56.2%{\rightarrow}66.4%$), lower in the loss-profit type($82.7%{\rightarrow}74.5%$). Total assets turnover became higher in the profit-profit type($1.3{\rightarrow}1.5$), but lower in the loss-profit type($0.8{\rightarrow}0.7$). Operating margin decreased to minus 5.9% from 4.3% in the profit-loss type, but increased to 7.2% from minus 7.8% in the loss-profit type. Forth, operating expenses to revenues indicators showed that the increase of payroll was the biggest in the profit-loss type($39.2%{\rightarrow}49.9%$) and that overhead cost decreased in the loss-profit type but that rather increased in other types.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.60-69
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• 2015

Labor attendance management has traditionally been carried out by writing a table for checking an attendance of labor, which requires a lot of time and effort. As electronic devices with additions such as barcodes, Quick Response codes, and Radio Frequency Identification(RFID) have been developed, however, automated labor attendance management systems have appeared. Recently, various types of labor recognition devices converged with biometrics (fingerprint, vein, face recognition, etc.) have been released. However, although these devices can be used to check attendance automatically, there is insufficient guidance when it comes to selecting the appropriate labor attendance management system for construction sites. Therefore, this study proposed a decision framework to determine which labor attendance management system would be suitable for a construction site and to select the labor recognition device. This study investigated different labor recognition devices, focusing on how they worked, and tested the performance of devices and their usability for construction labor attendance management. The test results showed that RFID is most suitable when verifying the attendance of many laborers over a short period of time. The devices for hand vein and fingerprint recognition did not function when there was a foreign material such as cement or paint on the laborer's hand, except for a deformed finger. Reflecting these test results, this study suggested a framework for selecting a labor attendance system and recognition device; this is expected to contribute to the development of more efficient labor management systems.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.10 no.8
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• pp.45-53
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• 2019

Purpose - The purpose of this study was to clarify the factors to make an exclusive importation contract between foreign fashion brands and local retailers for successful business in Korea. Even though imported fashion brand market shows stead increasing in terms of sales amount, the number of store related study was very rare in fact. Meanwhile, as long as this business is glowing a lot of brands are suffering from bad business performance or getting in ruins thus these problems result in foreign currency loss. The local marketers therefore, strongly expect to know the solution for this matter. Research design, data, and methodology - For the qualitative research, 10 experts who are operating foreign brands with an exclusive contract at a department store or at duty free shop now and who had at least over 10 years of related working experience were included. The factors for the exclusive importation contract with foreign brands were drawn up through the one-to-one in-depth interview method from September 3, 2017 to January 15, 2018. The expert group for the validity analysis includes 2 professors and 5 postgraduate students. Results - As a result of qualitative study on the factors for imported fashion brand's launching with the exclusive importation contract, it turned out that there were 5 factors - safety, profitability, reliability, speed and global retailing. Safety, profitability, and reliability have been mentioned in most related surveys but some details are added and speed and global retailing have been newly highlighted and many unknown legal issues that it was not easy to get form common academic research are included. Speed simply means quick lead time and global retailing means stores where located in other countries. Conclusions - The reason that qualitative research should be done before the quantitative research is due to the scant theoretical background for this matter. Because the market of an imported fashion brand is steadily increasing, determining the factors to make exclusive importation contract is very meaningful from the point of academic and business. After this study, many marketers may get basic conditions to apply for real business and I hope the following quantitative research will give more effective results. The next study also will have extended range concerning industry area, product and distribution channel.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2000

Bacillus anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax has been classified into the Bacillus subgroup I with B. cereus, B. mycoides and B. thuringiensis based on morphological and DNA similarity. DNA studies have further indicated that these species have very AT-rich genomes and high homology, indeed it has been proposed that these four sub-species be recognized as members of the one species. Several methods have been developed to obtain good differentiation between these species. However, none of these methods provides the means for an absolutely correct differntiation. The analysis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) was employed as a quick, simple and reliable method for the identification of 21 B. anthracis strains and closley related strains. The most significant differences were found between B. anthracis and B. anthracis closely related strains in FAMEs profiles. All tested strains of B. anthracis had a branched fatty acid C17:1 Anteiso A, whereas the fraction of unsaturated fatty acid Iso C17:1 w10c was found in B. anthracis closely related strains. By UPGMA clustering analysis of FAMEs profiles, all of the tested strains were classified into two clusters defined at Euclidian distance value of 24.5. The tested strains of B. anthracis were clustered together including Bacillus sp. Kyungjoo 3. However, the isolates of B. anthracis closely related spp. Rho, S10A, 11R1, CAU9910, CAU9911, CAU9912 and CAU9913 were clustered with the other group. On the basis of these results, isolates of B. anthracis Bongchon, Kyungjoo 1, 2 and Bacillus sp. Kyungjoo 3 were reclassified as a B. anthracis. It is concluded that FAMEs analysis provides a sensitive and reliable method for the identification of B. anthracis from closely related taxa.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.441-444
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• 2007

In present, physical distribution industry fields are offering more convenient services using RFID, but there is plenty of room for improvement. And then, utilizing advantages of RFID which quick and simple manages goods and GPS which gets information of position at the present, we implemented a physical distribution management system can manages the information for distribution process of goods easier. We can get much information that the number of loaded goods, the data of goods, the state of distribution, whether or not missing, etc. as attached a RFID reader to the truck. and when truck is moving, we can also obtain much information consumer want that the real time data of position, distribution routes, etc. for loaded goods as received a latitude and longitude from GPS. These information have recorded, managed, and linked Google map, we can grasp the distribution information of goods on World Wide Web service. Because this service is focus on the image not the text can give the information required by the consumer on visual, it is different from the existing service. At this point of time that the RFID and GPS have used in overall industry, If these services have researched and developed with transportation, tour, etc. industry as well as physical distribution, it is possible to utilize more widely.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.49
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• pp.247-265
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• 2017

With the increasingly diverse, sophisticated and complex character animations that can be represented in 3D animations, the importance of rigging, which can most directly affect animating quality, is becoming more and more important. In addition, rapidity is another crucial aspect of 3D animation production. So, the importance of technical director's role which is accurate and rapid handling of rigging pipeline building and immediate application and, corrections of errors during the longest and manpower consuming animation production is more becoming key. Baek Ji Won and Kim Jae-woong (2014) said, "The technical director is adding new importance to the new job, which is created by 3D animation, in conjunction with the limited production period, manpower, budget and production process." Most major overseas studios are developing in-house software to handle rigging and animation processes. Software development code is used to freely develop and modify production pipelines in accordance with the direction of the work. They are making efforts to build an optimal environment for animators. However, too many efforts and ineffective efforts have been made to develop, adapt, and stabilize the rigging process for small producers, creators, and students who do not have the capacity to develop their own in-house software or hire a technical director. This study suggests the most suitable auto-rigging tool among the many auto-rigging tools released in the market, and suggests the most accurate and quick auto-rigging process setting method for those who have insufficient knowledge about 3D character rigging. The efficiency of use of auto-rigging tool was examined.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.105-112
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• 2017

A lot of piping systems have been used from nuclear power systems to water supply systems. The maintenance of the piping systems is needed to ensure proper operation of the piping systems. Failure of the large pipe systems especially such as KDHC(Korea District Heating Corporation) can be a matter directly related to the enterprise productivity and profitability. It can also lead to very important issues in promoting public safety and convenience. Therefore a method of quick and safety repairs have been emerged as the most important problem. In this study, freezing seal isolation method using liquid nitrogen cryogenic refrigerant was developed for the maintenance of a pre insulated heat transport pipe of KDHC with a diameter of 300 mm. In this study, by employing computational analysis techniques we performed the flow and heat transfer analysis for the targeted pre insulated heat transfer pipe and freezing seal jacket(ice-Plug) and have selected for optimal system. The detailed design model based on the results of the computational analysis finally was produced. A laboratory-scale test apparatus were designed and the freezing seal isolation self-test carried out. Also the performance assessment tests in the test bed of KDHC were carried out for on-site application.