• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.695-704
• /
• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The type of sweet snack incorporated into an energy-restricted diet (ERD) may produce differential effects on metabolic improvements associated with body weight (BW) loss. This study compared effects of incorporating either twice daily energy-controlled dark chocolate snacks plus once daily sugar-free cocoa beverage (DC) to non-chocolate snacks plus sugar-free non-cocoa beverage (NC) into an ERD on BW loss and metabolic outcomes. MATERIALS/METHODS: In an 18-week randomized comparative trial, 60 overweight/obese premenopausal women were assigned to DC (n = 30) or NC group (n = 30). Dietary intake was measured at baseline and week 18, and BW, anthropometrics, blood pressure (BP) and serum glucose, insulin and lipid concentrations were measured at baseline, and weeks 6, 12 and 18. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: Using intention-to-treat analysis, women in DC and NC groups reduced energy intake (both P < 0.001) and lost $4.4{\pm}0.6kg$ and $5.0{\pm}0.9kg$ (both P < 0.001), respectively. Both groups lowered systolic and diastolic BP [DC = 2.7 (P < 0.05), 2.7 (P < 0.01); NC = 3.4 (P < 0.01), 4.2 (P < 0.01) mmHg, respectively]. Glucose and insulin concentrations decreased by 0.72 mmol/L (P < 0.001) and 13.20 pmol/L (P < 0.01) in DC group and by 0.83 mmol/L (P < 0.001) and 13.20 pmol/L (P < 0.01), respectively, in NC group. Total cholesterol increased in NC group (P < 0.05), with no significant lipid changes in DC group. There were no significant differences in biomarker outcomes between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight/obese premenopausal women following an 18-week ERD that included either DC or NC sweet snack and sugar-free beverage lost equivalent amounts of BW and improved BP measurements and glucose and insulin concentrations.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
• /
• v.29 no.7
• /
• pp.1311-1327
• /
• 2016

We propose a multi-state model for analyzing semi-competing risks data with interval-censored or missing intermediate events. This model is an extension of the 'illness-death model', which composes three states, such as 'healthy', 'diseased', and 'dead'. The state of 'diseased' can be considered as an intermediate event. Two more states are added into the illness-death model to describe missing events caused by a loss of follow-up before the end of the study. One of them is a state of 'LTF', representing a lost-to-follow-up, and the other is an unobservable state that represents the intermediate event experienced after LTF occurred. Given covariates, we employ the Cox proportional hazards model with a normal frailty and construct a full likelihood to estimate transition intensities between states in the multi-state model. Marginalization of the full likelihood is completed using the adaptive Gaussian quadrature, and the optimal solution of the regression parameters is achieved through the iterative Newton-Raphson algorithm. Simulation studies are carried out to investigate the finite-sample performance of the proposed estimation procedure in terms of the empirical coverage probability of the true regression parameter. Our proposed method is also illustrated with the dataset adapted from Helmer et al. (2001).

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.311-318
• /
• 1994

We examined spatial and temporal patterns of root decomposition for three and half years, from October 1986 to April 1990, in semi-arid Chihuahuan Desert. Decomposition of roots occurred in a two-phased pattern: an early period of rapid mass loss followed by a period of slower loss. The rate of root decomposition had a high negative correlation with the initial lignin concentration in roots (r=-0.84, p<0.05). Annual mass loss rate of Baileya multiradiata, a herbaceous annual, was the highest with the value of 0.60, while that of Panicum obtusum. a perennial grass which was restricted to playa, was the lowest with 0.13. The mass loss rate of roots in the playa was the lowest among the vegetation zones along the transect. After 42 months elapsed, fluffgrass roots in playa lost 40% of the initial mass, while in other sites it lost on average 55% of the initial mass. In all roots except for desert marigold, there was an initial release of nitrogen early in decomposition followed by net nitrogen immobilization. Nitrogen concentration of the desert marigold roots showed linear increase from the beginning. Lignin concentration of perennial grass roots were higher than those of herbaceous annual and woody perennial root.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
• /
• 2010.04a
• /
• pp.26-27
• /
• 2010

Illegal aquaculture farms that cause marine pollution and ship accidents are managed and controlled by local organizations, but they experience many difficulties due to the vast waters and insufficient human resources. This study aims to utilize new IP-RFID technology to propose an efficient aquaculture farm facility management system This system attaches Ip-Tags to aquaculture farms that can provide facility information and location in real-time through IP communications. This allows for efficient management of facilities and the restriction of illegal farms. This system can also provide locations of farm facilities that sink to the ocean floor, reducing marine pollution caused by lost farms.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.167-175
• /
• 2000

Compressed bitstreams generated by an MPEG-2 video encoder (or digital TV picture transmission are quite sensitive to channel errors. Due to the coding structure of the MPEG-2 video compression algorithm, a single bit error can affect not only the current Picture frame but also succeeding frames. Error concealment algorithms attempt to repair damaged portions of the picture by exploiting spatial and temporal redundancies in the correctly received and reconstructed video frames. In this paper, we analyze the effect of channel errors in MPEG-2 video bitstreams and estimate lost motion vectors by exploiting temporal redundancies in the video frames. Motion vectors can be estimated from the vertically adjacent extended region of lost macroblocks. Finally, we conceal the damaged macroblocks by compensating the displacement with the estimated motion vectors. Simulation results demonstrate that both the weighted sum algorithm and the extension matching algorithm achieve good performance in terms of PSNR values as well as subjective image quality.

• Korean journal of communication and information
• /
• v.78
• /
• pp.141-176
• /
• 2016

This study investigates changes of market structure from 2001 to 2015 in the Korean daily newspaper industry using concentration and mobility measures. The main empirical results are as follows. First, the industry's total asset shows a U-shaped trend, despite the downward trend of the industry's total sales revenue. Second, the market concentration, measured in terms of assets, shows the trend of an inverted-U shape. The relatively small firms, measured in terms of assets, have on average gained in market share while the relatively large firm have lost. Third, market concentration, measured in terms of sales revenues, shows a U-shaped trend. the relatively small firms, measured in terms of sales revenues, have on average gained in market share while the relatively large firm have lost. My central argument has been that it is desirable to supplement traditional concentration measures with mobility statistics and trend analyses in investigating and regulating market structure.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.741-746
• /
• 2012

Transmission control protocol(TCP) widely used as a transport protocol in the Internet includes a loss recovery function that detects and recovers packet losses by retransmissions. The loss recovery function consists of the two algorithms; fast retransmit and fast recovery. There have been researches to avoid nonnecessary retransmission timeouts (RTOs), which leads to selective acknowledgement (SACK) option and limited transmit scheme that are standardized by IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force). Recently, a method that covers the case in which a retransmitted packet is lost again has been propsed. The method, however, is not proved in terms of the additive increase multiplicative decrease (AIMD) principle of TCP congestion control. In this paper, therefore, we analyzed the method in terms of the principle by ns-simulations.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.403-410
• /
• 2009

This paper proposes a new approach to find the optimum ratios between sizes of the heat exchangers of the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) system with limited size to maximize the efficiency of the steam turbine (bottom) cycle of combined cycle power plants (CCPP), but without performing the bottom cycle analysis. This could be achieved by minimizing the unavailable exergy (the sum of the destroyed and the lost exergies) resulted from the heat transfer process of the HRSG system. The present approach is relatively simple and straightforward because the process of the trial-and-error method, typical in performing the bottom cycle analysis for the system optimization, could be avoided. To demonstrate the usefulness of the present method, a single-stage HRSG system was chosen and the optimum evaporation temperature was obtained corresponding to the condition of the maximum useful work. The results show that the optimum evaporation temperature based on the present exergy analysis appears similar to that based on the bottom cycle analysis. Also shown is the dependency of size (NTU) ratios between the heat exchangers on the inlet gas temperature, which is another important factor in determining the optimum condition once overall size of the heat recovery steam generator is given. The present approach turned out to be a useful tool for optimization of the singlestage HRSG systems and can easily be extended to multi-stage systems.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.134-141
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the current status of studies of bereaved families in Korea. Methods: We reviewed 97 studies of bereaved families, which were published between 1994 and 2013 in Korea. The studies were classified in three groups according to time, subjects, and topic. Results: First, the number of bereaved family-related studies has increased since 2010. Second, most studies focused on the whole family, and middle-age widows were also popular subjects. Third, the most popular topic was a relationship between certain variables. Conclusion: First, variables and their relations among themselves should be approached through an integrated study. Second, a systematic review is needed to assess the effects of interventions on the bereaved. Third, a qualitative research method is needed to broaden and deepen our understanding about the middle-age widowers, parents who lost their children and children who lost their parents.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.7 no.5
• /
• pp.813-822
• /
• 1996

In order to reduce carbon dioxide, one of the major greenhouse gases, a new type of copolymer, poly(alkylene carbonate) has been synthesized. The alternating copolymers have been obtained from carbon dioxide and various epoxides with zinc carboxylate as a catalyst. The number-average molecular weight of the polymer is about 50,000 and polydispersity is rather broad(5~10). The polymers are amorphous, and glass-clear materials that exhibit unusually facile and clean thermal decomposition behavior. Complete decomposition with no carbon residue is observed at elevated temperature even in an inert atmosphere. Terpolymers with bulkier epoxides improve the physical properties of the copolymer with simple epoxides. The decomposition properties of the polymer provide versatile applications such as ceramic, metal, and electronic binders and lost-foam casting. Further application of the polymer for the barrier film or the plasticizer will be investigated.