• Title/Summary/Keyword: Performance limiting factors

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A Study on the Effects of Teaching Paraphrasing to Foreign University Students (외국인 학부생을 위한 바꿔 쓰기 교육의 효과)

  • Park, Hyunjin
    • Journal of Korean language education
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    • v.28 no.4
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    • pp.63-86
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    • 2017
  • This research aims to evaluate the effects and the shortcomings of strategies for teaching paraphrasing to foreign university students. For this study, the effects of teaching paraphrasing skills on student's academic writing was investigated through the assessment of pre- and post-test writing tasks and through a focus group interview. The teaching of paraphrasing was divided into 3 instructional sessions and the focus group interview was conducted at the end of the last session. After each instructional session three trained assessors evaluated the outcomes of pre and post task writings; the in-depth focus group interviews were conducted on seven of the students in order to define better positive effects as well as shortcomings. By comparing the scores of pre- and post-task assignments it is possible to affirm that there is a meaningful difference for overall scores; moreover, in an analysis conducted on each single sub-element of the paraphrasing skill, it emerged that except for "task completion", all other four elements of "structure", "understanding core content", "change of expression" and "academic expressions" showed a statistically significant improvement in performance. On the other hand, as a result of the focus group interview, it was possible to individuate as main shortcomings insufficient vocabulary knowledge, poor overall comprehension of the reference material, lack of practice and difficulty in connect sentences organically. It is possible to consider these elements as limiting factors in understanding the reference material and making correct citations by the students. Therefore, we suggest as supplementary instructional strategies a deeper attention to the difficulty level of the text, the introduction of devices to understand better the content of the reference material and an integrated practice of the paraphrasing skill.

Health Services Utilization and Financial Performance of For-Profit versus Nonprofit Hospitals: A Study of General Acute Care Hospitals in the United States (미국 영리병원과 비영리병원의 의료이용도와 재무성과 비교)

  • Choi, Man-Kyu;Lee, Keon-Hyung;Lee, Bo-Hye
    • Health Policy and Management
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    • v.18 no.4
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    • pp.148-169
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    • 2008
  • As the Korean Government began to perceive healthcare as one of foundational industries for national dynamics, there has been mounting advocacy for the introduction of for-profit hospitals with a view to bringing efficiency in healthcare services industries and improvement of their international competitiveness. The Government is now considering the issue from all angles in favor of permitting for-profit hospitals. However, There have been few precedent studies on this subject to provide helpful data for the discussion and in the health policy making. This study used private hospitals - for-profit and nonprofit - in Florida, USA as study subjects to accumulate basic data that may be utilized for those involved in debates and health policy making relating to the introduction of for-profit hospitals in Korea. Among all the private general hospitals in Florida, those surveyed by AHA(American Hospital Association) for four consecutive years from 2001 and 2004 and others reported about to MCR(Medicare Cost Report) included in the collected data for analysis. In total 139 private general hospitals consisting of 73 for-profit hospitals and 66 nonprofit hospitals were included in the collected analysis data. Results of analysis revealed no significant difference between for-profit hospitals and nonprofit hospitals in the usage aspects of healthcare services including the average length of stay and the ratio of Medicare vs Medicaid patients. However, financial performances indicated by such factors. as the pre-tax return on assets and the pre-tax operating margin showed to be significantly higher in for-profit hospitals compared with nonprofit hospitals. And the ratio of personnel expenses and the turn period of total assets showed to be significantly lower in for-profit hospitals. Based on the hypothesis that arguments about the introduction of for-profit hospitals have considerably different viewpoints depending on the size of hospital represented by the number of bed, these two hospital types were compared again using the number of beds as a controlled factor, but the results were similar. We, therefore, could conclude that the for-profit hospitals in Florida included in this study could, in their for-profit operation, improve their financial performance by pursuing cost reduction and effectively utilizing their assets without limiting the amount and the range of their services or avoiding less medically protected groups such as Medicare and Medicaid patients.

The Effects of Operational and Mechanical Factors on the Performance of Rice-Husk Furnace (왕겨연소기(燃燒機)의 성능(性能)에 영향(影響)을 마치는 설계(設計) 및 작동인자(作動因子)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究))

  • Park, Seung Je;Noh, Sang Ha
    • Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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    • v.8 no.2
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    • pp.39-48
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    • 1983
  • This study was performed to obtain the basic data which could be used for the modification of the manual center-burner-type rice-husk furnace into a small scale automatic type for the multi-purpose use in the farm. For this purpose, first, the utilization feasibility of the rice-husk furnace in the farm was analyzed briefly in aspects of available amount of rice-husk for the fuel, annual operation time and replaceble amount of residential heating energy with rice-husk in the farm. For the experiment a prototype furnace geared with an automatic feeding device was fabricated, and feed rate, mold size and chimney height were changed to investigate the combustion efficiency of rice-husk and thermal efficiency of the furnace. Also, optimum and limiting operational factors were observed in each treatments. The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. If the rice-husk is intensively used for residential heating in the farm for winter season, on an average 51 percent of the total heating energy can be replaced with the rice-husk. Therefore, development of a small scale automatic rice-husk furnace was recognized to be feasible. 2. The operational condition depending on husk-feed rates was very important factor for successive steady burning operation of the given furnace. When the feed-rate was 1.5 kg/hr, the top of the burning zone should be kept at the position about 55 cm from the bottom of the combustion chamber with the periodic removal of ash (termed as steady state position), which was 18 cm above the mold waist. When the feed rates were 2.4 kg/hr and 3.0 kg/hr, the steady state position was at about 4 cm above the mold waist. 3. The mold size affected inflow rate of air into the furnace and consequently CO content in the exhaust gas. The relatively bigger mold gave positive effect on the air-inflow rate. 4. When the husk-feed rates were 1.5 kg/hr, 2.4 kg/hr, 3.0 kg/hr, the combustion efficiencies of the rice-husk were 98.5%, 97.4% and 95.0%, the thermal efficiencies of the furnace were 93.4%, 93.2% and 87.6%, and CO content in the exhaust gas were 1.21%, 1.03%, and 2.43%, respectively. The air-inflow rates were decreased with the increase of feed rates. When the amount of excess air was 30-40%, the CO content in the exhaust gas was at the minimum level. 5. When the chimney height was lowered from 260 cm to 96 cm, the air-inflow rate was slightly decreased, but the average temperature in the combustion chamber, CO content in the exhaust gas and combustion and thermal efficiencies were not changed significantly. 6. The incidental problems associated with the protytype furnace were accumulation of the ash inside the mold, accumulation of the cinder between the outer-drum of the furnace and the combustion chamber wall, and accumulation of the cinder in the chimney.

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Soybean Yield Performance and Growth Characteristics in Response to Underground Water Table Depth (지하수위에 따른 콩 품종의 생육특성 및 수량반응)

  • 윤광일;이홍석
    • KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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    • v.42 no.3
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    • pp.367-372
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    • 1997
  • Excessive water stress is one of major limiting factors affecting soybean yield, especially when soybean is grown in converted upland from paddy field. The present study was undertaken to know the genotypic variation in yield response of soybean to different environments in combination with soil texture and underground water table depth. Eight recommended soybean varieties in Korea and two supernodulating soybean mutants introduced from USA were planted in the lysimeter which was filled with two different soil types(sandy loam and clay loam). Of three underground water table depths(10, 30, and 50 cm) during whole growth stage, the lowest 10 cm was included to create excessive water stress. Yield was significantly different according to the underground water table depth and soybean genotypes, whereas soil type did not affect yield. There were significant interaction effects of soybean yield among soil type, soybean genotype, and underground water table depth. Yield of nts 1116 showed the highest across environments. Based on the regression analysis, the most stable variety was Sobaeknamulkong(bi=1.09). Jangsukong was fairly stable and high in yield, when compared to other soybean genotypes. However, nts 1116 was the most desirable ($D_i=228$) mainly due to the highest yield rather than the greater stability over environments. Multiple regression analysis revealed that shoot dry weight and nodule number were major factors affecting yield in the combined data over three water table depths and two soil types.

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A study of the Characteristics of Community Design for Modern Industrial Heritage's Reproduction (근대산업유산 재생을 위한 커뮤니티디자인 특성 연구)

  • Jeong, Min-Joo;Lee, Chan
    • Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.157-168
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    • 2014
  • In buildings on the street, indiscriminate redevelopment are being made by overlooking the relationship with surrounding landscape to create their own unique meaning, due to industrialization progressed rapidly with human needs of longing for something constantly. Selection and methods of two plans, conservation and utilization should be required, considering heritage values on industrial buildings which are being lost and aged in this redevelopment higher. The attempt for the use of modern industrial heritage becomes a hot topic, and several experimental challenges are being made. However, there are rather many cases of causing industrial buildings' depreciation and one-size-fits-all reproduction performance as it applies other examples as standards by recognizing the reproduction of modern industrial heritage as one trend, not focusing on the trend of the times or paradigm, what the times want. To minimize these problems, we focus on how to utilize industrial buildings beyond the importance of industrial buildings' reproduction, considering the quality of local residents' life as well as the expected effect obtainable due to security of local identity and reproduction of buildings, focusing on the concept of community design that offers and forms a way of community life as the design of shares based on unspecified individuals' common life. Community design's core can be called to have diversity rather than undifferentiated unity by pursuing whole unification, since local residents become those who plan design and all people participate in it. In addition, community design achieves integration with other fields as an enlarged design area without limiting in an environmental area, by making indigenously natural characteristics combined with cultural factors in one context so that people may understand the flow of the place. The importance of effects acquired from modern industrial heritage's reproduction has well-known, and the attempt for utilizing aged heritage as a new value and a function has constantly been made. Now, it's time to focus on how long it lasts through this method, rather than modern industrial heritage's reproduction itself. There can be a significance in this study in proposing methodological solutions on modern industrial heritage's reproduction, not to cause depreciation of industrial buildings by recognizing contemporary trends and uniform regeneration performance, multifaceted research is needed for creative, effective development on modern industrial heritage which will occur constantly.

Electricity Production Performance of Single- and Dual-cathode Microbial Fuel Cells Coupled to Carbon Source and Nitrate (Single-cathode와 Dual-cathode 미생물연료전지의 탄소원과 질산성질소의 전류발생 특성)

  • Jang, Jae-Kyung;Lee, Eun-Young;Ryou, Young-Sun;Lee, Sung-Hyoun;Hwang, Ji-Hwan;Lee, Hyung-Mo;Kim, Jong-Goo;Kang, Youn-Koo;Kim, Young-Hwa
    • Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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    • v.39 no.4
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    • pp.382-386
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    • 2011
  • Microbial fuel cells (MFC), devices that use bacteria as a catalyst to generate electricity, can utilize a variety of organic wastes as electron donors. The current generated may differ depending on the organic matter concentrations used, when other conditions, such as oxidant supply, proton transfer, internal resistance and so on, are not limiting factors. In these studies, a single-cathode type MFC (SCMFC) and dual-cathode type MFC (DCMFC) were used to ascertain the current's improvement through an increase in the contact area between the anode and the cathode compartments, because the cathode reaction is one of the most serious limiting factors in an MFC. Also an MFC was conducted to explore whether an improvement in electricity generation resulted from oxidizing the carbon sources and nitrates. About 250 mg $L^{-1}$ sodium acetate was fed to an anode compartment with a flow rate of 0.326 mL $min^{-1}$ by continuous mode. The current generated from the DCMFC was higher than the value produced from MFC with a single cathode. COD removal of dual-cathode MFC was also higher than that of single-cathode MFC. The nitrate didn't affect current generation at 2 mM, but when 4 and 8 mM nitrate was supplied, the current in the single-cathode and dual-cathode MFC was decreased by 98% from $5.97{\pm}0.13$ to $0.23{\pm}0.03$ mA and $8.40{\pm}0.23$ to $0.20{\pm}0.01$ mA, respectively. These results demonstrate that increasing of contact area of the anode and cathode can raise current generation by an improvement in the cathode reaction.

Development of a water quality prediction model for mineral springs in the metropolitan area using machine learning (머신러닝을 활용한 수도권 약수터 수질 예측 모델 개발)

  • Yeong-Woo Lim;Ji-Yeon Eom;Kee-Young Kwahk
    • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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    • v.29 no.1
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    • pp.307-325
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    • 2023
  • Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the frequency of people who are tired of living indoors visiting nearby mountains and national parks to relieve depression and lethargy has exploded. There is a place where thousands of people who came out of nature stop walking and breathe and rest, that is the mineral spring. Even in mountains or national parks, there are about 600 mineral springs that can be found occasionally in neighboring parks or trails in the metropolitan area. However, due to irregular and manual water quality tests, people drink mineral water without knowing the test results in real time. Therefore, in this study, we intend to develop a model that can predict the quality of the spring water in real time by exploring the factors affecting the quality of the spring water and collecting data scattered in various places. After limiting the regions to Seoul and Gyeonggi-do due to the limitations of data collection, we obtained data on water quality tests from 2015 to 2020 for about 300 mineral springs in 18 cities where data management is well performed. A total of 10 factors were finally selected after two rounds of review among various factors that are considered to affect the suitability of the mineral spring water quality. Using AutoML, an automated machine learning technology that has recently been attracting attention, we derived the top 5 models based on prediction performance among about 20 machine learning methods. Among them, the catboost model has the highest performance with a prediction classification accuracy of 75.26%. In addition, as a result of examining the absolute influence of the variables used in the analysis through the SHAP method on the prediction, the most important factor was whether or not a water quality test was judged nonconforming in the previous water quality test. It was confirmed that the temperature on the day of the inspection and the altitude of the mineral spring had an influence on whether the water quality was unsuitable.

Assessing the Use of 5 ml Straws in the Cryopreservation of Boar Semen (돼지 정자 동결보존에 있어 5 ml straw의 한계성 극복)

  • Kim, Beom-Gi;Ham, Hyung-Bin;Kim, Sang-Hyeon;Son, Jung-Ho;Chung, Ki-Hwa
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.30 no.1
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    • pp.77-81
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    • 2020
  • The aim of this study was to overcome some of the limiting factors that the maxi cryopreservation straw of 5 ml presents in processing boar semen. Cryopreservation of semen samples was conducted in 0.5 ml and 5.0 ml straws at two freezing rates: -140℃ in 8 minutes and 30 seconds (FR-1) and -140℃ in 14 minutes (FR-2). The straws were then thawed and the semen parameters were compared by Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis, and sperm morphology and acrosome status were examined by Coomassie blue staining. The effects of different thawing temperatures and durations were also compared, namely 37℃ for 115 sec, 50℃ for 45 sec, or 70℃ for 25 sec. In general, the FR-1 group showed higher (p<0.05) sperm viability and motility than the FR-2 group in the 5.0 ml straws. Compared to other ranges, thawing at 50℃ for 45 sec showed the highest sperm viability and motility (68.4±3.6% and 69.5±2.2%, p<0.05), suggesting that thawing temperature should be adjusted concurrently with freezing rate. Sperm morphology and acrosome integrity did not significantly differ among the groups (p>0.05). The data obtained in this study suggest that improving the freezing-thawing protocol for one artificial insemination dose straws (5.0 ml) retains the sperm's parameters from 0.5 ml cryopreservation, and is more convenient to handle, which could result in enhanced reproductive performance.

A Study on Corrosion Properties of Reinforced Concrete Structures in Subsurface Environment (지중 환경하에서의 철근콘크리트 구조물의 부식 특성 연구)

  • Kwon, Ki-jung;Jung, Haeryong;Park, Joo-Wan
    • The Journal of Engineering Geology
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    • v.26 no.1
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    • pp.79-85
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    • 2016
  • A concrete silo plays an important role in subsurface low- and intermediate-level waste facilities (LILW) by limiting the release of radionuclides from the silo geosphere. However, due to several physical and chemical processes the performance of the concrete structure decreases over time and consequently the concrete loses its effectiveness as a barrier against groundwater inflow and the release of radionuclides. Although a number of processes are responsible for degradation of the silo concrete, it is determined that the main cause is corrosion of the reinforcing steel. Therefore, the time it takes for the silo concrete to fail is calculated based on two factors: the initiation time of corrosion, defined as the time it takes for chloride ions to penetrate through the concrete cover, and the propagation time of corrosion. This paper aims to estimate the time taken for concrete to fail in a LILW disposal facility. Based on the United States Department of Energy (DOE) approach, which indicates that concrete fails completely once 50% of the volume of the reinforcing steel corrodes, the corrosion propagation time is calculated to be 640 years, which is the time it takes for corrosion to penetrate 0.640 cm into the reinforcing steel. In addition to the corrosion propagation time, a diffusion equation is used to calculate the initiation time of corrosion, yielding a time of 1284 years, which post-dates the closure time of the LILW disposal facility if we also consider the 640 years of corrosion propagation. The electrochemical conditions of the passive rebar surface were modified using an acceleration method. This is a useful approach because it can reduce the test time significantly by accelerating the transport of chlorides. Using instrumental analysis, the physicochemical properties of corrosion products were determined, thereby confirming that corrosion occurred, although we did not observe significant cracks in, or expansion of, the concrete. These results are consistent with those of Smartet al., 2006 who reported that corrosion products are easily compressed, meaning that cracks cannot be discerned by eye. Therefore, it is worth noting that rebar corrosion does not strongly influence the hydraulic conductivity of the concrete.

Consequences of Post-grazing Residues Control and Birth Season on the Body Traits, Reproductive Performance and Offspring's Growth of Suckling Goats and Ewes Reared at Pasture in Guadeloupe (FWI)

  • Ortega-Jimenez, E.;Alexandre, G.;Arquet, R.;Coppry, O.;Mahieu, M.;Xande, A.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.16 no.8
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    • pp.1108-1117
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    • 2003
  • In Guadeloupe small ruminants (SR) are reared for meat production under pasture conditions. Intensive rotational grazing systems (irrigated, fertilised and high stocked) allow reasonable levels of production but generate high post-grazing residues. Experiments were designed to control them. A system in which residuals were mown (RM) was tested in comparison to the control system (Residuals Remained, RR). The same design was carried out for two years with Creole goat (G) and Martinik sheep (S). An accelerated reproductive rate (3 parturitions over 2 years) was carried out. Systems were compared at three parturition seasons per year(dry, intermediate and rainy seasons). Each group was composed of 20 goats ($36.0{\pm}2.5kg$) or 20 ewes ($46.8{\pm}2.4kg$). The female body traits did not vary according to pasture management and seasons. The stocking rate averaged 1,400 kg LW/ha. The mean fertility rate for does varied significantly (p<0.05) within the kidding season, from $80.4{\pm}0.5%$ to $93.7{\pm}2.9%$ while the mean litter size was $2.30{\pm}0.07$ total kids born. No effect of pasture system was observed. Corresponding values for ewes were $83.2{\pm}12.8%$ vs. $75.6{\pm}12.5%$ (p<0.05) and $2.43{\pm}0.24$ vs. $2.03{\pm}0.29$ (p<0.01) total lambs born for SRM and SRR ewes, respectively. A seasonal effect was observed upon ewe performances. The preweaning mortality of kids and lambs averaged 16.3% and 14.4%, respectively. It was 7 and 9 percentage points more (p<0.01) for RR than for RM kids and lambs, respectively. For both species, weaning took place at an average age of $81.4{\pm}3.6days$. In Creole kids, live weight at birth and at weaning were $1.9{\pm}0.2kg$ and $8.9{\pm}0.8kg$, respectively. In the Martinik sheep, the traits averaged $2.9{\pm}0.2kg$ and $18.9{\pm}0.9kg$. For both traits in both species, significant (p<0.05) group${\times}$season interactions were recorded. The consequences of elimination of post-grazing residues varied according to the SR species, the environmental conditions and the animal physiological status. The forage characteristics were not limiting factors since forage availability in the RM systems (2,300 and 2,600 kg DM/ha, respectively) and chemical composition were at satisfactory levels (CP content averaged 12 and 10%). It is recommended to develop new grazing system which would allow the use of post-grazing residues instead of mowing the refusals.