• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.439-444
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• 2021

Background: In a previous study, we estimated exposure prevalence and the number of workers exposed to carcinogens by industry in Korea. The present study aimed to evaluate the optimal exposure intensity indicators of airborne lead exposure by comparing to blood lead measurements for the future development of the carcinogen exposure intensity database. Methods: Data concerning airborne lead measurements and blood lead levels were collected from nationwide occupational exposure databases, compiled between 2015 and 2016. Summary statistics, including the arithmetic mean (AM), geometric mean (GM), and 95th percentile level (X95) were calculated by industry both for airborne lead and blood lead measurements. Since many measurements were below the limits of detection (LODs), the simple replacement with half of the LOD and maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) methods were used for statistical analysis. For examining the optimal exposure indicator of airborne lead exposure, blood lead levels were used as reference data for subsequent rank correlation analyses. Results: A total of 19,637 airborne lead measurements and 32,848 blood lead measurements were used. In general, simple replacement showed a higher correlation than MLE. The results showed that AM and X95 using simple replacement could be used as optimal exposure intensity indicators, while X95 showed better correlations than AM in industries with 20 or more measurements. Conclusion: Our results showed that AM or X95 could be potential candidates for exposure intensity indicators in the Korean carcinogen exposure database. Especially, X95 is an optimal indicator where there are enough measurements to compute X95 values.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2010

This paper presents a histogram equalization based on the nonlinear transformation function for enhancing the quality of medical images. The nonlinear transformation function is applied to adaptively equalize the brightness of the image according to its intensity level frequency. The logistic function is used as a nonlinear transformation function, which is calculated by only using the intensity level with maximum frequency and the maximum intensity level in an histogram, and the total number of pixels. The proposed method has been applied for equalizing 8 medical images with a different resolution and histogram distribution. The experimental results show that the proposed method has the superior enhancement performances compared with the conventional histogram equalization. And the proposed histogram equalization can be used in various multimedia systems in real-time.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.29-39
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• 2016

Recently, due to the cognition that obesity is the cause of adult diseases, interests of consumers in low-sugar and low-calorie foods are growing more and more. While various policies are being implemented to reduce sugar contents in processed foods, the reduced sweetness caused by lesser sugar content is complemented by using high-intensity sweeteners. Some of the typical high-intensity sweeteners are sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium and stevia, etc. Since the relative sweetness degree, sweetness profile, and physical properties of these sweeteners should be different from one another, it is important that all these characteristics are well-understood before applying them. Thus, the objective of this study is to introduce the properties and applications of high-intensity sweeteners in order to reduce sugar content of processed foods.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2013

This study investigated the food biochemical characterization of commercial seasoned sea squirt Halocynthia roretzi (CSS). The proximate composition of CSS was 77.2-82.7% moisture, 7.1-9.1% crude protein, 0.3-2.6% crude lipid and 3.5-6.3% ash. Taste compound contents of CSS were 2.3-5.4% salinity (saltiness), 0.42-1.12 g/100 g total acidity (sourness) and 114.9-330.2 mg/100 g amino nitrogen (taste intensity). The Hunter color values of CSS were 23.79-32.50 for lightness, 9.97-20.45 for redness, 14.01-20.96 for yellowness and 64.50-76.63 for color difference. The odor intensity of CSS was 35.0-62.0. According to these results, there were large differences in proximate composition, taste compounds, Hunter color values and odor intensity of CSS. Viable cell counts ranged from 6.20 to 7.69 log (CFU/g), and most of the viable cells comprised of lactic acid-forming bacteria. CSS was not detected in the coliform group.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.189-197
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• 2008

In order to develop the sustainable ecological management, short-necked clams, Ruditapes philippinarum, were collected from Yoengi coast in Tongyoeng, Korea. The growth of the clam was estimated as: $L_f=68.08{\cdot}(1-e^{-0.145(t+0.324)})$ from ring radius composition of shell. Instantaneous co-efficiency of total mortality and natural mortality were calculated as: 0.991/year and 0.494/year, respectively. The age of the clams from the first capture was estimated to be 3.28. The total biomass was estimated to be 212 MT in the fisheries area (6.4 ha). Applied by these parameters, the annual recruit biomass and the current yield per recruit were calculated to be 649.5 individual/$m^2$ and $0.7\;g/m^2$, respectively. The current fishing intensity was much lower for maximum sustainable yield and acceptable biological catch. Although higher yield per recruit could be achieved by increasing fishing intensity, it is favorable to retain the current fishing intensity because of the unique fishing attitude on Yeongi coast in Tongyoeng, Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.349-354
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• 2004

The growth mode of the Si layers which were grown on Si(111) by using Ag as surfactant were investigated by intensity oscillations of the RHEED specular spot at the different temperatures. we found that the introduction of Ag as the surfactant alters the growth mode from a three-dimensional clustering mechanism to a two-dimensional layer-by-layer growth. In the growth of Si layers on Si(111) with a surfactant Ag, At $450^{\circ}C$, RHEED intensity oscillation was very stable and periodic from early stage of deposition to 32 ML. RHEED patterns during homoepitaxial growth at $450^{\circ}C$ was changed from $7{\times}7$ structure into ${\sqrt{3}}{\times}{\sqrt{3}}$ structures. Since the ${\sqrt{3}}{\times}{\sqrt{3}}$ structure include no stacking fault, the stacking fault layer seems to be reconstructed into normal stacking one at transition from the $7{\times}7$ structure to a ${\sqrt{3}}{\times}{\sqrt{3}}$ one. We also found that the number of the intensity oscillation of the specular spot for Si growth with a surfactant Ag was more than for Si growth without a surfactant. This result may be explained that the activation energy decrease for the surface diffusion of Si atoms due to segregation of the surfactant toward the growing surface.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.451-455
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• 2001

The epitaxial growth of Ge on the clean and surfactant(Sn) adsorbed surface of Ge(111) was studied by the intensity oscillation of a RHEED specular spot. In the case of epitaxial growth without the adsorbed surfactant, the RHEED intensity oscillation was stable and periodic up to 24ML at the substrate temperature of $200^{\circ}C$. Therefore the optimum temperature for the epitaxial growth of Ge on clean Ge(111) seems to be $200^{\circ}C$. However, in the case of epitaxial growth with the adsorbed surfactant, the irregular oscillations are observed in the early stage of the growth. The RHEED intensity oscillation was very stable and periodic up to 38ML, and the $d2{\times}2$ structure was not charged with continued adsorption of Ge at the substrate temperature of $200^{\circ}C$. These results may be explained by the fact that the diffusion length of Ge atoms is increased by decreasing the activation energy of the Ge surface diffusion, resulted by segregation of Sn toward the growing surface. From the desorption process, the desorption energy of Sn in Ge $\sqrt{5}{\times}\sqrt{5}$ structure is observed to be 3.28eV.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.77-98
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• 2018

In the past few decades, the importance of dynamics of University-Industry Linkage(UIL) in strengthening national and regional innovation competency and global competitiveness has been progressively more acknowledged. However, establishing an effective UIL for a better economic development is still a challenging endeavor in Ethiopia, particularly in Tigray region. This study is aimed at assessing the status of UIL and in order to achieve such aim it analyzed the determinants of firms' intensity of interaction with the Mekelle University (MU) and the effect of the intensity of interaction on the relevant firms' innovation performance. The findings of the study showed that the status of UIL between the firms and the university in Tigray region was at an infant stage. The study also found that firm size, firm age (startups) and government supports have had a significant effect on firms' intensity of interaction with the MU. However, the firms' intensity of interaction with the MU did not have any significant effect on the firms' innovation performance. In contrast, cooperation with customers, other groups and suppliers, firm size, firm age, and in-house R&D activities were found to have a significant effect on the firms' innovation performance. In conclusion, the acquisition of knowledge and technology from university does not have an important role in firms' innovation performance in the studied region. Consequently, the government should design effective strategies and assign responsible bodies to implement the strategies, create awareness, and organize both firms and university to meet and work together in order to enhance firms' innovation performance.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.1-22
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• 2022

Purpose - This paper empirically investigates the effect of a rise in the global value chain (GVC) on the industry-level efficiency of resource allocation (based on plant-level inefficiency measures) in Korea, with a focus on various channels through which a rise in the GVC can increase competition among firms and thus induce resources to be allocated more efficiently across firms. Design/methodology - We empirically investigate the relationship between the industry-specific importance of GVC and the industry-level allocative inefficiency that is measured as the dispersion of the plant-level marginal revenue of capital (MRK) as in Hsieh and Klenow's (2009) influential model. We compute MRK dispersion for industries sorted by various characteristics that are closely related to firm/industry sensitivity to the GVC. In other words, we compute the average industry-level MRK dispersion for industries sorted by industry-specific importance of GVC and compute the difference between the two groups of industries (higher vs. lower than the median GVC); we also calculate the difference between industries sorted by industry-specific export (import) intensity. This is our difference-in-difference estimate of the MRK dispersion associated with the GVC for the export (import)-intensive industry versus the non-export (non-import)-intensive industry. This difference-in-difference estimate of the MRK dispersion conditional vs. unconditional on firm-level productivity is then calculated further (triple-difference estimate). Findings - A rise in GVC is associated with a decrease in the MRK dispersion in the export-intensive industry compared to the non-export-intensive industry. The same is true for industries that rely heavily on imports versus those that do not (i.e., import intensive vs. non-intensive). Furthermore, the reduction in the MRK dispersion in the export-intensive industry associated with an increase in the GVC is disproportionately greater for high-productivity firms. In contrast, the negative relationship between GVC and MRK dispersion in the import-intensive industry is disproportionately smaller for high-productivity firms. Originality/value - Existing studies focus on the relationship between GVC and aggregate output, exports, and imports at the country level. We investigate detailed firm/industry-level mechanisms that determine the relationship between GVC, trade, and productivity. Using the plant-level data in South Korea, we investigate how GVC is related to the cross-firm MRK dispersion, an important measure of allocative inefficiency, based on Hsieh and Klenow's (2009) influential economic theory. This is the first study to provide plant-level evidence of how GVC affects MRK dispersion. Furthermore, we examine how the relationship between GVC and MRK-dispersion varies across export intensity, import intensity, and firm-level productivity, providing insight into how GVC can affect firms' exposure to competition in the global market differently depending on market conditions and thus generate trade-related productivity gains.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.37-44
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• 2014

Purpose - This study reviews changes in the automobile export-import structure between Japan and USA through a trade related index, and focuses on analyzing comparative advantage based on time-series analysis of statistical data (2000, 2005, and 2012) by using the trade intensity index (TII), revealed comparative advantage index (RCA), and trade specialization index (TSI). Research design, data, and methodology - Japan and USA have mutually complementary economic phase characteristics. Therefore, this study aimed to understand each country's trade structure, to strengthen Japan-USA economic cooperation and aimed to examine trade drawbacks to analyze causes affecting trade and ways to improve it to facilitate its expansion. Results - These two economies have immense complementary potential and, further, significantly greater profits are assured from trade between them, as compared to any other integrated regional economic community. Conclusion - Economic cooperation between these two powers can provide opportunities for industry technology cooperation through partnerships against the backdrop of accelerating competition among industries, by identifying opportunities to secure stable resource suppliers and enlarge the export market.