• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.745-766
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• 2009

It is not valid to measure the degree of market power based on the markup of price over marginal market cost in an industry for which the market price of some inputs is not available because those inputs are then excluded in estimating the dual total cost function. If the roles of those inputs are ignored, the markup of price over marginal market cost is likely to be positive in the perfectly competitive industry. In order to have accurate market power markups for the environmentally regulated Korean iron and steel industry, in which the market price of raw material and the price of abatement capital are hard to obtain, in this paper, a dual cost function is derived given the optimal quantities of raw material and abatement capital, and then estimated jointly with the supply relation. The annual average degree of market power for the industry is estimated to be 0.49 over the period 1982~2001. Ignoring environmental regulation would overstate the degree of market power by about 8 percent.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.75-106
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• 2013

This study aimed to analyze the trends of studies on estimation of cost for early childhood education and child-care services provided by both the kindergarten and child-care centers. A total of 21 papers including academic journals and policy research reports were collected. The papers were analyzed with the annual trends, research contents, and estimation methods of cost for early childhood education and child-care services. The main results of this study were as follows. Firstly, the studies on estimation of cost for early childhood education were performed earlier than the ones on estimation of cost for child-care services. The research contents were composed of analyzing operating expenses and estimating cost for early childhood education and child-care services. Secondly, there were similarities in the estimating processes of cost for early childhood education and child-care services, but the definition of operating expenses used for the estimation of cost differed. Thirdly, there were differences in the items of operating expenses inputted to estimate cost and in the calculation procedures of items in studies. Finally, based on the results, this study suggested what future studies and policy should consider in the estimation of cost for early childhood education and child-care services.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.482-486
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• 2005

Total forest growing stock and growing stock per ha in Korea are $470\times10^6m^3\;and\;73m^3$, respectively. Those figures mean that forest growing stock was increased 4.7 times more during last 30 years. The annual production of forest biomass comes from forest tending executed by Korea Forest Service was estimated about $1.07\times10^6m^3$ M/T, which was equivalent to $0.45\%$ of total imported crude oil of Korea at 2002. The production is expected to increase and reach up to $1.9\times10^6 M/T$ till 2008. The analysis of economic feasibility showed that the production cost of wood chip(134,786Won/T) was about 30,389 Won/T higher than heat value of wood chip, 104,397 Won/T estimated from that of kerosene. For the promotion of forest bioenergy utilization, more efforts need to be given for the education and public relations to induce publicity a willingness-to-pay for the environment friendly fuels under the good understanding for the use of bioenergy. In addition, we need to provide a community-based biomass utilization program by region to allocate the role of each participant and to increase the profitability of bioenergy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.490-499
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• 2000

Several studies on development of water quality treatment systems by wetlands are on going because of their benefits of low construction cost and high efficiency of waste water treatment. The objectives of this study were to review the necessary contents of survey and design factors for constructing constructed wetlands and to examine the required wetland area to treat non-point source pollution through case studies. The measurement of water quality and quantity in precipitation period is needed to analyse the inflow characteristics of the non-point pollution and to determine the amount of design flow. The design inflow for constructing constructed wetland was determined to the total runoff from 30mm of daily rainfall in the AMC(III) condition of the SCS method and is similar 70% of the annual mean runoff. The natural type wetland system with 0.1m of water depth and 5 hours of detention time was applied. From the results of the case studies, 70% of inflow could be treated and 1∼3% of wetland area of the total basin is needed.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.41-51
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• 2012

Heliostat field is the most important subsystem in the tower type solar thermal power plant since its optical performance affects the total system efficiency most significantly while the construction cost of it is the major part of total construction cost in such a power plant. Thus a well designed heliostat field to maximize the optical efficiency as well as to minimize the land usage is very important. This work presents methodology, procedures and result of heliostat filed design for 200kW solar thermal power plant built recently in Daegu, Korea. A $2{\times}2(m)$ rectangular shaped receiver located at 43(m) high and tilted $28^{\circ}$ toward heliostat field, 450 of heliostats of which the reflective surface is formed by 4 of $1{\times}1(m)$ flat plate mirror facet, and the land area having about $140{\times}120(m)$ size are used to form the heliostat field. A procedure to deploy 450 heliostats in radial staggered nonblocking formation is developed. Also the procedures to compute the cosine effect, intercept ratio, blocking and shading ratio in the field are developed. Finally the heliostat filed is designed by finding the optimal radial distance and azimuthal spacing in radial staggered nonblocking formation such that the designed heliostat field optical efficiency could be maximized. The designed heliostat field has 77% of annual average optical efficiency, which is obtained by annually averaging the optical efficiencies computed between the time of where sun elevation angle becomes $10^{\circ}$ after sunrise and the time of where sun elevation angle becomes $10^{\circ}$ before sunset in each day.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.283-290
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• 2014

Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between home-visit nursing services and health care utilization under the public long-term care insurance program in Korea. Methods: We analyzed the long-term care need assessment database and the long-term care and the health insurance claim databases of National Health Insurance Service between July 2011 and June 2012. The sample includes a total of 20,065 home-visit nursing recommended-older beneficiaries who use home-visit nursing and/or home-visit care, based on a standard benefit model developed by the Health Insurance Policy Institute of National Health Insurance Service. The beneficiaries were categorized into home-visit nursing use and non-use groups, and the home-visit nursing use group was again divided into high-use and low-use groups home-visit nursing, based on their total annual home-visit nursing expenditure. Two-part models and negative-binomial regression models were used for the statistical analysis. Results: The home-visit nursing use was negatively associated with the number of outpatient visit and cost, while adjusting for all covariates. The home-visit nursing use was also negatively associated with the inpatient cost among the high home-visit nursing use group. Conclusion: The findings implies home-visit nursing use prevents health care utilization. Further studies and policy strategies that can promote and strengthen home-visit nursing services under the public long-term care insurance are necessary in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.293-309
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• 1998

This study is aimed at identifying the decision making criteria as B/C ratio, IRR and NPV based on the expected benefits and costs of the land utilization and promotion projects which have implemented to improve agricultural structure under WTO system. To carry out the objectives of the study, Sinseok project area located at Dangjin district, Chungnam province was selected. Sinseok project area has 306.2 ha of paddy area with 172 farm households. The project area will be operated by the 33 specialized farm households after completion of the project which will have 20 years of economic life. After completion of the project, farm size will be increased from 1.8ha to 9.3ha. Land intensity of the project area will be increased by 10%. Increase of land productivity and cost saving due to the labor saving technology as farm mechanization will be expected. According to the survey results, the annual amount of production cost savings per farm was estimated 3.884million won and increased total farm income was expected about 43.8million won per year. The total expexted project benefits was expected 174million won per year. The project costs to promote land utilization and structural change consisted of handling charges, and direct payment for land movility. The decision making criteria representing economic feasibility of the project such as B/C ratio, NPV and IRR were estimated 2.49, 483million won and 30% respectively when the cut-off rate was taken into account 10%. In conclusion, the land utilization and promotion project proppeled by the Korean Government under the agricultural land law is considered economically feasible from the view points of expected project benefits and costs. Accordingly the project have to be implemented more strongly under the G't financial support considering WTO and UR negociation which were aimed at achieving the free trade and improvement of international competitiveness of farm products.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1-20
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to find the determinant variables to make profitability in regional public hospitals. The data come from financial statements and annual reports of 34 regional public hospitals for five years (from year 2003 to year 2007). The T or F-test and hierarchical multiple regression analysis are used. The dependant variables are the profitability indicators, ordinary income to total asset and operating margin to gross revenue, and the independent variables are general characteristics, diagnosis and treatment patterns, financial and public benefits. The findings of this study are summarized as follows. First, Variables affecting the profitability indexes revealed from DEA results is the bed occupancy rate, number of hospitalized patients to outpatients, ratio of first medical examination for outpatients, number of daily patients per medical specialist, labor cost per patient and managerial expenses per patient. Second, the ordinary income to total asset representing the asset usage performance is affected by the average hospitalized days, bed occupancy rate, labor cost per patient and ratio of patients with medical insurance coverage. Third, the operating martin to gross revenue obtained from the actual operations of hospitals has its significance with the bed occupancy rate, number of hospitalized patients to outpatients, managerial expenses per patient and public benefit indicator. This study has some restriction not to use pannel data analysis, although it used data for five years. Accordingly, various additional studies should be done to supplement such problems.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.111-118
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• 2018

Korea is facing a surge in the aging population, showing that population aged 65 and above will be accounted for 42.5% of the total population in 2065 with the emphasis on the over-80 population consisting of 19.2%. In response to this abrupt change in population structure, the number of traffic fatality accident referring to older driver as aged 65+ years had been increasing from 605 fatalities in 2011 to 815 fatalities in 2015 resulting in increases in 34.7% in oppose to happening to decreases in 17.2% about non-older driver. With Logit analysis based on Newton-Raphson algorithm utilizing older driver's traffic fatality data for the 2011-2015 years, it was found that the likelihood of an accident resulting in a fatality for super older driver aged 80 years and above considerably increased compared to other older driver with aging classification: 2.24 times for violation of traffic lane, 2.04 times for violation of U-turn, 1.48 times for violation of safety distance, 1.35 times for violation of obstacle of passing; also average annual increase of traffic accident cost related to super older driver was fairly increased rather than other older driver groups. Hence, this study proposes that improving and amending transport safety system and Road Traffic Act for super older driver needs to be urgently in action about license management, safe driving education, etc. when considering the increase of over-80 population in the near future. Also, implementing a social agreement with all ages and social groups to apply with advanced driver assistance system for older driver groups will be able to become a critical factor to enhance safe driving over the face of the country.

• Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.238-247
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• 2018

Background: We aimed to estimate the proportion of patients with diabetes who achieved target glycemic control, to estimate diabetes-related costs attributable to poor control, and to identify factors associated with them in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used administrative claims data handled by Abu Dhabi Health Authority (January 2010 to June 2012) to determine glycemic control and diabetes-related treatment costs. A total of 4,058 patients were matched using propensity scores to eliminate selection bias between patients with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) <7% and HbA1c ${\geq}7%$. Diabetes-related costs attributable to poor control were estimated using a recycled prediction method. Factors associated with glycemic control were investigated using logistic regression and factors associated with these costs were identified using a generalized linear model. Results: During the 1-year follow-up period, 46.6% of the patients achieved HbA1c <7%. Older age, female sex, better insurance coverage, non-use of insulin in the index diagnosis month, and non-use of antidiabetic medications during the follow-up period were significantly associated with improved glycemic control. The mean diabetes-related annual costs were $2,282 and $2,667 for patients with and without glycemic control, respectively, and the cost attributable to poor glycemic control was $172 (95% confidence interval [CI], $164-180). The diabetes-related costs were lower with mean HbA1c levels <7% (cost ratio, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99). The costs were significantly higher in patients aged ${\geq}65$ years than those aged ${\leq}44$ years (cost ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.25-1.70). Conclusion: More than 50% of patients with diabetes had poorly controlled HbA1c. Poor glycemic control may increase diabetes-related costs.