• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.136-146
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• 2022

Background and Objectives: There still are controversies on which type between bovine pericardial and porcine valves is superior in the setting of aortic valve replacement (AVR). This study aims to compare clinical outcomes of AVR using between pericardial or porcine valves. Methods: The study involved consecutive 636 patients underwent isolated AVR using stented bioprosthetic valves between January 2000 and May 2016. Of these, pericardial and porcine valves were implanted in 410 (pericardial group) and 226 patients (porcine group), respectively. Clinical outcomes including survival, structural valve deterioration (SVD) and trans-valvular pressure gradient were compared between the groups. To adjust for potential selection bias, inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) was conducted. Results: The mean follow-up duration was 60.1±50.2 months. There were no significant differences in the rates of early mortality (3.1% vs. 3.1%; p=0.81) and SVD (0.3%/patient-year [PY] vs. 0.5%/PY; p=0.33) between groups. After adjustment using IPTW, however, landmark mortality analyses showed a significantly lower late (>8 years) mortality risk in pericardial group over porcine group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.61; 95% confidence interval, [CI] 0.41-0.90; p=0.01) while the risks of SVD were not significantly difference between groups (HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.12-1.70; p=0.24). Mean pressure gradient across prosthetic AV was lower in the Pericardial group than the Porcine group at both immediate postoperative point and latest follow-up (p values <0.001). Conclusions: In patients undergoing bioprosthetic surgical AVR, bovine pericardial valves showed superior results in terms of postoperative hemodynamic profiles and late survival rates over porcine valves.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.123-134
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• 2006

In this study ship collision risk analysis is performed to determine the design vessel for collision impact analysis of the maritime bridge. Method II which is a probability based analysis procedure is used to select the design vessel for collision impact from the risk analysis results. The analysis procedure, an iterative process in which a computed annual frequency of collapse(AF) is compared to the acceptance criterion, includes allocation method of acceptance criterion of annual frequency of bridge component collapse. The AF allocation by weights seems to be more reasonable than the pylon concentration allocation method because this AF allocation takes the design parameter characteristics quantitatively into consideration although the pylon concentration allocation method brings more economical results when the overestimated design collision strength of piers compared to the strength of pylon is moderately modified. From the assessment of ship collision risk for each bridge pier exposed to ship collision, a representative design vessel for all bridge components is selected. The design vessel size varies much from each other in the same bridge structure depending upon the vessel traffic characteristics.

• Proceedings of the Optical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.60-61
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• 2003

A new approach to reduce the computation time of genetic algorithm (GA) for making binary phase holograms is described. Synthesized holograms having diffraction efficiency of 75.8% and uniformity of 5.8% are proven in computer simulation and experimentally demonstrated. Recently, computer-generated holograms (CGHs) having high diffraction efficiency and flexibility of design have been widely developed in many applications such as optical information processing, optical computing, optical interconnection, etc. Among proposed optimization methods, GA has become popular due to its capability of reaching nearly global. However, there exits a drawback to consider when we use the genetic algorithm. It is the large amount of computation time to construct desired holograms. One of the major reasons that the GA' s operation may be time intensive results from the expense of computing the cost function that must Fourier transform the parameters encoded on the hologram into the fitness value. In trying to remedy this drawback, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been put forward, allowing CGHs to be created easily and quickly (1), but the quality of reconstructed images is not high enough to use in applications of high preciseness. For that, we are in attempt to find a new approach of combiningthe good properties and performance of both the GA and ANN to make CGHs of high diffraction efficiency in a short time. The optimization of CGH using the genetic algorithm is merely a process of iteration, including selection, crossover, and mutation operators [2]. It is worth noting that the evaluation of the cost function with the aim of selecting better holograms plays an important role in the implementation of the GA. However, this evaluation process wastes much time for Fourier transforming the encoded parameters on the hologram into the value to be solved. Depending on the speed of computer, this process can even last up to ten minutes. It will be more effective if instead of merely generating random holograms in the initial process, a set of approximately desired holograms is employed. By doing so, the initial population will contain less trial holograms equivalent to the reduction of the computation time of GA's. Accordingly, a hybrid algorithm that utilizes a trained neural network to initiate the GA's procedure is proposed. Consequently, the initial population contains less random holograms and is compensated by approximately desired holograms. Figure 1 is the flowchart of the hybrid algorithm in comparison with the classical GA. The procedure of synthesizing a hologram on computer is divided into two steps. First the simulation of holograms based on ANN method [1] to acquire approximately desired holograms is carried. With a teaching data set of 9 characters obtained from the classical GA, the number of layer is 3, the number of hidden node is 100, learning rate is 0.3, and momentum is 0.5, the artificial neural network trained enables us to attain the approximately desired holograms, which are fairly good agreement with what we suggested in the theory. The second step, effect of several parameters on the operation of the hybrid algorithm is investigated. In principle, the operation of the hybrid algorithm and GA are the same except the modification of the initial step. Hence, the verified results in Ref [2] of the parameters such as the probability of crossover and mutation, the tournament size, and the crossover block size are remained unchanged, beside of the reduced population size. The reconstructed image of 76.4% diffraction efficiency and 5.4% uniformity is achieved when the population size is 30, the iteration number is 2000, the probability of crossover is 0.75, and the probability of mutation is 0.001. A comparison between the hybrid algorithm and GA in term of diffraction efficiency and computation time is also evaluated as shown in Fig. 2. With a 66.7% reduction in computation time and a 2% increase in diffraction efficiency compared to the GA method, the hybrid algorithm demonstrates its efficient performance. In the optical experiment, the phase holograms were displayed on a programmable phase modulator (model XGA). Figures 3 are pictures of diffracted patterns of the letter "0" from the holograms generated using the hybrid algorithm. Diffraction efficiency of 75.8% and uniformity of 5.8% are measured. We see that the simulation and experiment results are fairly good agreement with each other. In this paper, Genetic Algorithm and Neural Network have been successfully combined in designing CGHs. This method gives a significant reduction in computation time compared to the GA method while still allowing holograms of high diffraction efficiency and uniformity to be achieved. This work was supported by No.mOl-2001-000-00324-0 (2002)) from the Korea Science & Engineering Foundation.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.99-128
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• 2008

Nearly all Koreans are insured through National Health Insurance(NHI). While NHI coverage is nearly universal, it is not complete. Coverage is largely limited to minimal level of hospital and physician expenses, and copayments are required in each case. As a result, Korea's public insurance system covers roughly 50% of overall individual health expenditures, and the remaining 50% consists of copayments for basic services, spending on services that are either not covered or poorly covered by the public system. In response to these gaps in the public system, 64% of the Korean population has supplemental private health insurance. Expansion of private health insurance raises negative externality issue. Like public financing schemes in other countries, the Korean system imposes cost-sharing on patients as a strategy for controlling utilization. Because most insurance policies reimburse patients for their out-of-pocket payments, supplemental insurance is likely to negate the impact of the policy, raising both total and public sector health spending. So far, most empirical analysis of supplemental health insurance to date has focused on the US Medigap programme. It is found that those with supplements apparently consume more health care. Two reasons for higher health care consumption by those with supplements suggest themselves. One is the moral hazard effect: by eliminating copayments and deductibles, supplements reduce the marginal price of care and induce additional consumption. The other explanation is that supplements are purchased by those who anticipate high health expenditures - adverse effect. The main issue addressed has been the separation of the moral hazard effect from the adverse selection one. The general conclusion is that the evidence on adverse selection based on observable variables is mixed. This article investigates the extent to which private supplementary insurance affect use of health care services by public health insurance enrollees, using Korean administrative data and private supplements related data collected through all relevant private insurance companies. I applied a multivariate two-part model to analyze the effects of various types of supplements on the likelihood and level of public health insurance spending and estimated marginal effects of supplements. Separate models were estimated for inpatients and outpatients in public insurance spending. The first part of the model estimated the likelihood of positive spending using probit regression, and the second part estimated the log of spending for those with positive spending. Use of a detailed information of individuals' public health insurance from administration data and of private insurance status from insurance companies made it possible to control for health status, the types of supplemental insurance owned by theses individuals, and other factors that explain spending variations across supplemental insurance categories in isolating the effects of supplemental insurance. Data from 2004 to 2006 were used, and this study found that private insurance increased the probability of a physician visit by less than 1 percent and a hospital admission by about 1 percent. However, supplemental insurance was not found to be associated with a bigger health care service utilization. Two-part models of health care utilization and expenditures showed that those without supplemental insurance had higher inpatient and outpatient expenditures than those with supplements, even after controlling for observable differences.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.126-134
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• 2001

Statistical approaches for analysis of data from the limited number of samples in ship building industry(SBI) collected by an industrial hygienist for checking compliance to an occupational standard were considered. Sampling for compliance usually has been guided by judgment selection, rather than true randomness, resulting in the creation of compliance samples which approximate a censored sample from the upper tail of the exposure distribution. Similar exposure groups(SEGs) including welding and painting process were established to assess representative values in each groups after reviewing the whole production line in SBI. For the convenient statistical approaches, the code has assigned to each SEGs. The descriptive statistics and probability plotting were used to yield the representative values in each SEGs. In the first step, SEGs of 558 were established from 5 ship building companies. The 38 SEGs showed the uncertainty are divided into each 5 companies and assessed the representative values again. The 44 SEGs in each companies was not showed the normal and lognormal distribution was analyzed each data. And also, recommendation was suggested to resolve the uncertainty in each groups.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 2015

Giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) is a endangered species considered as a vulnerable grade-organism in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. As a fundamental baseline study for establishing a giant grouper broodstock management system, the efficiency for parentage analysis was evaluated by using microsatellite makers previously available in this species. The eight microsatellites generated a total 52 alleles from 32 individuals, the mean expected heterozygosity was 0.663, and mean inbreeding coefficient was 0.011, consequently suggesting that the present broodstock has retained the high level of genetic diversity. However, our analysis also recommended the collection of more broodfish for more stable brood line, since the estimated value of the effective population size was proven to be 35. The average probability of identity was $6.85{\times}10^{-11}$. NE-2P and NE-PP of paternity non-exclusion probabilities were 0.00835 and 0.00027, respectively. As the result of principle coordinate analysis, the genotype of broodstock was not overlapped, suggesting that the management system of giant grouper based on eight selected microsatellite markers might be effective, although further validation with extended number of broodfish might also be needed in future. Data of present study could be a useful basis to avoid the unwanted selection of broodfish that possess close genetic relationship with current broodstock, and consequently to establish effective broodstock management system allowing the production of progeny with high genetic diversity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2004

Objectives : The aim of this study was to identify the trend of school health research by analyzing articles related to school health for the last 10 years. this information can be used to guide research direction for the future. Methods : This study is a descriptive study that analyzed annual data. using an objective frame of evaluation about the methodology and research domain in each paper, all the papers included in the journals concerning school health from January 1993 to December 2000 were analyzed. The data was processed statistically by frequency and percentage. Results : 455 papers in 9 journals related to school health were published. The Journal of the Korean Society of School Health had 204 articles, the highest number of any journal. most of the articles were descriptive, but the number of experimental studies increased over time. the most common research subjects were students were the greatest ones, but the trend to study both parents and teachers increased near the end of the sampling period. the most common selection of subjects appeared to be based on convenience, but probability sampling gradually increasing annually. the most common research instrument was the questionnaire and the reliability and the validity of instruments were described in approximately half of the studies. The survey was the most commonly used method of data collection. The papers that met ethical issue in data collection were less than those that did not. In addition, the papers that provided the rationale for the calculation of sample size were less than those that did not. parametric statistics were the main methods of data analysis, but some advanced statistics were used more often than simple descriptive statistics in the latter part of the sampling period. In general, limit of the studies were not frequently mentioned but more recommendations were made. regarding the characteristics of the research area, the assesment domain was remarkable. The rate of school health problem assesment was the highest among research subjects. Sex- related subjects were the highest in detail research subjects. Conclusions : The research of school health has increased quantitatively, but it is difficult to ascertain its qualitative development. Therefore, on the basis of the research completed up until now, more school-based intervention studies and longitudinal studies need to be another target for the evaluation of the effects of the school health service. as well, policy suggestion through international and cross-sectional comparison studies are needed to assist in the establishment of the long term direction of school health.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.630-637
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• 2018

Harmony search (HS) is a recently developed metaheuristic optimization algorithm. HS is inspired by the process of musical improvisation and repeatedly searches for the optimal solution using three operations: random selection, memory recall (or harmony memory consideration), and pitch adjustment. HS has been applied by many researchers in various fields. The increasing complexity of real-world optimization problems has created enormous challenges for the current technique, and improved techniques of optimization algorithms and HS are required. We propose an improved clustering harmony search (ICHS) that uses a clustering technique to group solutions in harmony memory based on their objective function values. The proposed ICHS performs modified harmony memory consideration in which decision variables of solutions in a high-ranked cluster have higher probability of being selected than those in a low-ranked cluster. The ICHS is demonstrated in various optimization problems, including mathematical benchmark functions and water distribution system pipe design problems. The results show that the proposed ICHS outperforms other improved versions of HS.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.515-551
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• 2014

Recently, there has been a debate as to whether bioethanol should replace some portion of gasoline for fuels in South Korea, as energy security as well as climate change issues are rising as a significant national agenda. However, a considerable amount of subsidy will be required to compensate for the higher price of bioethanol-blended gasoline. In this context, government subsidy will obtain justification only when the positive social gains from consuming bioethanol for fuels can exceed the negative social costs. Through a nation-wide choice experimental survey, we examine if South Koreans have a positive value as well as non-linear preferences on substituting bioethanol for gasoline. The results reveal that the willingness to pay for purely domestic bioethanol-blended gasoline within 10% is about 52 KRW; Koreans have concave preferences on the blending ratio of bioethanol to gasoline. The turning point of the blending ratio of bioethanol was 6.5%. Also, we found inverse U-shaped curve between income and bioethanol choice probability and the turning point of the income was calculated as 250~299million KRW. Politically conservative propensity advocates uses of bioethanol blended gasoline, but awareness on bioethanol or more weights on environmental conservation have significantly negative effects on the choice of bioethanol. However, the design of the survey questionnaire is incompatible with the RFS of Korea and assumes orthogonality among the following four interrelated attributes: (i) domestic or offshore procurement of feedstocks in the case of domestic production, (ii) domestic production or import of bioethanol, (iii) the blending ratios, and (iv) the retail price increases. In addition, the results of model estimation and of model selection test are not definite. Hence, the results in this study should not be directly applied to the design of the specifics of the Korean RFS. Hence, the results in this study require cautions in applying to the design of the Korean RFS policy.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.200-207
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• 2016

To add new groundwater standard, 7 candidate materials (copper, zinc, selenium, manganese, iron, chromium, aluminum) were calculated by CROWN (Chemical Ranking Of groundwater pollutaNts). Copper and zinc were selected as groundwater candidates through the process and monitored total 430 samples for 2 years with 113 groundwater sampling sites. In this study, geological distribution characteristics (igneous rock, metamorphic rock, sedimentary rock) of copper and zinc were evaluated and the geological background levels obtained by a cumulative probability distribution and pre-selection methods were compared. In the results, the highest average concentrations of the copper and zinc were observed both in the igneous rock. The detection concentration ranges of copper and zinc in 430 groundwater samples were $0.002{\sim}0.931mg\;L^{-1}$, and $0.002{\sim}32.293mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. In addition, detection concentration ranges of copper and zinc were $0.002{\sim}0.931mg\;L^{-1}$, $0.002{\sim}32.293mg\;L^{-1}$ in the igneous rock, $0.002{\sim}0.134mg\;L^{-1}$, $0.004{\sim}7.038mg\;L^{-1}$ in the metamorphic rock and $0.002{\sim}0.008mg\;L^{-1}$, $0.003{\sim}3.948mg\;L^{-1}$ in the sedimentary rock, respectively. As a result of the background concentrations with two methods, zinc concentrations with the pre-selected method are comparatively higher than that of the others with the cumulative distribution.