• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.209-224
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• 2015

Previous studies provided that limiting the number of services provided in hospital had influences in decreasing cost in delivering medical services. Hospitals could have positive effects on their profit by concentrating small number of services which they have comparative advantages. This study purposed to analyze the relationship between the concentration status of hospitals and medical charge for inpatients. National Inpatient sample data provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) for three years, 2009 to 2011 was used to compute the three concentration indices (Information Theory Index (ITI), Internal Herfindahl Index (IHI), and number of distinct Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs) treated) and total medical charge per inpatient case in each year. It was also used to select the control variables such as bed size, number of doctors per 100 beds, and locations. The ordinary least square regression models were developed and tested for hospital and general hospitals separately. The results showed that the total medical charge per inpatient case was significantly differed depending on the concentration indices, and there were positive relationships in ITI and IHI. The number of distinct DRGs had different directions in regression coefficients depending on the locations and hospital types. Hospitals had larger absolute standardized regression coefficients compare to those of general hospitals. However, their effects could be varied by the hospital types, number of doctors, and locations. It seems that hospitals have more influences on medical charges by concentrating their services than general hospitals. Study results provide knowledges to hospital administrators that concentration strategy can positive influences on the performance of small size hospitals.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2012

Three different commercial particle counters were used to measure the PM2.5 particles in this study. An Aerosol Spectrometer (AS) 1.109 model of Grimm and a Particle Sensor (PS) 3030 model of HCT were compared with an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) 3321 model of TSI. The responses of these instruments were compared for four sizes ($1.0{\mu}m$, $1.5{\mu}m$, $2.0{\mu}m$ and $2.5{\mu}m$) of polystyrene latex (PSL) particles and indoor air particles of the office room. The mode diameter, particle size distribution and total particle number concentration of PSL particles were measured by each instrument. In the office room, the total particle number concentration was measured for 25 minutes. In results of particle size distribution and mode diameter, the APS 3321 (52 size-channels) was more accurate than the AS 1.109 (31 size-channels) and PS-3030 (10-szie channels) since the APS has more number of size-channels than the other instruments. However, AS 1.109 and PS-3030 provided similar results of total particle number concentration to those from the APS 3321. In results of office room test, there were no significant difference from each instrument similar to results of PSL test.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.515-528
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• 2003

The characteristics of one year observation aerosol data in Seoul, 200 I was studied using an OPC (Optical Particle Counter). The size resolved aerosol number concentrations of 0.3 ∼ 25 11m were measured. The results were compared with PM$_{10}$ mass concentration data under various meteorological conditions including dust and precipitation events. For fine particles whose diameter is less than 2.23 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, the number concentration increases in the early morning which is considered due to transportation. while the coarse mode particles increase during daytime. This increase can be explained as local sources and human activities near sampling site. Hourly averaged data show that there exists diurnal variation. Generally, PM$_{10}$ data showed a similar tendency with OPC data. The size resolved OPC data showed that the particles of 0.5 ∼ 3.67 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ are positively correlated with PM$_{10}$ data. The accumulated volume fraction of size resolved aerosol concentration in 0.5 ∼ 10 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ showed that 0.5 ∼ 2.23 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ particles occupied 59.2% of total aerosol volume of 0.5 ∼ 10 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$./TEX>.

• Atmosphere
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.97-107
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• 2012

To investigate variation of aerosol number concentration at each different size with three-dimensional (3D) wind components in ocean area, aerosol particles and 3D wind components were measured in the Ieodo Ocean Research Station, which is located to 419 km southwest from Marado, the southernmost island of Korea, from 25 June to 8 July 2010. The Laser Particle Counter (LPC) and ultrasonic anemometer were used to measure the size of aerosol particles and 3D wind components (zonal (u), meridional (v), and vertical (w) wind) respectively. Surface weather chart, NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and sounding data were used to analyze the synoptic condition. The distribution of aerosol number concentration had a large variation from bigger particles more than 1.0 ${\mu}m$ in diameter by wind direction during precipitation. In the number concentration of aerosol particles with respect to the weather conditions, particles larger than 1.0 ${\mu}m$ in size were decreased and sustained to the similar concentration at smaller particles during precipitation. The increase in aerosol number concentration was due to the sea-salt particles which was suspended by southwesterly and upward winds. In addition, the aerosol number concentration with vertical wind flow could be related with the occurrence and increasing mechanism of aerosol in marine boundary layer.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.11-17
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• 2002

Diesel particulate matter (DPM) is known to be one of the major harmful emissions produced by diesel engines. The majority of diesel particles are in the range of smaller than $I{\mu}\textrm{m}$. Because of their tiny volume, ultrafine diesel particles contribute very little to the total mass concentration which is currently regulated for automobile emissions. Diesel particles are known to have deleterious effects upon human health because they penetrate human respiratory tract and have negative effects on the health. The measurement of the number distribution of nanometer size particles (nanoparticles) in the diesel exhaust emission is important in order to evaluate their environmental and health impact, and to develop new types of diesel particulate filters. In this study, we directly sampled particulate matters emitted from a diesel truck mounted on the chassis dynamometer by a flow separator and dilution system, and measured the nanoparticles using two types of differential mobility analyzers combined with a Faraday cup electrometer (FCE) and a condensation particle counter (CPC). The particle size distributions were analyzed by changing engine operation condition, i.e. ratio of engine loading. The total number concentration of particles were increased with the engine loading ratio and the nanoparticles (less than 50nm) were affected by hydrocarbon (HC) concentration in the diesel exhaust.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2016

In this work, anodic oxidation behavior of AZ31 Mg alloy was studied as a function of $Na_2CO_3$ concentration in electrolyte by voltage-time curves and observation of surface appearances and morphologies after the anodic treatments, using optical microscopy and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). The voltage-time curves of AZ31 Mg alloy surface and surface appearances after the anodic treatments showed three different regions with $Na_2CO_3$ concentration : region I, below 0.2 M $Na_2CO_3$ where shiny surface with a number of small size pits; region II, between 0.4 M and 0.6 M $Na_2CO_3$ where dark surface with relatively low number of large size burned or dark spots; region III, more than 0.8 M $Na_2CO_3$ where bright surface with or without large size dark spots were obtained. The anodically treated AZ31 Mg alloy surface became significantly brightened with increasing $Na_2CO_3$ concentration from 0.5 M to 0.8 M which was attribute to the formation of denser and smoother surface films. Pits and porous protruding reaction products were found at relatively large size and small size spots, respectively, on the AZ31 Mg alloy surface in low concentration of $Na_2CO_3$ less than 0.2 M. The formation of pits is attributed to the result of repetition of the formation and detachment of porous anodic reaction products. Based on the experimental results obtained in this work, it is concluded that more uniform, denser and smoother surface of AZ31 Mg alloy could be obtained at more than 0.8 M $Na_2CO_3$ concentration if there is no other oxide forming agent.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.9-20
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• 2008

The effect of light intensity on the ozone formation and the aerosol number concentration during the photochemical reactions of ambient air was investigated in an indoor smog chamber. The smog chamber consists of a housing, 64 blacklights, and a $2.5-m^3$ reaction bag made of Teflon film. The bag was filled with the unfiltered ambient air in Seoul from January 10 to March 18, 2002. In this work, the photolysis rate of $NO_2$, $k_1$ was used as an index of light intensity. Three levels of light intensity were controlled by changing the number of blacklights turned on among 64 blacklights: $0.29min^{-1}$ (50%), $0.44min^{-1}$ (75%), $0.57min^{-1}$ (100%). The ozone concentration increased rapidly within 10 minutes after irradiation irrespective of light intensity, thereafter it increased linearly during the irradiation. The ozone production rate seems to be dependent on both the light intensity and the quality of ambient air introduced into the reaction bag. The change in aerosol number concentration also depended on both the light intensity and the ambient air quality, especially aerosol size distribution. Based on the initial ambient aerosol size distributions, the photochemical potential for aerosol formation and growth is classified into two cases. One is the case showing aerosol formation and growth processes, and the other is the case showing no apparent change in particle size distribution.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.116-124
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• 2007

An optical method to measure the size and number density of soot aggregates in diesel exhaust has been proposed in this study. Two laser beams in co-axial alignment transmit a soot loaded exhaust gas flow, and the transmittance at each wavelength is detected by a photo diode simultaneously. The volume equivalent diameter and number density of soot aggregates in the optical path can be theoretically given by the transmittance values measured at two wavelengths. A test conducted by a single cylinder, 4 cycle, small and DI diesel engine shows that the temporal variations of the size and number density of soot aggregates in the diesel exhaust can be measured by the proposed method at a transient mode operation. It is found that the volume equivalent diameter varied temporally from 70 to 110 nm during the period that high soot concentration is observed. One can also conclude that the optical length longer than 1 m in the dynamic range regarding this method is preferable for measuring soot concentration at the level of $1\;mg/m^3$.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.62-74
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• 1994

The concentration and particle size distribution of non-metallic inclusions which suspended in the molten aluminum at $700^{\circ}C$ were measured by using LiMCA apparatus. The result revealed that the number of inclusions increased with increasing the applied current or decreasing the orifice diameter, while decreased with increasing the purity of aluminum. And also, it was found that the number of inclusions increased with increasing the amount of boron added to molten aluminum. This was found to be attributed to the formation of the inclusions of TiB and $V_3B_2$. It was investigated that the average concentration of inclusions in a constant volume of 20ml of molten aluminum was increased in the order of pure molten aluminum, molten aluminum containing 20ppm of boron and molten aluminum used repeatly in the experimental casting in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.6 no.3 s.22
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• pp.47-56
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• 2006

With the aim to develop the monitoring technology on background atmosphere and climate change over Korean Peninsula, observations and studies on chemical, physical and optical properties of the atmospheric aerosols are made. Aerosol number concentration are measured with Optical Particle Counter from 2001 to 2003 at Gosan for 8 size intervals from 0.3 to $25{\mu}m$ diameter range. For the seasonal variation, the number concentration of coarse particles in spring at Gosan was higher than other seasons due to the influence of sand storm in spring. There is no significant correlations between fine particles ($0.3{\sim}0.5{\mu}m$) and meteorological parameters, such as relative humidity, wind speed and visual range, while the correlation between the number concentration of small particles ($0.5{\sim}2.23{\mu}m$) and relative humidity showed a positive value. This trend was inversed for the case of wind speed: aerosol number concentration showed a small decreasing tendency with increasing wind speed for small particles but the high wind speed in winter season increased coarse particle concentration. Finally, Particles most efficient in light extinction were found to be at the size of about $0.5{\sim}1{\mu}m$.