• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2011

The dietary intake of whole grains is known to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. To investigate whether there are anti-adipogenic activities in various Korean cereals, we assessed water extracts of nine cereals. The results showed that treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with Sorghum bicolor L. Moench, Setaria italica Beauvois, or Panicum miliaceum L. extract significantly inhibited adipocyte differentiation, as determined by measuring oil red-O staining, triglyceride accumulation, and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. Among the nine cereals, P. miliaceum L. showed the highest anti-adipogenic activity. The effects of P. miliaceum L. on mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-${\gamma}$, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1, and the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-${\alpha}$ were evaluated revealing that the extract significantly decreased the expression of these genes in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, P. miliaceum L. extract changed the ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids in adipocytes, which is related to biological activity and cell characteristics. These results suggest that some cereals efficiently suppress adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In particular, the effect of P. miliaceum L. on adipocyte differentiation is associated with the downregulation of adipogenic genes and fatty acid accumulation in adipocytes.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.23-51
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• 2009

This research alms at quantifying economic impacts of free trading policy on environment-friendly fuel industry applying a static general equilibrium (CGE) model for Korea. Theoretically, 'polluters haven' hypothesis had been debated as major issue on the environmental effects of trade liberalization during 1970s and 1980s but recent literature emphasizes that production, scale, structural, and regulatory effects may derive rapid diffusion of environment friendly technologies. In this study, trade liberalization policy affects output of agricultural sectors negatively while that of biodiesel as environment-friendly technology positively. The rise m the output of biodiesel is derived from the reduction in import prices of agricultural products due to the abolishment of tariff. The policy implication from the analysis is that feedstock for producing biodiesel should be exploited in the foreign countries where productivity of agriculture is quite predominant compared to Korean agriculture.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.453-472
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• 2014

Analyzing the effects of carbon emissions trading, which is scheduled to be introduced in Korea in 2015, requires an accurate assessment of $CO_2$ abatement costs by both industries and firms. Firms faced with regulatory constraints are unlikely to minimize their production costs due to rising production costs caused by allocative inefficiency of inputs. The use of a distance function would results in underestimation of $CO_2$ abatement costs, because it fails to capture the allocative distortion costs. Recognizing the disadvantage of the previous approach, first, this paper tests for allocative efficiency of input for the Korean steel industry over the period 1990-2010, then derives the marginal $CO_2$ abatement costs by applying a cost function approach. The hypothesis of allocative efficiency in inputs is rejected and the steel industry pays an annual average cost of 92,000 won in removing an additional ton of $CO_2$ over the sample period.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.3-25
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• 2012

Generally speaking, firms, faced with a regulatory environment, are likely to use more or less inputs than optimal level due to allocative inefficiency of inputs. This paper, first, tests allocative efficiency of fuel inputs and calculates the divergence between the actual and optimal levels of each fuel input conditional on the optimal level of capital stock in Korean thermal power industry. Then, given that each fuel is efficiently allocated. potential reduction of $CO_2$ is estimated over the period 1987~2008. The null hypothesis of allocative efficiency with respect to all fuels is rejected, indicating that thermal power plants fail to attain cost minimization subject do market prices. Allocative efficiency between each pair of fuels is also tested; efficient uses of fuels relative to each other are all rejected. Empirical results indicate that coal and gas are used more and oil is used less than optimal level. On average, more than 10 million tons of $CO_2$ per year could be reduced by achieving allocative efficiency of fuels.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.199-228
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• 2011

In this study, the effect on the economy-energy-environment gap among regions of reducing GHGs is analyzed under various scenarios, using a multiregional dynamic CGE model. Regions in Korea are classified as six metropolitan areas. Scenarios are set in three cases such as self-regulatory measures, carbon tax and emissions trading scheme. The reduction target under each scenario is again classified according to volume basis and intensity basis. In results, self-regulation is shown to deepen the economic divide mostly, followed by a carbon tax, emissions trading scheme in order. This result could be interpreted such that a system based on market incentives gives less effect on the gap among regions. However, market incentives based system is expected to take time to build. Thus in implementing policies to increase short-term effects of the reduction targets, complementary policies are needed to reduce the regional devide.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.469-485
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• 2003

This paper reports on the results of epidemiological investigation of daily health effects in the elderly associated with daily exposure to particulate matters in Korea. Our main focus is on the potential difference in health effects between PM10 and PM2.5. While the Korean environmental authority has set an ambient standard for PM10, the government currently does not monitor PM2.5, which has no national standard. A daily data on respiratory symptoms as well as PM concentrations are collected for a total of 120 days. Using a probit model, we find statistically significant negative health effects of PM2.5 on respiratory symptoms among the nonsmoking elderly, while PM10 does not show such effects from the estimation. This result suggests that, for air quality regulatory purposes, PM2.5 can be a more appropriate air pollutant than PM10.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.127-131
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• 2020

In today's financial industry, Fintech (financial technology) has showed its role of an innovation-driving area, which can bring outstanding changes to the traditional financial market. This article will briefly introduce Fintech as well as its development in Vietnam. Besides, the research also provided a survey on experts' opinions on the challenges to the promotion of Fintech application for the modernization of the banking-finance system in Vietnam. The survey results of 40 experts in banking with knowledge of Fintech identify five challenges faced by Fintech companies in Vietnam: (1) legal corridor; (2) infrastructure; (3) Fintech companies; (4) customers; and (5) human resources. From these five challenges/barriers, there are 14 detailed aspects. The results of the expert survey using descriptive statistics show that all five factors are assessed to be low and need to be better addressed in the future. The authors suggest several solutions for further development of Fintech to support the modernization of the banking-finance system in Vietnam: (1) quickly complete the regulatory framework; (2) introduce policies on tax exemption; (3) promote research and application of the benefits of block-chain technology; (4) utilize the abilities of the human resources; and (5) actively promote and popularize knowledge about Fintech.

• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.11-20
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• 2019

Purpose - The study aims to substantiate the approaches and principles of forming a model of social and labor relations adequate to the modern conditions of economic development. Research design, data, and methodology - The article deals with the issues of legal regulation of social and labor relations in the labor market of Kazakhstan; describes the current model of labor relations and its basic parameters; determines the external and internal factors; specifically, the influence of the new labor law on its further development in the direction of democratization and the establishment of social partnership as a regulatory institution in the labor relations field. Result - Result is the model of the system of social and labor relations proposed by the author, which allows us to cover the multifaceted nature of this phenomenon, to unite the influence of the external environment and the internal complex of their mutual relations and interdependencies. Conclusion - The creation of an effective model of social and labor relations should proceed from the multifaceted nature of their manifestation. This means that the theoretical and methodological basis for their formation should be a comprehensive approach to solving the problems of transformation and interaction of social and economic components.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.1-15
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• 2010

This paper makes the case that a new policy strategy to enhance a global green recovery is needed urgently. The new strategy requires two essential elements. First, G20 economies should follow the lead of South Korea and China and turn their green stimulus investments into a serious long-term commitment, and to support these investments, they should adopt environmental pricing policies and instigate pricing and regulatory reforms to reduce carbon dependency. Second, the G20 also needs to target and coordinate assistance to developing economies in science, technology and innovation (STI) for clean energy. Such assistance is essential to help developing economies to overcome the skills, technological and capital gap that they face in clean energy technologies over the long term. Reform of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is also necessary to establish a long-term global price signal for carbon, and to increase the coverage of developing economies, the sectors and technologies and the overall financing of clean energy projects. Formulating such a policy strategy should appeal to both the Asian-Pacific and Western economies comprising the G20, and by working together to formulate such a strategy, the G20 could lead the way toward a new era of global economic management and STI cooperation in clean energy.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.49-80
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• 2011

E-government needs to be successfully implemented and assimilated into organizations to take advantage of its potential values and benefits for organizations. This study examines factors for e-government assimilation in Indonesia and employs the TOE (Technology-Organization-Environment) framework to develop a theoretical model to explain e-government assimilation. It also investigates how organizational type (central vs. local) plays a role in the assimilation of e-government. One hundred eighteen respondents from the central and local governments in Indonesia participated in the survey and an in-depth analysis based on partial least squares (PLS) was carried out. The results show that ICT infrastructure has the strongest significant relationship with e-government assimilation, Top management support, regulatory environment, ICT expertise, and competitive environment are also significant factors to explain e-government assimilation in Indonesia. Central and local governments Significantly differ in terms of e-government assimilation, so organizational type can be a moderator in the process of e-government assimilation. These findings present the efficacy of the proposed model for analyzing e-government assimilation and contribute additional insights for academia as well as practitioners and policy makers.