• Clean Technology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.141-152
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• 2015

As environmental issues are emerging, bio-plastic suppliers in leading countries have been foreseeing the strong needs for environment-friendly materials such as eco-packing materials due to increased attention and regulation on recycle. To catch up with the demand, various types of bio-plastics based on natural feedstocks were developed and released on a market. These bio-plastic products drew the great attention even in domestic industries. At present, international oil price fluctuation and heavy charge on waste raise the unit cost of production and disposal expense of conventional plastic materials. These conditions make bio-plastic an alternative, because it is not restrained by oil prices and problem in the disposal. It is also expected that bio-plastic will be applied to various types of products including containers, industrial supplies, disposables, and medical supplies. However, the bio-plastic is still in its infancy, thus more research and understanding should be followed to put it to application. Bio-plastic is considered as environment-friendly material with high potential which has the advantages of production and disposal.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.953-987
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• 2013

This study aimed at identifying level of self-sufficiency, and support need for it in rural multicultural families. Frist, the level of self-sufficiency in rural multicultural families was the lowest in a information sub-area, whereas it was the highest in a socio-psychological relation sub-area. Second, the chi-square test showed that the level of assistant request for a cost-of-living allowance was high in the multicultural family group received the medical social security(MSS) or not prepared the expenditure for children education or the golden years. Whereas the level of assistant request for the education of marketing or agricultural technology was high in the multicultural family group not received MSS or prepared the expenditure for children education or the golden years. Third, rate of PC ownership in the rural multicultural families was lower than that of national whole. and difference of it according to the living characteristics uch as MSS was not statistically significant. Fourth, difference in level of assistant request for children education and social dimension according to the living characteristics such as MSS was not statistically significant. It means that assistant request for children education and social dimension have universality without distinction the living characteristics such as MSS. And to conclude, support for self-sufficiency in rural multicultural families should be selective approach with discriminative or integrational viewpoint according to the living characteristics such as MSS or area of self-sufficiency. Findings of this study may be used as a basic material to establish the policy supporting self-sufficiency in rural multicultural families.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 1988

It is very important to supply safe drinking water for rural area not only a prevention of entric diseases but also a promotion of health life. It is estimated that 6,981,000 rural inhabitants were covered by the simple piped water supply system at the end of 1987 in Korea. The programme for improvement of water supply system in rural villages was initiated by the government since 1967. But most of these systems have been operated carelessly by the hands of villagers who have no proper knowledge and experience. Since most of water sources were located nearby farmland, there might be a possibility that the sources could be contaminated by pesticides and fertilizers. For this reason, it is recommended to take underground water as a water source rather than surface water such as a pond or streamwater in rural areas. However, the system is supplied from the surface water, its water quality can be improved by using of simple sand filter and simple chlorinator inexpensively. On the basis of an on-site study, conducted during 1986-87, in San-Buk Village, Keum-Sa-Myon, Yeju-Gun, Kyong-Gi-Do, the new simple piped water supply system was designed by the Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University, and constructed by the villagers themselves in September 1987. This simple system which is protected by metal fences consists of three main parts, pump house, vertical sand filter and water tank. The pumped water from underground flows into the upper part of the sand filter, through the sand, and out the water tank which is connected to the bottom of vertical filter. And the simple plastic-bottle chlorinator was installed in the water tank for chlorination. The water quality was remarkably improved after completion of construction. The total bacterial count was not detected from the tap water in households distributed by this simple piped water supply system. The construction cost of this system which was connected 34 households in San-Buk Village, was 4,851,000 won (approximately 6,020 U.S. dollars : 1$=805.8 won) in 1987,77% of expenses was supported by the Community Development Foundation in Korea. This case study for simple piped water supply projects will be applicable to other programme for improvement of water supply system in rural areas of Korea, and other developing countries.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.569-586
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• 2017

We inoculated a spent mushroom substrate from Flammulina velutipes (SMSF) with a microbial additive and assessed the effects on chemical composition, ruminal fermentation parameters, and total-tract nutrient digestibility. In Exp. 1, three cannulated Hanwoo steers were used in an in situ trial to determine the degradation kinetics of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP). In Exp. 2, three Hanwoo steers were randomly assigned to experimental diets according to a $3{\times}3$ Latin square for a 3-week period (2 weeks for adaptation and 1 week for sample collection). Experimental diets included the control diet (3.75 kg/d formulated concentrate mixture + 1.25 kg/d rice straw), SMSF diet (3.19 kg/d formulated concentrate mixture + 1.25 kg/d rice straw + 0.56 kg/d SMSF), and inoculated SMSF (ISMSF) diet (3.19 kg/d formulated concentrate mixture + 1.25 kg/d rice straw + 0.56 kg/d ISMSF). The chemical composition of ISMSF did not differ from that of SMSF. Microbial additive inoculation decreased pH (P<0.05) and improved preservation for SMSF. The percentages of DM, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) in ISMSF were slightly lesser than those in SMSF. Ruminal fermentation characteristics and total-tract nutrient digestibility were not affected by diet. Overall, microbial additive inoculation improved preservation for SMSF and may allow improved digestion in the rumen; however, the total digestible nutrients (TDN) of SMSF and ISMSF diets were slightly lesser than the control diet. The ISMSF can be used as an alternative feedstuff to partially replace formulated concentrate feed.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.471-484
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• 2017

The present study explored factors that influence consumers' benefit expectancy about telemedicine service. Responses from a national online survey of 927 adults (aged 19-59), collected in January 2016, were analyzed with multiple regression analysis. The results revealed: (1) Health consciousness positively influenced all three benefit expectancies (all ps < .05); (2) Doctor-patient communication efficacy positively influenced expectancy for convenience improvement (${\beta}=.107$, p < .01) and service quality improvement (${\beta}=.086$, p < .05); (3) Use of health-related smart applications contributed to positive expectancy for service quality improvement (${\beta}=.081$, p < .05) and cost-saving (${\beta}=.067$, p < .05). Some of the relationships were moderated by gender and residence. This convergence study, which examined public's perception about telemedicine from the perspectives of consumer psychology, media, and public health, provides practical implications to promote telemedicine service and educate consumers about it.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.305-311
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• 2017

Objectives: TNM staging, especially for lymph node metastasis, is the scoring system most widely used among prognostic factors for cancer survival. Several biomarkers have been studied as serologic markers, but their specificity is low and clinical applications are difficult. This study aimed to establish a scoring system for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using platelet (PLT) and mean platelet volume (MPV) levels measured postoperatively and to evaluate their significance as prognostic factors. Materials and Methods: We studied 40 patients admitted to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Dankook University Hospital who were diagnosed with primary OSCC histopathologically between May 2006 and May 2012. Clinical pathological information obtained from the medical records of each patient included age, sex, height, weight, tumor location, degree of differentiation, tumor diameter, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and other test values including white blood cell, MPV, PLT, C-reactive protein (CRP), and albumin obtained through a test conducted within 7 days before surgery. Count of platelet (COP)-MPV Score: Patients with both PLT and MPV values below the cut-off values were defined as score 0 (group A). Patients with at least one of the two higher than the cut-off value were defined as score 1 (group B). Results: Univariate analyses showed N-metastasis, COP-MPV (A vs B), PLT, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, and CRP were statistically significant prognostic factors. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model showed N-metastasis (hazard ratio [HR] 6.227, P=0.016) and COP-MPV (A vs B) (HR 18.992, P=0.013) were independent prognostic factors with a significant effect on survival. Conclusion: COP-MPV score is a simple and cost-effective test method and is considered a more effective prognostic factor than other considered factors in predicting the prognosis of OSCC patients.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.221-229
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• 2015

Background: Minor ginsenosides, those having low content in ginseng, have higher pharmacological activities. To obtain minor ginsenosides, the biotransformation of American ginseng protopanaxadiol (PPD)-ginsenoside was studied using special ginsenosidase type-I from Aspergillus niger g.848. Methods: DEAE (diethylaminoethyl)-cellulose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used in enzyme purification, thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used in enzyme hydrolysis and kinetics; crude enzyme was used in minor ginsenoside preparation from PPD-ginsenoside; the products were separated with silica-gel-column, and recognized by HPLC and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance). Results: The enzyme molecular weight was 75 kDa; the enzyme firstly hydrolyzed the C-20 position 20-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc of ginsenoside Rb1, then the C-3 position 3-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc with the pathway $Rb1{\rightarrow}Rd{\rightarrow}F2{\rightarrow}C-K$. However, the enzyme firstly hydrolyzed C-3 position 3-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc of ginsenoside Rb2 and Rc, finally hydrolyzed 20-O-L-Ara with the pathway $Rb2{\rightarrow}C-O{\rightarrow}C-Y{\rightarrow}C-K$, and $Rc{\rightarrow}C-Mc1{\rightarrow}C-Mc{\rightarrow}C-K$. According to enzyme kinetics, $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ of Michaelis-Menten equation, the enzyme reaction velocities on ginsenosides were Rb1 > Rb2 > Rc > Rd. However, the pure enzyme yield was only 3.1%, so crude enzyme was used for minor ginsenoside preparation. When the crude enzyme was reacted in 3% American ginseng PPD-ginsenoside (containing Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd) at $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.0 for 18 h, the main products were minor ginsenosides C-Mc, C-Y, F2, and C-K; average molar yields were 43.7% for C-Mc from Rc, 42.4% for C-Y from Rb2, and 69.5% for F2 and C-K from Rb1 and Rd. Conclusion: Four monomer minor ginsenosides were successfully produced (at low-cost) from the PPD-ginsenosides using crude enzyme.

• Journal of KIISE
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• v.43 no.12
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• pp.1437-1457
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• 2016

In outsourced databases, the cloud provides an authorized user with querying services on the outsourced database. However, sensitive data, such as financial or medical records, should be encrypted before being outsourced to the cloud. Meanwhile, k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN) query is the typical query type which is widely used in many fields and the result of the kNN query is closely related to the interest and preference of the user. Therefore, studies on secure kNN query processing algorithms that preserve both the data privacy and the query privacy have been proposed. However, existing algorithms either suffer from high computation cost or leak data access patterns because retrieved index nodes and query results are disclosed. To solve these problems, in this paper we propose a new kNN query processing algorithm on the encrypted database. Our algorithm preserves both data privacy and query privacy. It also hides data access patterns while supporting efficient query processing. To achieve this, we devise an encrypted index search scheme which can perform data filtering without revealing data access patterns. Through the performance analysis, we verify that our proposed algorithm shows better performance than the existing algorithms in terms of query processing times.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.47-69
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• 1990

The measures taken to reform the Dutch health insurance system hold valuable lessons for countries such as Korea, where there has been increased concern regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the health services provided. The growing literature on comparative health insurance policies suggests that nations can learn from each other. In addition, Korean policymakers have shown great interest in the health insurance systems of foreign countries, particularly in Japan. The development of Korea's health insurance scheme during the past 12 years has made a significant contribution to the increased accessibility of health care services. Although the insurance coverage is universal, the health insurance system today in Korea is by no means a product of systematic and planned efforts. Moreover, it lacks due considerations of insured's needs as well as the long-term objectives of the social security health care system. There are growing gaps in premium burdens and benefits between the rural health insurance program and the employee's health insurance programs. Furthermore, the regional health insurance program is experiencing financial difficulties in spite of the fact that the amount of the government subsidy has been sharply increased in recent years. Under the present payment method solely based on the fee-for-service schedule, both consumers and providers are encouraged to utilize and prescribe more services. The combination of the utilization-inducing reimbursement system and continuous pushes for expanding health insurance has played a crucial role in raising the country's medical bills. Current trends in Korea's health care sector and those anticipated in the near future necessitate changes in the structure and funding of health care. As indicated in the above, there are various shortcomings in this context, the health policy authority in Korea can draw valuable lessons from the Dutch experiences in reforming their health insurance system. The main elements of the Dutch reform measures are a restructuring of the insurance system and a greater role for market forces in the health care system. On this basis a new system will be created which reflects the social nature of health care while at the same time containing sufficient mechanisms to allow the health care sector to operate in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.22 no.2 s.55
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• pp.98-105
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• 1983

The rapid increase in cases of insect resistance to insecticides indicates that the contribution of present chemical control practices inevitably leads to exhaustion of available insecticide resources against key insect species. Now the problem of insecticide resistance exists worldwide among insects and mites affecting field crops and animals including human beings, ranging from minimal or absent in some developing countries, where use of insecticides has been low, to extremely severe in many developed countries. Since the occurrence of insect resistance to insecticides was firstly recognized in 1908, the increase in recent decades has been almost linear and now the number of species of insects and acarines in which resistant strains have evolved have been increased to a total of 432. Of these, $261(60\%)$ are agricultural importance and $171(40\%)$ of medical/veterinary importance. The phenomenon of insecticide resistance is asserting itself as the greatest challenge to effective chemical control of many important insect pests. Resistance of insects to insecticides has a history of nearly 80 years, but its greatest increase and its strongest impact have occurred during the last 40 years following the discovery and extensive use of synthetic organic insecticides and acaricides. The impact of resistance should be considered not only in terms of greater cost of pest control due to increased dosages and number of applications but also in terms of the ecological disruption of pest-beneficial species density relationships, the loss of investment in the development of the insecticides concerned, and socio-economic disruption in agricultural communities. Despite its grave economic consequences, the phenomenon of insecticide resistance has received surprisingly little attention in Korea. Since the study of insecticides started firstly in 1963, many entomologists have been concerned with this study. According to their results, some of the rice pests and some of the mites on orchard trees, for example, have developed worrisome level of resistance in several areas of this peninsula. With many arthropods, considerable advances in the developed countries have been made in the study of the biochemical and physiological mechanisms of resistance. Progress involves the biochemical characteristics of specific defense mechanisms, their genetics, interactions, and their quantitative and qualitative contribution to resistance. But their studies arc still inadequately known and relatively little have been contributed in terms of unique schemes of population management in achieving satisfactory pest control. It is apparent that there is no easy solution to resistance as a general phenomenon. For future challenging to effective control of insect pests which are resistant to the insecticides concerned, new insecticide groups with distinctly novel mode of action are urgently needed. It is clear, however, that a great understanding of the factors which govern the intensity of selection of field population for resistance could lead to far more permanently successive use of chemicals within the framework of integrated pest management than heretofore practiced.