• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was to identify the factors that influence sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescents in Korea. Methods: The data from the 10~12th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (2014~2016) were used to assess the effects of individual, family, and school-related factors on sexually transmitted infections. The participants of this study were 9,760 adolescents who had experienced sexual intercourse. The participants consisted of 6,905 boys and 2,855 girls. Results: Out of 9,760 adolescents with sexual intercourse experience, 9.7% (908) had STIs. Grade, substance abuse, age at first sexual intercourse, having sexual intercourse after drinking alcohol, the type of sex partner and family structure were significantly related STIs in both boys and girls. Using condoms was related to STIs only in boys. Drinking alcohol and smoking were related to STIs only in girls. However, sex education at school was not related to STIs in both boys and girls. Conclusion: In this study, Individual and family factors were associated with STIs in male and female adolescents. The results of this study suggest the need for systematic research on the factors influencing STIs and health eduation for STI prevention.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.251-261
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• 2013

A paradigm shift is taking place in medicine and dentistry from using synthetic implants and tissue grafts to a tissue engineering approach that uses degradable porous three-dimensional (3D) material hydrogels integrated with cells and bioactive factors to regenerate tissues such as dental bone and other oral tissues. Hydrogels have been established as a biomaterial of choice for many years, as they offer diverse properties that make them ideal in regenerative medicine, including dental applications. Being highly biocompatible and similar to native extracellular matrix, hydrogels have emerged as ideal candidates in the design of 3D scaffolds for tissue regeneration and drug delivery applications. However, precise control over hydrogel properties, such as porosity, pore size, and pore interconnectivity, remains a challenge. Traditional techniques for creating conventional crosslinked polymers have demonstrated limited success in the formation of hydrogels with large pore size, thus limiting cellular infiltration, tissue ingrowth, vascularization, and matrix mineralization (in the case of bone) of tissue-engineered constructs. Emerging technologies have demonstrated the ability to control microarchitectural features in hydrogels such as the creation of large pore size, porosity, and pore interconnectivity, thus allowing the creation of engineered hydrogel scaffolds with a structure and function closely mimicking native tissues. In this review, we explore the various technologies available for the preparation of macroporous scaffolds and their potential applications.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.43-64
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• 2014

Korea has pursued an aggressive policy of inviting more foreign-born students to its universities since the late 1990s in the wake of the globalization of education markets and its changing demographic structure. While increasingly more students from Asia come to Korea for study, more than half of the graduates return home upon graduation. Given the issues of brain drain, brain circulation, and knowledge transfer that are raised by such a high return rate, this paper examines the factors that frame the foreign students' decision on their post-graduation careers. By analyzing survey data, we report that Asian students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are more likely to return than non-STEM majors. This suggests that Korea's aggressive policies of inviting foreign-born students have contributed to brain circulation and knowledge transfer between Korea and the other Asian countries. We also find that scholarships from Korean sources and positive attitudes toward Korean culture and life increase their inclination to stay in the country upon graduation. These findings, however, raise more questions than answers, since it becomes obvious that their post-graduation decisions are highly affected by what Korea as a society provides.

• Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.39-67
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• 2021

This study investigated the policy instruments pertinent to the establishment of a regional innovation system in the Mekong Delta that facilitates the development of a countermeasure towards various issues of industrial and technological nature. First, we conducted the research with regard to the status and environment of the region. Second, a field visiting survey was implemented to analyze the results of international efforts and regional capacity to solve the problems attendant upon introducing technologies related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Third, we derived the key policy issues and challenges from the results of the field visiting survey and experts' conference with a deep focus on technological transfer and international cooperation to enhance the capability in the science and technology field. Fourth, we conducted the opinion survey of the experts from Korea and Vietnam to converge local opinions from both countries and analyzed the results. The range of research subjects is responding to climate change, managing water resources, coordinating energy and industrial structure, making a resilient Mekong regional ecosystem, smartification of local cities, and improving the life quality of citizens, and so on. The results of this study are expected to be the beginning of fundamental research in the mid to long-term view of the Mekong Delta region innovation system of Korea and Vietnam and to evaluate the master plan.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2006

The seismic responses of a building are affected by the base soil conditions. In this study, linear time-history seismic analysis and nonlinear pushover static seismic analysis were performed to estimate the base shear forces of 3-, 5-, and 7-story steel buildings, considering the rigid and soft soil conditions. Foundation soil stiffness, based on the equivalent static stiffness formula, is used for the damper, one of the Link elements in SAP 2000. The base shear forces of the steel buildings, estimated through time-history analysis using the general-purpose structural-analysis program of SAP 2000, were compared with those calculated using the domestic seismic design code, the UBC-97 design response spectrum. and pushover static nonlinear analysis. The steel buildings designed for gravity and wind loads showed elastic responses with a moderate earthquake of 0.11 g, while the elastic soft-soil layer increased the displacement and the base shear force of the buildings due to soil-structure interaction and soil amplification. Therefore, considering the characteristics of the soft-soil layer, it is more reasonable to perform an elastic seismic analysis of a building's structure during weak or moderate earthquakes.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-33
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• 2014

Despite a commonly held belief that standards obstruct innovation, recent research shows that they can actually play critical roles in supporting various activities of technological innovation. Thus, providing an innovation-friendly environment through standardization has been gaining much attention in recent years; however, there is as yet limited understanding, due to complex dynamics and high uncertainties associated with innovation, as well as a variety of different types and functions of standards with various stakeholders involved. The problem becomes even more challenging for standardization in highly complex systems, such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems, where a large number of domains and components are involved, along with various types of stakeholders. In order to deal with such complexity and variations, a systematic approach of standardization roadmapping has been used in many technology-leading countries as a strategic policy tool for supporting effective management of standardization. Despite its wide adoption, the current understanding of standardization roadmapping is somewhat limited, leaving significant challenges for policymakers and standards organizations in terms of how to structure and manage roadmapping exercises, and how the government should get involved. In this regard, the current research explores existing standardization roadmaps in various contexts related to ICT systems (ICT in Korea, Smart Grid in the US, and electromobility in Germany), as there is a particular need for systematic development of strategies for such complex systems of ICT. Focusing on various aspects of standardization roadmapping exercises such as their structures, processes, and participants, their common features and key characteristics are identified. Comparing these roadmaps also reveal distinct differences between standardization roadmapping approaches adopted by different countries in different contexts. Based on lessons learnt from existing practices, the study finally provides insight for the Korean ICT standards community on the ways in which their standardization roadmapping approach can be improved to support anticipatory management of standardization activities more effectively. It is expected that the current research can not only provide increased understanding of standardization roadmaps, but also help policymakers and standards organizations to develop more effective strategies for supporting innovation through the systematic management of standardization.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.75-97
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• 2014

Entrepreneurial financing, such as publicly initiated venture capital or grant schemes, serves as an important policy instrument that aims to bridge the financing gap facing young, innovative businesses, a gap that is mainly due to higher risk and growing uncertainty, and to strategically promote the creation of new ventures through the revitalization of their venture capital industries. This study examines public venture capital initiatives in Australia, Canada, and Sweden, and discovered that all three countries actively foster their venture capital industry through the formation of funds or the provision of tax incentives. It is notable that the majority of financing initiatives heavily depend on supply-side measures rather than demand-driven policies that focus on stimulating private investment in technological innovations and discoveries. This paper discusses in-depth the policy impact of public financing initiatives and their subsequent side-effects raised in the process such as overlapping in funding structure across the country, lack of monitoring and evaluation for feedback, fragmentation across the government ministries and agencies, and competition with the private sector, which may cause inefficiency as a result of public intervention. Financial constraints may arise for many reasons, partly resulting from the lack of investment readiness of young entrepreneurs. This signals a policy shift towards the creation of market-driven demand away from the traditional supply-push approach, and is a grand challenge to policymakers in entrepreneurial financing. Attention is leaning towards the efficiency and effectiveness of these public-financing initiatives in terms of their policy roles. It is worth noting that policy should focus on generating synergy so available resources can be channeled into the early, risky stage of new ventures, working as facilitator to the achievement of an intended policy goal.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.130-151
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• 2012

Fraunhofer was founded in 1949 and grew into Europe's largest application-oriented research organization. Fraunhofer currently employs over 20,000 members in Germany, is internationally networked, and manages an R&D budget of over 1,8 Billion Euros per year. An important step for Fraunhofer to become an integral component of the German innovation system was the introduction of the Fraunhofer Model of financing based on a performance-related system of financial management. The underlying model of the allocation and distribution of public funding to Fraunhofer that is subsequently allotted to specific research groups is one of the success factors of Fraunhofer. Fraunhofer is proud of its decentralized organizational model. Fraunhofer is comprised of 60 Institutes in Germany working in different fields, under one legal framework, and with a strong brand value. Every Fraunhofer Institute is affiliated with a German University and every institute director simultaneously holds a chair at the affiliated university. It is a challenge for the headquarter organization to balance the intended competition of individual Fraunhofer Institutes with complementarity cooperation in science among Fraunhofer-Institutes, especially when coming from different knowledge domains; however, this goal results in a significant advantage. The unique strengths of Fraunhofer offer system solutions in a world with increasingly complex R&D challenges. While growing to become the largest organization on Europe to focus on applied research it is the challenge to remain an agile organization that is flexible in organizational structure. Fraunhofer has reached a well-recognized position in the European innovation landscape. It is often referred to by science and governments as a role model for innovation policy and a key element of the latest successes in the German economy that has recovered quicker from the latest economic crisis than most other western economies. The paper explains Fraunhofer as an organizational paradigm and its underlying management model to elaborate on the challenges of managing a research organization. We wish to show how it is possible to transfer the management model and philosophy of Fraunhofer to innovation systems with different framework conditions and challenges. A universal conclusion may be drawn based on the description of Fraunhofer; however, changes in existing structures and innovation systems cannot be implemented over night.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.543-551
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• 2015

Quick-hardening track (QHT) is a construction method which is used to change from old ballast track to concrete track. Sufficient time for construction is important, as the construction should be done during operational breaks at night. Most of the time is spent on exchanging the ballast layer. If it is possible to apply the ballast non-exchange type of quick-hardening track, it would be more effective to reduce the construction time and costs. In this paper, pouring materials with high permeability are suggested and a construction method involving a layer separation pouring process considering the void condition is introduced in order to develop ballast non-exchange type of QHT. The separate pouring method can secure the required strength because optimized materials are poured into the upper layer and the lower layer for each void ratio condition. To ensure this process, a rheology analysis was conducted on the design of the pouring materials according to aggregate size, the aggregate distribution, the void ratio, the void size, the tortuosity and the permeability. A polymer series was used as the pouring material of the lower layer to secure the void filling capacity and for adhesion to the fine-grained layer. In addition, magnesium-phosphate ceramic (MPC) was used as the pouring material of the upper layer to secure the void-filling capacity and for adhesion of the coarse-grained layer. As a result of a mechanics test of the materials, satisfactory performance corresponding to existing quick-hardening track was noted.