• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.33-41
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyse the state of the energy industry and to determine the efficiency of its functioning on the basis of energy conservation principle and application of innovative technologies aimed at improving the ecological modernisation of agricultural sectors of Kazakhstan. The research methodology is based on an integrated approach of financial and economic evaluation of the effectiveness of the investment project, based on calculation of elasticity, total costs and profitability, as well as on comparative, graphical and system analysis. The current stage is characterised by widely spread restructuring processes of electric power industry in many countries through introduction of new technical installations of energy facilities and increased government regulation in order to enhance the competitive advantage of electricity market. Electric power industry features a considerable value of creating areas. For example, by providing scientific and technical progress, it crucially affects not only the development but also the territorial organisation of productive forces, first of all the industry. In modern life, more than 90% of electricity and heat is obtained by Kazakhstan's economy by consuming non-renewable energy resources: different types of coal, oil shale, oil, natural gas and peat. Therefore, it is significant to ensure energy security, as the country faces a rapid fall back to mono-gas structure of fuel and energy balance. However, energy resources in Kazakhstan are spread very unevenly. Its main supplies are concentrated in northern and central parts of the republic, and the majority of consumers of electrical power live in the southern and western areas of the country. However, energy plays an important role in the economy of industrial production and to a large extent determines the level of competitive advantage, which is a promising condition for implementation of energy-saving and environmentally friendly technologies. In these circumstances, issues of modernisation and reforms of this sector in Kazakhstan gain more and more importance, which can be seen in the example of economically sustainable solutions of a large local monopoly company, significant savings in capital investment and efficiency of implementation of an investment project. A major disadvantage of development of electricity distribution companies is the prevalence of very high moral and physical amortisation of equipment, reaching almost 70-80%, which significantly increases the operating costs. For example, while an investment of 12 billion tenge was planned in 2009 in this branch, in 2012 it is planned to invest more than 17 billion. Obviously, despite the absolute increase, the rate of investment is still quite low, as the total demand in this area is at least more than 250 billion tenge. In addition, industrial infrastructure, including the objects of Kazakhstan electric power industry, have a tangible adverse impact on the environment. Thus, since there is a large number of various power projects that are sources of electromagnetic radiation, the environment is deteriorated. Hence, there is a need to optimise the efficiency of the organisation and management of production activities of energy companies, to create and implement new technologies, to ensure safe production and provide solutions to various environmental aspects. These are key strategic factors to ensure success of the modern energy sector of Kazakhstan. The contribution of authors in developing the scope of this subject is explained by the fact that there was not enough research in the energy sector, especially in the view of ecological modernisation. This work differs from similar works in Kazakhstan in the way that the proposed method of investment project calculation takes into account the time factor, which compares the current and future value of profit from the implementation of innovative equipment that helps to bring it to actual practise. The feasibility of writing this article lies in the need of forming a public policy in the industrial sector, including optimising the structure of energy disbursing rate, which complies with the terms of future modernised development of the domestic energy sector.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.177-198
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• 2018

Recently, as economic property it has become necessary to acquire and utilize the framework for water resource measurement and performance management as the property of water resources changes to hold "public property". To date, the evaluation of water technology has been carried out by feasibility study analysis or technology assessment based on net present value (NPV) or benefit-to-cost (B/C) effect, however it is not yet systemized in terms of valuation models to objectively assess an economic value of technology-based business to receive diffusion and feedback of research outcomes. Therefore, K-water (known as a government-supported public company in Korea) company feels the necessity to establish a technology valuation framework suitable for technical characteristics of water resources fields in charge and verify an exemplified case applied to the technology. The K-water evaluation technology applied to this study, as a public interest goods, can be used as a tool to measure the value and achievement contributed to society and to manage them. Therefore, by calculating the value in which the subject technology contributed to the entire society as a public resource, we make use of it as a basis information for the advertising medium of performance on the influence effect of the benefits or the necessity of cost input, and then secure the legitimacy for large-scale R&D cost input in terms of the characteristics of public technology. Hence, K-water company, one of the public corporation in Korea which deals with public goods of 'water resources', will be able to establish a commercialization strategy for business operation and prepare for a basis for the performance calculation of input R&D cost. In this study, K-water has developed a web-based technology valuation model for public interest type water resources based on the technology evaluation system that is suitable for the characteristics of a technology in water resources fields. In particular, by utilizing the evaluation methodology of the Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan to match the expense items to the expense accounts based on the related benefit items, we proposed the so-called 'K-water's proprietary model' which involves the 'cost-benefit' approach and the FCF (Free Cash Flow), and ultimately led to build a pipeline on the K-water research performance management system and then verify the practical case of a technology related to "desalination". We analyze the embedded design logic and evaluation process of web-based valuation system that reflects characteristics of water resources technology, reference information and database(D/B)-associated logic for each model to calculate public interest-based and profit-based technology values in technology integrated management system. We review the hybrid evaluation module that reflects the quantitative index of the qualitative evaluation indices reflecting the unique characteristics of water resources and the visualized user-interface (UI) of the actual web-based evaluation, which both are appended for calculating the business value based on financial data to the existing web-based technology valuation systems in other fields. K-water's technology valuation model is evaluated by distinguishing between public-interest type and profitable-type water technology. First, evaluation modules in profit-type technology valuation model are designed based on 'profitability of technology'. For example, the technology inventory K-water holds has a number of profit-oriented technologies such as water treatment membranes. On the other hand, the public interest-type technology valuation is designed to evaluate the public-interest oriented technology such as the dam, which reflects the characteristics of public benefits and costs. In order to examine the appropriateness of the cost-benefit based public utility valuation model (i.e. K-water specific technology valuation model) presented in this study, we applied to practical cases from calculation of benefit-to-cost analysis on water resource technology with 20 years of lifetime. In future we will additionally conduct verifying the K-water public utility-based valuation model by each business model which reflects various business environmental characteristics.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 2009

Background: Mediastinal neurogenic tumors are generally benign lesions and they are ideal candidates for performing resection via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). However, benign neurogenic tumors at the thoracic apex present technical problems for the surgeon because of the limited exposure of the neurovascular structures, and the optimal way to surgically access these tumors is still a matter of debate. This study aims to clarify the feasibility and safety of the VATS approach for performing surgical resection of benign apical neurogenic tumors (ANT). Material and Method: From January 1996 to September 2008, 31 patients with benign ANT (15 males/16 females, mean age: 45 years, range: 8~73), were operated on by various surgical methods: 14 VATS, 10 lateral thoracotomies, 6 cervical or cervicothoracic incisions and 1 median sternotomy. 3 patients had associated von Recklinhausen's disease. The perioperative variables and complications were retrospectively reviewed according to the surgical approaches, and the surgical results of VATS were compared with those of the other invasive surgeries. Result: In the VATS group, the histologic diagnosis was schwannoma in 9 cases, neurofibroma in 4 cases and ganglioneuroma in 1 case, and the median tumor size was 4.3 cm (range: 1.2~7.0 cm). The operation time, amount of chest tube drainage and the postoperative stay in the VATS group were significantly less than that in the other invasive surgical group (p<0.05). No conversion thoracotomy was required. There were 2 cases of Hornor's syndrome and 2 brachial plexus neuropathies in the VATS group; there was 1 case of Honor's syndrome, 1 brachial plexus neuropathy, 1 vocal cord palsy and 2 non-neurologic complications in the invasive surgical group, and all the complications developed postoperatively. The operative method was an independent predictor for postoperative neuropathies in the VATS group (that is, non-enucleation of the tumor) (p=0.029). Conclusion: The VATS approach for treating benign ANT is a less invasive, safe and feasible method. Enucleation of the tumor during the VATS procedure may be an important technique to decrease the postoperative neurological complications.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.311-318
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• 2010

U. S. NRC Regulation Guide 1.52 regulating ESF ACS in nuclear power plants has been revised to revision 3. To apply reduction of operability test time, allowance of alternative challenge agents for in-place leak test of HEPA filters, and upgrade of Methyl Iodide penetration acceptance criterion in activated carbon performance test suggested in Reg. Guide 1.52(Rev.3) on Yonggwang units 5 and 6 ESF ACSes, technical feasibility study was carried out with on-site experiments as well as experiments with a lab-scale model. It was confirmed that the moisture in the system returned to the level before the test in 1 or 4 days even though the moisture was removed during the operability test lasting more than 10 hours. Therefore, it is appropriate to perform monthly operability test in 15 minutes just long enough to check the operability of equipment. To change challenge material for in-place HEPA filter leak test, size of aerosol, production rate, and leak detection capability were compared for DOP and PAO. It was concluded that PAO can be substituted for DOP in nuclear power plants. The upgrade of Methyl Iodide penetration acceptance criterion from 0.175 % to 0.5 % in active carbon filter bed deeper than 4 inches was to conform to the change of activated carbon performance test method to ASTM D3803(1989). It was confirmed that Methyl Iodide penetration acceptance criterion of 0.5 % under $30^{\circ}C$, relative humidity 95 % condition was conservatively good enough for testing performance of active carbon insitu. The licence change of Yonggwang units 5 and 6 has been completed based on this study.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.206-212
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• 2007

Purpose: The number of laparoscopy assisted distal gastrectomies (LADG) is gradually increasing for the treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC) patients as a surgical modality for improving quality of life. However, there are few reports on laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy (LATG), mainly because this procedure is performed relatively infrequently, and the procedure is more complicated than LADG. This study was performed to evaluate the technical feasibility, safety, and surgical results of LATG with lymphadenectomy through a review of our experience. Materials and Methods: From July 2003 to June 2007, 77 LATG with Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy were performed for patients with a preoperative diagnosis of EGC. The clinicopathological features and surgical outcomes were analyzed. Results: There were 49 males and 28 females in the study with a mean age of 61 years (range $30{\sim}85$ years). The mean operation time was 210 minutes (range $100{\sim}400$ minutes) and the operation time was gradually decreased as the case numbers increased. There were 13 operative morbidities (16.9%) and no operative mortalities. The restoration of bowel motility was noted at 3.2 postoperative days; a soft diet was started at 4.4 postoperative days and the duration of hospital stay was 10 days. There were 20 mucosal lesions, 32 submucosal lesions, 15 proper muscle lesions, 7 subserosal lesions and 3 serosal lesions. A total of 20 patients were treated by D2 lymph node dissection, 55 patients were treated by D1+$\beta$ lymph node dissection, and two patients were treated by D1+$\alpha$ lymph node dissection. The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was 42 (range $11{\sim}86$). Lymph node metastases were noted in 12 patients. Conclusion: This study indicated LATG could be applied safely and effectively for patients with EGC. However, a prospective study comparing laparoscopy-assisted versus open gastrectomy for short-term and long-term surgical outcome is needed.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.345-352
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• 2011

TMR feed was developed by adding mugwort (Artemisia capillaris), and was fed to Hanwoo cattle to investigate the effects of feeding mugwort on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of rump meat, and to determine the feasibility of producing Hanwoo beef with high quality and functionality. The experimental samples consisted of the Hanwoo rump from cattle fed with fattening TMR feed without mugwort (T0), and those fed with fattening cattle TMR feed supplemented with mugwort (T1). T1 was significantly higher than T0 for Hanwoo rump characteristics of Hunter's $L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$ values (p<0.05). VBN content for T0 was significantly higher than for T1, and EDA for T1 was significantly higher than for T0 (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between T0 and T1 in terms of pH, TBARS, and total bacterial numbers. Water holding capacity for T1 was significantly higher than for T0 (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between T0 and T1 in terms of freezing loss, thawing loss, and cooking loss. Springiness for T1 was significantly higher than for T0 (p<0.05), and there was no significant difference between T0 and T1 in terms of hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and shear force. There was no significant difference between T0 and T1 in terms of acid value, peroxide value, and iodine value. However, the melting point for T1 was significantly lower than for T0 (p<0.05). Aroma of raw meat for T1 was significantly superior to aroma for T0 (p<0.05). Taste, palatability of boiled meat, and juiciness of roasted meat for T1 were significantly superior to those parameters for T0 (p<0.05). These results suggest that the feed containing mugwort can be used to improve color and sensory characteristics, inhibit VBN formation, and also to increase antioxidant ability as a functional feed.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.217-224
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• 2008

Purpose: For most surgeons, colon interposition after gastrectomy remains an infrequently performed procedure because of its complexity. The aim of this study was to assess its technical feasibility and safety as a post-gastrectomy reconstruction method by reviewing our experience with colon interposition. Materials and Methods: From March 2001 to February 2002, 30 colon interpositions after-gastrectomy were done with using the ileo-ascending or transverse colon. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features and the surgical outcomes. Results: There were 16 males and 14 females in this study with a mean age of 67.5 years (range: 31 to 76 years). Twenty-five ascending colons and 5 transverse colons were used for the interposition, respectively. The mean operation time was 373 minutes (range: 204 to 600 minutes). There were 9 operative morbidities (30%) and 1 operative mortality. The restoration of bowel motility was noted at 3.8 postoperative days; a soft diet was started at 4.9 postoperative days and the duration of the hospital stay was 18.2 days. The percentage of weight loss in the patients with total, proximal and distal gastrectomy was 16.3%, 14.0% and 8.8%, respectively, at 6 months, and thereafter the weight loss gradually recovered as 8.1%, 7.5% and 5.6%, respectively, at 5 years postoperatively. Gastric stasis was the one of the most meaningful long-term complications, and especially in the patients who underwent distal gastrectomy with colon interposition. Conclusion: Colon interposition after gastrectomy was a very complex procedure with a long operating time and many anastomosis sites. The postoperative outcomes failed to achieve satisfactory weight gain and the patients displayed postprandial symptoms. This suggested that this procedure was not an appropriate procedure for conventional reconstruction after gastrectomy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.1-2
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• 2011

Hybrid rockets have lately attracted attention as a strong candidate of small, low cost, safe and reliable launch vehicles. A significant topic is that the first commercially sponsored space ship, SpaceShipOne vehicle chose a hybrid rocket. The main factors for the choice were safety of operation, system cost, quick turnaround, and thrust termination. In Japan, five universities including Hokkaido University and three private companies organized "Hybrid Rocket Research Group" from 1998 to 2002. Their main purpose was to downsize the cost and scale of rocket experiments. In 2002, UNISEC (University Space Engineering Consortium) and HASTIC (Hokkaido Aerospace Science and Technology Incubation Center) took over the educational and R&D rocket activities respectively and the research group dissolved. In 2008, JAXA/ISAS and eleven universities formed "Hybrid Rocket Research Working Group" as a subcommittee of the Steering Committee for Space Engineering in ISAS. Their goal is to demonstrate technical feasibility of lowcost and high frequency launches of nano/micro satellites into sun-synchronous orbits. Hybrid rockets use a combination of solid and liquid propellants. Usually the fuel is in a solid phase. A serious problem of hybrid rockets is the low regression rate of the solid fuel. In single port hybrids the low regression rate below 1 mm/s causes large L/D exceeding a hundred and small fuel loading ratio falling below 0.3. Multi-port hybrids are a typical solution to solve this problem. However, this solution is not the mainstream in Japan. Another approach is to use high regression rate fuels. For example, a fuel regression rate of 4 mm/s decreases L/D to around 10 and increases the loading ratio to around 0.75. Liquefying fuels such as paraffins are strong candidates for high regression fuels and subject of active research in Japan too. Nakagawa et al. in Tokai University employed EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) to modify viscosity of paraffin based fuels and investigated the effect of viscosity on regression rates. Wada et al. in Akita University employed LTP (Low melting ThermoPlastic) as another candidate of liquefying fuels and demonstrated high regression rates comparable to paraffin fuels. Hori et al. in JAXA/ISAS employed glycidylazide-poly(ethylene glycol) (GAP-PEG) copolymers as high regression rate fuels and modified the combustion characteristics by changing the PEG mixing ratio. Regression rate improvement by changing internal ballistics is another stream of research. The author proposed a new fuel configuration named "CAMUI" in 1998. CAMUI comes from an abbreviation of "cascaded multistage impinging-jet" meaning the distinctive flow field. A CAMUI type fuel grain consists of several cylindrical fuel blocks with two ports in axial direction. The port alignment shifts 90 degrees with each other to make jets out of ports impinge on the upstream end face of the downstream fuel block, resulting in intense heat transfer to the fuel. Yuasa et al. in Tokyo Metropolitan University employed swirling injection method and improved regression rates more than three times higher. However, regression rate distribution along the axis is not uniform due to the decay of the swirl strength. Aso et al. in Kyushu University employed multi-swirl injection to solve this problem. Combinations of swirling injection and paraffin based fuel have been tried and some results show very high regression rates exceeding ten times of conventional one. High fuel regression rates by new fuel, new internal ballistics, or combination of them require faster fuel-oxidizer mixing to maintain combustion efficiency. Nakagawa et al. succeeded to improve combustion efficiency of a paraffin-based fuel from 77% to 96% by a baffle plate. Another effective approach some researchers are trying is to use an aft-chamber to increase residence time. Better understanding of the new flow fields is necessary to reveal basic mechanisms of regression enhancement. Yuasa et al. visualized the combustion field in a swirling injection type motor. Nakagawa et al. observed boundary layer combustion of wax-based fuels. To understand detailed flow structures in swirling flow type hybrids, Sawada et al. (Tohoku Univ.), Teramoto et al. (Univ. of Tokyo), Shimada et al. (ISAS), and Tsuboi et al. (Kyushu Inst. Tech.) are trying to simulate the flow field numerically. Main challenges are turbulent reaction, stiffness due to low Mach number flow, fuel regression model, and other non-steady phenomena. Oshima et al. in Hokkaido University simulated CAMUI type flow fields and discussed correspondence relation between regression distribution of a burning surface and the vortex structure over the surface.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.617-628
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• 2022

A ground support pattern should be designed by properly integrating various support materials in accordance with the rock mass grade when constructing a tunnel, and a technical decision must be made in this process by professionals with vast construction experiences. However, designing supports at the early stage of tunnel design, such as feasibility study or basic design, may be very challenging due to the short timeline, insufficient budget, and deficiency of field data. Meanwhile, the design of the support pattern can be performed more quickly and reliably by utilizing the machine learning technique and the accumulated design data with the rapid increase in tunnel construction in South Korea. Therefore, in this study, the design data and ground exploration data of 48 road tunnels in South Korea were inspected, and data about 19 items, including eight input items (rock type, resistivity, depth, tunnel length, safety index by tunnel length, safety index by rick index, tunnel type, tunnel area) and 11 output items (rock mass grade, two items for shotcrete, three items for rock bolt, three items for steel support, two items for concrete lining), were collected to automatically determine the rock mass class and the support pattern. Three machine learning models (S1, A1, A2) were developed using two machine learning algorithms (SVR, ANN) and organized data. As a result, the A2 model, which applied different loss functions according to the output data format, showed the best performance. This study confirms the potential of support pattern design using machine learning, and it is expected that it will be able to improve the design model by continuously using the model in the actual design, compensating for its shortcomings, and improving its usability.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1-13
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• 2019

As a way to find new and innovative technologies, many companies have invested in and acquired skilled startups. Because startups are usually small in size and have a small history of past business experience, there are many risks involved in acquiring them as they have limited technical skills and business feasibility verification methods. Thus, venture capital plays an important role in discovering and investing competitive startups. While Independent Venture Capital generally values financial returns, Corporate Venture Capital, which plays investment roles in the firm, values business synergies with the parent company from a strategic perspective. In an industry sector where development of technology is rapid and whether new technology is held determines a company's competitiveness, existing companies incorporate startups with innovative technologies into their investment portfolios, collaborate together, and take over for comprehensive cooperation. In addition, new investments and acquisitions are carried out through the management of portfolio companies to obtain and utilize industry information. In this paper, major U.S. companies listed in the U.S. verified their investment activities through corporate venture capital and their impact on parent companies and startups through regression, while the parent company's acquisition performance was analyzed through an event study based on a stock price analysis. The criteria for startup were defined as companies with less than 12 years of experience, and the analysis showed that the parent companies with corporate venture capital with a larger number of investments actively take over startups. In addition, increasing corporate venture capital's financial investment activities shows a negative impact on the parent companies' acquisition activities, and the acquisition performance increased when the parent companies took over startups in its portfolio.