• STI Policy Review
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2017

There has been a pronounced increase in research and development (R&D) expenditure in Singapore over the last two decades, with government spending accounting for a sizeable share. This increase has been spurred by public policy emphasis on research and innovation as engines of economic growth. This paper analyses the impact of R&D on economic performance in Singapore from 1978 to 2012 through the use of time series analysis. The Cobb-Douglas based analysis shows a long-run equilibrium relationship between Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and R&D investments. We found that the short-run productivity of R&D in Singapore is comparable to smaller advanced economies in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). However, in terms of long-run R&D productivity, Singapore lags slightly behind the smaller OECD nations and far behind the G7 countries. This suggests leakage of value capture and low absorptive capacity in local firms. Possibility of productivity improvements induced by policy changes in the 1990s was considered, but no evidence of significant structural breaks was found. Lastly, Granger causality analysis reveals that public sector R&D augments private sector R&D capital, thus playing an important role in generating externalities and spillover effects. Policy implications and lessons for other middle-income countries are discussed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.1226-1233
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• 2017

Measurements of the isotopic contents of spent nuclear fuel provide experimental data that are a prerequisite for validating computer codes and nuclear data for many spent fuel applications. Under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and guidance of the Expert Group on Assay Data of Spent Nuclear Fuel of the NEA Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety, a new database of expanded spent fuel isotopic compositions has been compiled. The database, Spent Fuel Compositions (SFCOMPO) 2.0, includes measured data for more than 750 fuel samples acquired from 44 different reactors and representing eight different reactor technologies. Measurements for more than 90 isotopes are included. This new database provides data essential for establishing the reliability of code systems for inventory predictions, but it also has broader potential application to nuclear data evaluation. The database, together with adjoint based sensitivity and uncertainty tools for transmutation systems developed to quantify the importance of nuclear data on nuclide concentrations, are described.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2022

Background: Industrial accidents can determine the overall level and quality of the work environment in industries and companies that contribute to national economic development. Korea has transformed the country from an international aid recipient to a donor country, but it has ranked first among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries in the number of fatal industrial accidents. Little has been known about the policy effects in terms of the workers' insurance for their industrial accidents and rehabilitation. This study raises two research questions about the influence of workers' personal characteristics and vocational rehabilitation services on their return to workplaces. Methods: The study implements weighted logistic regression analysis using propensity score matching. This research utilizes the relevant dataset (3,924 persons) of Korea's industrial accident and insurance. Results: The findings show that the level of workers' awareness of health recovery and their counseling for rehabilitation by physicians had positive effects on their return to work. Environmental factors such as workers' job stability at the time of industrial accidents and the temporal effects of industrial accidents (e.g., the level of disability, their age) had negative impacts on their return to work. Conclusions: These findings have policy implications that the concentration of rehabilitation services for patients who have been mildly affected by industrial accidents would be effective in the short and medium term. The findings also highlight the necessity of ongoing policies about workers' vocational recovery with concrete evidence about policy impacts.

• The Ewha Medical Journal
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.99-103
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• 2017

Antimicrobials were one of the great invention of modern era. However, the abuse of antimicrobial both in human and animals has led to a high rate of occurrence of antimicrobial resistant microbes. Disease treatment caused by antimicrobial resistant microbes including superbacteria has emerged as critical issue worldwide. Communication and cooperation among researchers in diverse fields are needed to solve the resistance to antimicrobials. Culture Collection of Antimicrobial Resistant Microbes (CCARM) has taken a leadership role an intermediary among various research fields by providing certified antimicrobial resistant microbes with their information since 1999. CCARM collects antimicrobial resistant microbes from clinical, agricultural animals and products, and environmental fields, and classifies and stores them according to their origins, species and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. CCARM is performing the roles (collection, deposit, preservation, distribution, service, and consulting) of Biological Resource Center designated by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

• World Technopolis Review
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.122-138
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• 2014

The number of environment-related technologies has increased remarkably over the past two decades, as has the public's interest in effective resource use and ways to reduce the effects of global warming. Industries that are based on environment-related technologies are thus growing rapidly. Previous studies revealed that externalities derived from the population concentration in urban areas positively affect agglomerations of high-tech industries. Such externalities have been named the "knowledge spillover effect". The purposes of the present paper are to (1) give a thumbnail sketch of the locations of environment-related industries around the world, using the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development environment-related patent statistics, and (2) explicate the effects of the Marshall-Arrow-Romer (MAR) and Jacobs externalities, which result from population concentrations in urban areas, on the agglomeration of environment-related industries in Sweden. The analysis revealed that environment-related industries are located chiefly in urban areas across the globe, and that only the MAR externalities influenced positively on the agglomeration of these industries in Sweden.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.243-252
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• 2023

This paper aims to introduce Korea's total current health expenditure (CHE) and National Health Accounts of the year 2021 and their 2022 preliminary figures constructed on the basis of the System of Health Accounts 2011. As CHE includes expenditures for prevention, tracking, and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and compensation for losses to medical institutions from 2020, the details are also introduced. Korea's total CHE in 2021 is 193.3 trillion won, which is 9.3% of gross domestic product (GDP). The preliminary figure in 2022, 209.0 trillion won, exceeded the 200 trillion won line for the first time, and its "ratio to GDP" of 9.7% is expected to exceed the average of Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development member countries for the first time. Korea's health expenditures, which were well controlled until the end of the 20th century, have increased at an alarming rate since the beginning of the 21st century, threatening the sustainability of national health insurance. The increase in health expenditure after 2020 is partly due to a temporary increase in response to COVID-19. However, when considering the structure of Korea's health insurance price hike, where the ratchet effect of increased medical expenses works particularly strongly, it is unlikely that the accelerating growth trend that has lasted for more than 20 years will stop easily. More aggressive policies to control medical expenses are required in the national health insurance which not only constitutes the main financing sources of the Korean health system but also has the most powerful policy means in effect for changes in the health care provision.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2018.05a
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• pp.125-125
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• 2018

충청남도는 2015년에 극심한 가뭄을 겪으며 보령댐은 역대 최저 저수율을 기록하고 128일간 제한급수를 시행한 바 있다. 가뭄은 농작물 피해, 인적 피해뿐 아니라 사회경제적인 피해 또한 야기하지만 강수량과 가용수자원양만을 고려하는 기존의 가뭄 위험 지수들은 물리적인 피해만 반영한다는 한계점을 갖는다. 본 연구는 이러한 한계점을 극복하기 위해 기존 가뭄 지수에 지역적 특성을 반영할 수 있는 사회경제적 인자와 가뭄 적응능력 인자들을 함께 반영하는 가뭄 위험 지수를 개발하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 위험을 산정하기 위해 International Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)는 재해, 노출, 취약성으로 구분하였고, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD)는 인과관계 구성의 체제를 강조하며 Pressure-State-Response(P-S-R) 프레임워크를 개발한 바 있으며, World Risk Index(WRI)는 노출과 취약성으로 산출하였다. 본 연구에서 개발된 가뭄 위험 지수는 P-S-R 체제의 인과관계 구조를 참고하여 재해(hazard), 노출(exposure), 적응능력(capacity)으로 구분하였다. 재해는 기상학적 가뭄을 평가하기 위한 요소로서 SPI 기법을 통해 산정되고 노출은 가뭄의 피해 대상을 의미하여 지역별 용수 수요량을 사용하였다. 적응능력은 가뭄 피해를 줄일 수 있는 지역적 특성을 나타내며 사회적 능력과 공학적 능력으로 구분하여 산정하였다. 사회적 능력은 개인의 재정능력, 공무원 수 등이 포함되며 공학적 능력은 댐 현황, 지하수 이용현황, 하천시설 현황이 포함된다. 본 연구 결과와 2015년 가뭄을 비교함으로써 개발된 가뭄 위험 지수의 적합성을 확인하였으며 이를 통해 지역별 취약성 평가를 할 수 있었다.

• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

Available data on the recent global financial crisis (GFC) show that it lasted between the second quarter (Q2) of 2007 and the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2009. Australia is one of the first economies to fully recover from this crisis. This study explorles the role played by the Australian construction industry in stimulating economic growth during the recession. In order to investigate the macro-variability trend during the financial crisis, data were collected and analysed relating to the quarterly GDP of Australia and selected countries between Q1 2000 and Q4 2009. Specifically, changes in the construction industry's GDP were compared with aggregate GDP changes in Australian economy and similar indices in the 'Group of 7' (G7) countries and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Moreover, specific attention was focused on Germany, France, Japan, United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK). Graphical and Pearson's correlation methods were used to analyse the relationships between changes in construction GDP and Australia's overall economic growth during the recession. In addition, an attempt was made to develop a regression model for predicting economic growth during the recent recession using changes in gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), changes in construction GDP and the impact of these changes on national economy. Analysis shows a slight contraction in construction activities during the crisis; however construction triggered significant growth in the economy during the crisis period and afterwards. This appears to be the major difference between Australia and other major economies that have experienced a longer recession.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.24-35
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• 2015

This research constructs a data set regarding competition policy through a comprehensive review of previous studies, and performs a meta-analysis to quantitatively assess the price effects of deregulation. A structural econometric model is used to eliminate possible biases from heterogeneity of the studies,such as in publication types and measurement methods. Four types of regulations that deter competition are characterized and three groups of industries are made for drawing practical implications. We fnd that deregulation to promote competition reduces prices by 0.23% and that these estimated price effects are more stable when we control for the publication types and measurement ways. Easing regulations that restrict consumers' choice is shown to be most effcient in promoting competition, lowering prices by 0.7%. This is followed by eliminating the limitation in the number of frms in the industry, with 0.2% price reduction. Overall, the network and service industries are shown to be more responsive to deregulation than the R&D industry. These results could shed light on policy implementation when a pro-competition policy is called for due to restrictive regulations in the corresponding industries.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.72-86
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• 2016

A steam explosion may occur during a severe accident, when the molten core comes into contact with water. The pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor ex-vessel steam explosion study, which was carried out with the multicomponent three-dimensional Eulerian fuel-coolant interaction code under the conditions of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Steam Explosion Resolution for Nuclear Applications project reactor exercise, is presented and discussed. In reactor calculations, the largest uncertainties in the prediction of the steam explosion strength are expected to be caused by the large uncertainties related to the jet breakup. To obtain some insight into these uncertainties, premixing simulations were performed with both available jet breakup models, i.e., the global and the local models. The simulations revealed that weaker explosions are predicted by the local model, compared to the global model, due to the predicted smaller melt droplet size, resulting in increased melt solidification and increased void buildup, both reducing the explosion strength. Despite the lower active melt mass predicted for the pressurized water reactor case, pressure loads at the cavity walls are typically higher than that for the boiling water reactor case. This is because of the significantly larger boiling water reactor cavity, where the explosion pressure wave originating from the premixture in the center of the cavity has already been significantly weakened on reaching the distant cavity wall.