• Journal of Applied Reliability
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.38-49
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to introduce the assessment model for industrial accidents prevention policy. Methods: 10 years of industrial accidents data are explored through EDA approach. Case control study is tried in order to assess the effectiveness of the measures taken by Korea Safety and Health Agency, Civilian, and 'Ministry of Employment and Labor'. Propensity score matching is used to match the characteristics of the two groups compared, and then case control study is again conducted. Next, logistic and Poisson regressions are used to assess the risk factors. Results: According to case control study involvement of 'Korea Safety and Health Agency' and 'Ministry of Employment and Labor' were not effective, but Civilian was. Propensity score matching leads to the same conclusion. Poisson regression reveals the impact of the risk factors on the industrial accidents. Industrial accidents occur more often as the number of employees grows. Mining, farming, fishing, 'transportation storage and telecommunication' and forestry have a higher level of industrial accidents but service industry has a lower level. It is odd that more involvement of Korea Safety and Health Agency, Civilian, and Ministry of Employment and Labor means more industrial accidents. Conclusion: 'Korea Safety and Health Agency', Civilian, and 'Ministry of Employment and Labor' seem to visit those industries with more industrial accidents.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2017

This paper empirically studies the effect of public procurement on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Republic of Korea using firm-level data. Public procurement, the purchase of goods and services from private firms by the public sector, is regarded as an important policy measure for providing support to firms, particularly SMEs. This study uses establishment-level panel data of the mining and manufacturing sectors from the Korean National Bureau of Statistics (Statistics Korea) and procurement history from the Korean Public Procurement Service to empirically estimate the effects of public procurement on firms' productivity (total factor productivity) and survivability. Using a propensity score matching estimation method, we find that participating firms showed higher productivity than non-participating ones in the control group only for the year of participation, that is, 2009. After two years, in 2011, they exhibited significantly lower productivity. In contrast, establishments that participated in public procurement for SMEs in 2009 were more likely to survive than those that did not do so in 2011. These results can be interpreted as the negative consequences of government intervention. The market's efficiency enhancement is hindered if underserving companies survive owing to government intervention but fail to improve efficiency.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.216-221
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• 2017

Background: This study was conducted to investigate preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer. Methods: Between January 2000 and July 2011, 1298 patients with primary adenocarcinoma colorectal cancer without metastasis, who underwent curative resection were retrospectively identified. The patients were divided into two groups according to serum CEA level at primary diagnosis: a high CEA (HCEA) group (serum CEA ${\geq}6ng/mL$) and a normal CEA (NCEA) group (serum CEA <6 ng/mL). A 1:1 propensity score matching analysis was applied to reduce bias. Finally, 364 patients were enrolled in this study. Matched variables were age, gender, preoperative chemoradiotherapy, tumor site, cell differentiation and pathologic stage. Results: The clinicopathological characteristics of the two groups did not differ significantly difference. The systemic metastasis rate was 16.5% (30/182) and 25.3% (46/182) in the NCEA and HCEA groups, respectively (p=0.039). There were no significant differences in local recurrence or metastatic sites between groups. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of the HCEA group was worse than that of the NCEA group; however, there was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups. Conclusion: Elevated preoperative CEA was related to frequent systemic recurrence and low DFS. Therefore, elevated preoperative CEA could be considered a prognostic factor for worse clinical outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.27-53
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• 2010

This paper examines whether and how much vocational training raises an individual's earnings in Korea, using the Economically Active Population Survey. To overcome endogeneity of training, we apply fixed-effects and propensity-score matching (PSM) methods. Fixed-effects (PSM) results suggest that work-related training received in the previous one year increases a worker's monthly earnings by 2.6 to 4.7 (7.5 to 9.8) percent. Taken altogether, work-related training enhances a worker's earnings by a minimum of 2.6 and a maximum of 9.8 percent in Korea.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.45-54
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to identify patient and hospital characteristics with pulmonary tuberculosis and to analyze factors which were influencing length of stay and treatment. The Korean National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey database from 2006 to 2012 was used for analysis. Study subjects were 4,704 patients and analyzed by using frequency, chi-square and logistic regression through using STATA 12.0. To avoid selection bias, we used propensity score matching. Analysis results show that the length of stay and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis was different between insurance types. Patients characteristic(female, comorbidity, admission by outpatient department, medical insurance type) and hospital characteristic(500-999 beds, over 1000 beds) significantly influence length of stay. Admission by outpatient department and over 1000 beds are significantly influence treatment. Based on these findings, it is necessary to clarify between length of stay and treatment outcome by medical aids beneficiaries and audit hospitals follow discharge guidelines in pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.367-377
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• 2021

Objectives: Taxi drivers are exposed to various hazards, such as long periods of sedentary work and traffic-related air pollutants. However, studies on the health effects among taxi drivers in South Korea are insufficient. Methods: To assess subclinical hematologic change related to cardiovascular disease among male taxi drivers, we analyzed data from the second Korean National Environmental Health Survey. Fifty-nine taxi drivers and 1,912 controls were included in the analysis. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust for age, body mass index, and urinary cotinine. A total of 295 subjects were matched with 59 taxi drivers. Leukocyte count, platelet count, hematocrit, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol land total IgE of the taxi drivers were compared with the control groups. Results: Taxi drivers showed significantly elevated blood leukocytes and platelets. Serum total IgE was significantly reduced in taxi drivers. However, blood leukocytes, platelets, and serum total IgE were not significantly correlated with work period among taxi drivers. Conclusions: Regarding the change of the blood leukocyte count, platelet count, and serum total IgE, taxi driving has the possibility to be associated with peripheral inflammation, humoral immunity and cardiovascular risk.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.81-97
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• 2024

This study examines the effects of adopting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in livestock farm management on farm sales revenue. Using the 2020 Census of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, a nationally representative data set constructed by Statistics Korea, this study focuses on a sample of 9,020 livestock farms in South Korea. We employ Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methods to address the potential selection bias between 2,076 farms that used ICT for livestock farm management and 6,944 farms that did not. The findings consistently show that the use of ICT significantly increases farm revenue, taking into account the selection bias. The utilization of ICT in livestock farms leads to a higher increase in sales revenue, particularly for farms with greater sales.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.80-84
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• 2012

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate our institutional results of the aortic valve replacement through minimally invasive approaches compared with conventional sternotomy. Materials and Methods: From August 1997 to July 2010, 838 patients underwent primary isolated aortic valve replacement. Of them, 73 patients underwent surgery through minimally invasive approaches (MIAS group) whereas 765 patients underwent surgery through the conventional sternotomy (CONV group). Clinical outcomes were compared using a propensity score matching design. Results: Propensity score matching yielded 73 pairs of patients in which there were no significant differences in baseline profiles between the two groups. Patients in the MIAS group had longer aortic cross clamp than those in the CONV group ($74.9{\pm}27.9$ vs.. $66.2{\pm}27.3$, p=0.058). In the MIAS group, conversion to full sternotomy was needed in 2 patients (2.7%). There were no significant differences in the rates of low cardiac output syndrome (4 vs. 8, p=0.37), reoperation due to bleeding (7 vs. 6, p=0.77), wound infection (2 vs. 4, p=0.68), or requirements for dialysis (2 vs. 1, p=0.55) between the two groups. Postoperative pain was significantly less in the MIAS group than the conventional group (pain score, $3.79{\pm}1.67$ vs. $4.32{\pm}1.56$; p=0.04). Conclusion: Both minimally invasive approaches and conventional sternotomy had comparable early clinical outcomes in patients undergoing primary isolated aortic valve replacement. Minimally invasive approaches significantly decrease postoperative pain.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.481-499
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of smartphone use on structured social network types in the Korean elderly population. Data was derived from the 2014 survey of living conditions and welfare needs of Korean older persons collected by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. A total of 4,180 participants were selected for the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) analysis. Based on propensity score estimates, the 491 smartphone users (treatment group) and 491 featurephone users (control group) were matched. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between smartphone use and structural social network types. The results showed that among retired older adults, people using smartphone had significantly better structured social networks than those using featurephone even after controlling for covariates. Smartphone users had the higher levels of social contact and social activity. These findings suggested empirical evidence that using smartphone positively affects structured social networks, which might be used as the basis for designing intervention programs to promote social networks and social engagement of retired older adults.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.75-86
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• 2002

We consider the problem of estimating the change-point in mean change model with one change-point. Gombay and Huskova(1998) derived a class of change-point estimators with the score function of rank. A change-point estimator with the log score function of rank is suggested and is shown to be involved in the class of Gombay and Huskova(1988). The simulation results show that the proposed estimator has smaller rose, larger proportion of matching the true change-point than the other estimators considered in the experiment when the change-point occurs in the middle of the sample.