• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1-24
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• 2019

Poor project performance has been noted as the bane in the construction industry globally. This paper sought to investigate, by way of literature, the performance patterns of construction projects in Kenya since independence (1963-2018). This was informed by reports of undesirable project performance in the industry. This descriptive study used available studies previously done in this subject area. In sum, literature is replete with evidence on a myriad of challenges facing the execution of projects. The study established that generally, the project performance is poor and has assumed a chronic trajectory spanning over five decades. On average, the findings reveal that 35-60% of projects initiated in Kenya face cost overruns while time overrun is most severe with 35-73% projects overrunning their schedule. In addition, the findings problematize the issue of plurality of performance measurement regimes in the construction industry. Here, it was observed that no singular construct exists to objectively measure the various facets that constitute the 'health' of a project. This paper has contributed to the body of knowledge by examining the performance patterns in Kenya for over fifty years while at the same time identifying the bottlenecks inherent in projects execution. Importantly, the conceptual performance efficiency framework derived in the current study presents a paradigm shift in the monitoring and evaluation of projects. To this end, an in-depth analysis is recommended on the interaction of efficiency enablers in the buildup of performance efficiency index (PEI). Similarly, a further inquiry is recommended on the integration and impact of the proposed framework in the management of projects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.146-159
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• 2018

This study analyzed what premium features significantly affect customer satisfaction and their recommendation, and what factors significantly affect product attributes. In the process, first, the loyalty program and the customer compensation program were studied to determine the impact of the customer satisfaction and recommendation. The study analyzed that quality and design of product properties had significant effects on all factors, but the brand was not significantly affected. Second, while superiority, differentiation and scarcity of luxury items are significant to customer satisfaction but superiority is only significant in relation to recommendation intention. Third, the preceding study shows that the customer compensation program has a significant impact on sales growth, but the study found that it was not for imported luxury car customers. Fourth, if the royalties program is low in awareness, it has been analyzed that the scarcity and customer satisfaction relationships among luxury goods have been adjusted. On the contrary, if there is a high level of awareness, it is analyzed that there is a control effect customer satisfaction and differentiation among luxury brands. In the conclusion, in order to satisfy customers at the import luxury car market, the differentiation of luxury goods by standard index must be strengthened and the brand must be strengthened among the attributes of the product. In addition, by raising awareness of the royalties program, the relationship between differentiation and customer satisfaction can be enhanced.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.196-213
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• 2019

This paper attempts to analyze the contribution of different socioeconomic factors such as income, age, gender, household composition, education and employment status etc. to the difference between the Capital and Non-Capital Regions in the net wealth inequality of household in Korea. To this end, a two-stage Oaxaca-Blinder type decomposition is employed regarding the regional gap in the inequality of net wealth based upon the Recentered Influence Function of the Gini index for 'the 2018 Household Finance and Living Conditions Survey.' Despite the shortcomings of the survey data on wealth, the findings reveal that regional differences in income, marriage status (divorce), job type (agriculture, forestry and fishery related, and technical and assembly), family type (multi-cultural) variables deepen the regional gap in the net-wealth inequality, but employment status (full-time), job type (administrative and specialized, and service sales), household size variables mitigate the gap, and that regional differences in life cycles play an offsetting role.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.179-185
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• 2021

Background: The use of ProGlide as a percutaneous vascular closure device in cardiac surgery remains inconclusive. This study investigated the clinical outcomes of using ProGlide in the percutaneous cannulation of femoral vessels in adult cardiac surgery. Methods: From September 2017 to July 2018, 131 consecutive patients underwent femoral vessel cannulation during cardiac surgery. The ProGlide (Abbott Vascular Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA) with percutaneous cannulation was used in 118 patients (mean age, 55.7±15.5 years). The accessibility of femoral cannulation was evaluated through preoperative computed tomography. For cannulation, sonography was routinely used. The postoperative ankle-brachial index (ABI) was used to evaluate femoral artery stenosis. Results: Of the 118 patients, 112 (94.9%) and 6 (5.1%) underwent minimally invasive cardiac surgery and median sternotomy, respectively. Most femoral cannulations were performed on the right side (98.3%) using 15F to 19F arterial cannulas. The technical success rate of cannulation with ProGlide was 99.2%, with no delayed bleeding or cannulation site-related complications during hospitalization. During follow-up, only 1 patient showed femoral artery stenosis with claudication and was treated with interventional balloon angioplasty. The postoperative ABI revealed no significant difference in functional stenosis between the cannulation and non-cannulation sides (n=86; cannulation vs. non-cannulation, 1.2±0.1 vs. 1.1±0). Conclusion: Percutaneous femoral cannulation with ProGlide was safe and feasible in adult cardiac surgery. This technique may be a good alternative option in patients requiring femoral vessel cannulation for cardiac surgery.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.296-308
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• 2022

In the COVID-19 crisis, the elderly over 60 have various psychological health problems such as depression, anxiety, and fear, and the community has become the only space for senior activities. To this end, this study presented a therapeutic aging-friendly community environmental design evaluation system using theoretical review, FGI interview, and hierarchical analysis AHP. The evaluation system is a three-dimensional space, with 10 upper layers and 68 lower layers. In addition, the weight of each index of the evaluation system was distributed through expert survey and SPSS program analysis. First, the material space environment design must satisfy the comfort and health of the elderly when they are active in a common space for their daily life. Second, the design of social space environment is designed to promote exchange and social connection among the elderly. Third, the operating space environment design considers the operating system of the community operating company as important. Through this, it is expected to improve the psychological health of the elderly by providing systematic technical basis and action guidelines for the development of the residential environment of the elderly.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.458-465
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• 2020

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the interaction between neck and/or wrist pain and hand grip strength (HGS) and to investigate factors (age, sex, neck disorders, and carpal tunnel syndrome) influencing the HGS of industrial quality proofing workers (N = 145). Methods: Standardized questionnaires [Neck Disability Index (NDI), Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire] were used to evaluate existing neck and/or wrist pain. HGS measurements were performed in different wrist positions. Results: Significant differences between participants with and without neck pain were found in different wrist positions, in neutral wrist position right [without neck pain (n = 48) 46.34 (43.39 - 49.30); with neck pain (n = 97) 38.46 (36.20 - 40.72), F_(1,144) = 16.82, p < 0.001, ŋ_p² = 0.11] and left [without neck pain 44.06 (41.19 - 46.94); with neck pain 37.36 (35.13 - 39.58), F_(1,144) = 12.70, p < 0.001, ŋ_p² = 0.08]. A significant difference between participants with and without wrist pain was found for neutral wrist position right [without wrist pain (n = 105) 42.53 (40.37 - 44.70); with wrist pain (n = 40) 37.24 (33.56 - 40.91), F_(1,144) = 6.41, p = 0.01, ŋ_p² = 0.04]. Regression analysis showed significant results especially for steps two (age and weight, NDI) and three (age and weight, NDI, Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire) for neutral position right (R² = 0.355, R² = 0.357, respectively). Conclusion: Neck pain has an impact on HGS but should be evaluated in consideration of age and sex.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.79-90
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• 2022

In this study, the dynamic behavior of functionally graded layered deep beams with viscoelastic core is investigated including the porosity effect. The material properties of functionally graded layers are assumed to vary continuously through thickness direction according to the power-law function. To investigate porosity effect in functionally graded layers, three different distribution models are considered. The viscoelastically cored deep beam is exposed to harmonic sinusoidal load. The composite beam is modeled based on plane stress assumption. The dynamic equations of motion of the composite beam are derived based on the Hamilton principle. Within the framework of the finite element method (FEM), 2D twelve -node plane element is exploited to discretize the space domain. The discretized finite element model is solved using the Newmark average acceleration technique. The validity of the developed procedure is demonstrated by comparing the obtained results and good agreement is detected. Parametric studies are conducted to demonstrate the applicability of the developed methodology to study and analyze the dynamic response of viscoelastically cored porous functionally graded deep beams. Effects of viscoelastic parameter, porosity parameter, graduation index on the dynamic behavior of porous functionally graded deep beams with viscoelastic core are investigated and discussed. Material damping and porosity have a significant effect on the forced vibration response under harmonic excitation force. Increasing the material viscosity parameters results in decreasing the vibrational amplitudes and increasing the vibration time period due to increasing damping effect. Obtained results are supportive for the design and manufacturing of such type of composite beam structures.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.101-109
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• 2009

An encryption module is equipped basically at 8i version ideal of Oracle DBMS, encryption module, but a performance decrease is caused, and users are restrictive. We analyze problem of DB security by technology by circles at this paper whether or not there is an index search, object management disorder, a serious DB performance decrease by encryption, real-time data encryption beauty whether or not there is data approach control beauty circular-based IP. And presentation does the comprehensive security Frame Work which utilized the DB Masking technique that is an alternative means technical encryption in order to improve availability of DB security. We use a virtual account, and set up a DB Masking basis by security grades as alternatives, we check advance user authentication and SQL inquiry approvals and integrity after the fact through virtual accounts, utilize to method as collect by an auditing log that an officer was able to do safely DB.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.121-148
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• 2023

The rapid melting of Arctic sea ice has increased interest in the Northern Sea Route (NSR) as a viable alternative trade route between Europe and Asia. While extensive research has examined its competitiveness in terms of technical feasibility, safety, profitability, and environmental impact, the topic of the NSR ports remains relatively underrepresented in the literature. Hence, this study aims to contribute to the existing research by assessing the efficiency of 17 NSR ports to gain insights into their operations and identify areas for improvement using models of Data Envelopment Analysis(DEA). The obtained results show that efficient ports mainly belong to the western NSR region, with ports like Murmansk and Varandei consistently demonstrating high efficiency and constant returns to scale. Several ports, such as Onega, Arkhangelsk, Naryan-Mar, and Khatanga, showed inefficiencies in the utilization of berths and quay lengths. The findings not only contribute to academic knowledge but also offer practical implications for NSR port authorities, assisting them in making well-informed decisions regarding infrastructure development plans.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 2001

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of the newly designed Niti-S stent in the management of iliac arterial stenoses and occlusions. Materials and Methods: Stenoses (n=25) or occlusions (n=5) in the iliac arteries of 25 patients (30 limbs) were treated. The site of the lesions was the common (n=15) or external (n=11) iliac artery, or both (n=4). Eight limbs were treated for diffuse disease, six for highly eccentric lesion, five for occlusive lesion, and 11 for failed angioplasty. Results: In all patients, technical success was achieved without major complications. One death, not procedure-related, occurred within 30 days. Ankle-brachial indexes improved from 0.63 0.30 to 0.99 0.21, and ischemic symptoms showed improvement in 22 patients (88%). Fontaine classifications before stenting, namely IIa(n=3), IIb(n=16), III(n=2), and IV(n=4) improved to I(n=17), IIa(n=5), and IV(n=3). Follow-up over a 27 (mean, 19.8 8)-month period showed that cumulative patency rates were 95.8% at 1 year and 86.2% at 2 and 3 years. No significant decrease in the mean ankle-brachial index was observed. Conclusion: The Niti-S stent appears to be a safe and effective device for the treatment of iliac stenoses and occlusions. These preliminary results require confirmation with a larger series.