• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2016

This project sought to conduct an economic feasibility study regarding the commercial production of bio-hydrogen by the marine hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 using carbon monoxide-containing industrial off-gas. We carried out the economic evaluation of the bio-hydrogen production process using the raw material of steel mill by-product gas. The process parameter was as follows: $H_2$ production rate was 5.6 L/L/h; the conversion of carbon monoxide was 60.7%. This project established an evaluation criterion for about 10,000 tonne/year. Inflation factors were considered as 3%. The operating costs were recalculated based on prices in 2014. The total investment required for development was covered 30% by capital and 70% by a loan. The operation cost for the 0.5-year test and integration, and the cost for the first three months in the 50% production period were considered as the working capital in the cost estimation. The costs required for the rental of office space, facilities, and other related costs from the construction through to full-scale production periods were considered as continuing expenses. Materials, energy, waste disposal and other charges were considered as the operating cost of the development system. Depreciation, tax, maintenance and repair, insurance, labor, interest rate charges, general and administrative costs, lubrication and miscellaneous expenses were also calculated. The hydrogen price was set at US$ 4.15/kg for the economic evaluation. As a result, the process was considered to be economical with the payback period of 6.3 years, NPV of 18 billion Won and IRR of 26.7%.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.813-820
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• 2010

The vertical roller mill is important for machine grinding and mixing various crude materials in the process of producing Portland cement. A vertical roller mill is subjected to cyclic bending stress because of the roller load. Because of the cyclic bending stress, only $4{\times}10^6-8{\times}10^6$ cycles are achieved instead of $4{\times}10^7$ cycles. The stress also causes fractures at the edge of grinding path of the outer roller. The expenses incurred in repairing the grinding path amounts to 30% of the total maintenance cost. Therefore, it is desirable to redesign the vertical roller mill in order to reduce the expenses incurred in repairing the roller. In this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs) were applied in order to solve the multiobjective optimization problem for vertical roller mills by using the function approximation ability of ANNs. To learn and generalize ANNs, the maximum and minimum stresses were estimated from the results of the finite-element analysis of a vertical roller mill. Thus, ANNs could be applied to solve the multiobjective optimization problem.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2008

The results are as following. This study aimed to furnish basic data for improving the oral health of the elderly by conducting research into the relationship between denture satisfaction and the perceived oral health status of elderly people with removable dentures. The study performed research involving 246 elderly people who were living in Jeonju and Iksan, jeonbuk, and who were 65 years old or over from August 1 to December 5, 2007. The research method was a face-to-face interview. 1. The denture satisfaction of respondents for the research averaged $3.74{\pm}0.69$, and there was a significant difference in their satisfaction according to the level of education, the cohabitant family type, the procurement of living expenses, the performance of leisure activity, the period of current denture use, the number of denture changes, the experience during a dentist visit for denture maintenance, the experience of restricted activity due to annual oral diseases, and the opinions about denture prices. 2. 48.8% of respondents answered that their oral health status was good, and there was a significant difference in their satisfaction according to the procurement of living expenses, the total period of denture use, the period of current denture use, the number of denture changes, the experience of restricted activity due to annual oral diseases, and the opinions about denture prices. 3. The most highly influential variable affecting denture satisfaction was the opinions about denture prices(R=33.7%). 4. The most highly influential variable affecting the perceived oral health status was the educational level(R=17.3%). 5. As a result of analyzing the relationship between denture satisfaction and perceived oral health status, more respondents were satisfied with their dentures the more they thought their oral health status was in good shape.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2010

Although the subject of sprinkler installations in Korean regulations is less strict than in other advanced countries, many building owners and managers tend to install sprinklers only in the types of buildings designated by law or create building designs for which sprinkler installation standards are not applied. This is because priority is given to cutting installation expenses rather than providing building fire safety. In this study, the benefit is estimated for various expenses from installation and maintenance of sprinklers as an investment. As a result of comparing sprinkler system installation expense and the financial benefit by efficiency analysis, the payback period is 1/20 of the building life expectancy and its efficiency is twice the expense. Therefore, installation of sprinklers by regulation has financial efficiency and it is desirable to broadly encourage the installation of sprinklers.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.143-177
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• 2020

This paper investigates how the provision of full child care subsidy to infants and toddlers differently affected female labor supply and fertility rate depending on the level of supply of child care centers in the place of residence. Our results on labor supply show that the higher the supply rate of childcare centers in residential areas, the higher the probability of career maintenance for multi-child mothers who are more likely to be admitted to a childcare facility. The results on the fertility rate show that the first child's fertility rate has increased since the support of childcare expenses in areas with higher rates of childcare centers. In the places where the supply rate of publicly-funded childcare centers is high, the second child's fertility rate has also increased significantly since the support of childcare expenses. This suggests that the quality of child care is an essential factor in determining the birth rate. Our results suggest that the effects of child care support on women's labor supply and fertility rate may differ depending on the priority of entering child care centers according to birth order and the degree of quantitative and qualitative supply of child care centers in the place of residence.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.69-90
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• 2021

Purpose : This study explores unmet medical services within a region for patients admitted to a single medical institution in one region and was to analyze the importance and satisfaction of hospital selection attributes. Through this, we tried to solve the unmet medical needs of patients and provide useful basic data in terms of hospital management in the region. Methods : It were collected to a total of 250 questionnaires for patients admitted to the regional integrative medical hospital. However, 232 samples were used for the final analysis, excluding 18 copies not reported in good faith. For the analysis, first, demographic frequency analysis of inpatients and inpatients was performed, and second, characteristics of patients, including frequent disease receiving treatment, were analyzed. Next, descriptive statistics analysis was conducted on unmet medical service intentions. In terms of hospital selection attribute, the items of continuity maintenance (I quadrant), priority visibility (II quadrant), low priority (III quadrant), and excessive effort (IV quadrant) were derived using the IPA (importance-performance analysis) matrix technique. Results : The derived results were classified by item and area. In the priority administration area, it was the reputation and recognition of medical institutions and the service area of medical institutions. In the case of items, there were 6 items including the importance of surgery and medical expenses, and diet at hospitalization. 1) Conclusion : Thus a result of this study, resources are efficiently allocated to priority correction areas with high importance but low satisfaction and circulatory medical treatment is performed in the departments required by patients who use medical care and, various methods, such as preparing a policy to support medical expenses, should be sought.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.73-83
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• 2016

Purpose - The parcel delivery service(courier) industry all over the world has been expanding its market so far, but its growth has been declining in recent years. In this situation, most parcel delivery companies are having trouble with managing themselves because of the pressure from the customer to increase service level and decrease the rate. The purpose of this study is to provide ways to improve competitive advantages of the parcel delivery service industry by evaluating the multi-period operating efficiency of Korea, Japan and global service providers. Research design, data, and methodology - The data for the period of 2011 to 2014 were collected from the annual reports published by parcel delivery companies. In this study, we analyze the marketability (revenue), profitability (operating profits), and management conditions (net profits) of parcel service companies by combining information on human resources (number of employees) and material resources (total assets and equity). Therefore, the number of employees, total assets, and equity are selected as input variables, and revenue, operating profits, and net profits as the output variables. In this study, DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) is used to measure the comparative efficiency and MPI (Malmquist Productivity Index) is used to analyze the trend of change of the efficiency for a multi-year period. Results - The operational efficiency scores of medium-sized parcel delivery companies in Korea are higher than other larger competitors such as Korean, Japan and Global larger companies. As of 2014, Logen(1.878) was found to be the most efficient parcel delivery enterprise, followed by KGB (1.224), and Kyoungdong(1.002). Otherwise, Hanjin(0.235), CJ(0.262), Hyundai Logistics(0.657), DHL(0.611), UPS(0.766), FedEx(0.498), TNT(0.350), Yamato(0.762) and Sagawa(0.520), larger sized companies, were done inefficiently. The productivity of parcel delivery companies is influenced by endogenous factors as well as exogenous ones such as changes in business environment and technological advances. Conclusions - Korean medium-sized companies have relatively high efficiency scores in operation. That is why they still survive the competitive market in Korea where market restructuring on the industry has been expected to be conducted for many years. The reason why medium-sized couriers had higher efficient scores than larger couriers is that most of couriers spend more operating expenses versus unit price of delivery which is the amount of money that is needed in order to send a package by parcel service. So the delivery unit price must be taken into account by all the expenses associated with the cost of fuel, labor and maintenance expenses for facilities, etc. therefore, the unit price must be increased to strengthen business competitive power. In order for the industry to have more competitive advantage, the companies need to make profits by increasing demand volume and raising the delivery rate to provide high-quality delivery service to customers. And both endogenous and exogenous change must take precedence in order to strengthen their competitiveness.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.55-61
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• 2003

The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of nitrate removal by conducting the column test in order to see the performance of surfactant modified zeolite (SMZ) as a permeable reactive barrier material. The prediction of nitrate removal was tested using the one-dimensional advective-dispersive model fitted to the experimental breakthrough curve. A methodology for scaling up to in-situ permeable reactive barrier was also proposed. The breakthrough of nitrate in the column packed with SMZ was well predicted using linear equilibrium adsorption model. The breakthrough time and half-life obtained by breakthrough experiment with variation of flowrates were decreased with the increase of flowrates. When 10㎥/day of groundwater containing the 50 mg/l of nitrate is to be treated to satisfy the potable water quality criteria (10 mg/l) by SMZ reactive barrier, 300 tons of SMZ and about 6 years of breakthrough time will be required, suggesting that 165 million wons are needed as barrier material expenses in each 6 years besides the initial design and construction expenses and the minimal monitoring and maintenance expenses.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.73-80
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• 2007

As BTL(Build-Transfer-Lease) private investment business benchmarking PHI(Private Finance Initiative) of USA and Japan is introduces to Korea since 2005, as a part of supplying high leveled public service and early expanding required facilities for SOC, Value for Money on private investment business from treasury investment business at the beginning gets to be needed. Accordingly, this survey has been conducted in order to analyse BTL projects status, propriety of economic analysis method(VFM analysis, calculation of estimated business expenses, valuation of bidding price, etc.) by business advance phases from the viewpoint of person in charge, necessity of improvement and alternative plants. As the result of conducting cross tabulation analysis and correlation analysis by occupational group, BTL project advance phases and alternative plans for improvement, it is necessary ye prepare standardized service level against business expense and basis for calculating and evaluation operation expenses. Based on the necessity of quantitative analysis (LCC analysis) of VFM, standard for calculating management, maintenance and administration expenses is required. In addition, reliable economic valuation system considering domestic BTL environment should be setup, for business efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2012

As the construction of multi-family housings, especially apartments, has been increased since 1970s, the multi-family housing becomes one of the main housing types in Korea. With the increase of multi-family housings, managing them becomes an important issue. Since 2010, the government has made a lowest price award system by a competitive bid compulsory to promote the development of housing management systems. Although competitive bids were implemented, the maintenance company was finally selected by the price without any other consideration. Consequently, the quality of management service was not enhanced. The purpose of this study is to suggest the improvement scheme of multi-family housing management system. In this study, the bidding data of "K-apt", the bidding method and the successful tendered price are analyzed. The results of analyzing bidding materials, the proportion of applying a lowest price system was 67.7%. Also many diverse ways to select the best management company were used, but most of these ways were violate the law and guidelines of Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. It meant that the lowest price award system was not implemented by strict standards and didn't correspond with the needs of residents of apartment. This condition made the housing maintenance quality low and deteriorated the management industry development. To enhance this condition, a new standard to select the management company, which are included contents of quality of managing quality, management expenses and companies' soundness, is necessary.