• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.397-402
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• 1998

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the phenomenon of diaschisis in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex in patients with pure basal ganglia hemorrhage using cerebral blood flow SPECT. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients with pure basal ganglia hemorrhage were studied with Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT. Asymmetric index (AI) was calculated in the cerebellum and cerebral cortical regions as |$C_R-C_L$/$(C_R-C_L){\times}200$, where $C_R$and $C_L$ are the mean reconstructed counts for the right and left ROIs, respectively. Hypoperfusion was considered to be present when AI was greater than mean +2 SD of 20 control subjects. Results: Mean AI of the cerebellum and cerebral cortical regions in patients with pure basal ganglia hemorrhage was significantly higher than normal controls (p<0.05): Cerebellum ($18.68{\pm}8.94$ vs $4.35{\pm}0.94$, $mean{\pm}SD$), thalamus ($31.91{\pm}10.61$ vs $2.57{\pm}1.45$), basal ganglia ($35.94{\pm}16.15$ vs $4.34{\pm}2.08$), parietal ($18.94{\pm}10.69$ vs $3.24{\pm}0.87$), frontal ($13.60{\pm}10.5$ vs $4.02{\pm}2.04$) and temporal cortex ($15.92{\pm}11.95$ vs $5.13{\pm}1.69$). Ten of the 12 patients had significant hypoperfusion in the contralateral cerebellum. Hypoperfusion was also shown in the ipsilateral thalamus (n=12), ipsilateral parietal (n=12), frontal (n=6) and temporal cortex (n=10). Conclusion: Crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) and cortical diaschisis may frequently occur in patients with pure basal ganglia hemorrhage, suggesting that CCD can develop without the interruption of corticopontocerebellar pathway.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.541-549
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• 2008

Background: Vasoconstrictor-induced reduction in arterial graft diameter can cause significant flow deprivation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vasodilator pretreatment on vasoconstrictor-induced blood vessel spasm in vitro. Material and Method: Rabbit brachial arteries (BA) and celiac arteries (CA) were cut into rings $(3{\sim}4mm)$ and suspended with a force displacement transducer (TSD $125C^{(R)}$, Biopac Inc. USA) in a tissue bath filled with 5 mL modified Krebs solution bubbled with 5% $CO_2$ and 95% $O_2\;at\;38^{\circ}C$. The rings were contracted with vasoconstrictors, and the developed tension changes were considered control values. The rings were then pre- treated with $30{\mu}M$ nitroglycerin, nicardipine, verapamil, and papaverine, respectively, for 40 minutes and rinsed with the physiologic buffered salt solution three times every 15 min. The vasoconstrictor-induced tension changes after the previous procedure were considered experimental values. Data are expressed as the percentage tension induced by vasoconstrictors before and after pretreatment with vasodilators. Result: Nicardipine depressed vasoconstriction induced by norepinephrine, angiotensin II (All), and U46619 in both the BA and the CA more significantly than did nitroglycerin (p<0.01) and verapamil (p<0.05). Verapamil depressed vasoconstriction induced by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT), All, and U46619 in the BA and by 5HT in the CA more significantly than did nitroglycerin (p<0.01). Conclusion: These findings suggest that both nicardipine and verapamil effectively depressed vasoconstrictor action. Nicardipine is thought to be more effective than verapamil for the prevention of vasoconstrictor action.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10407-10412
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• 2015

Background: ${\beta}$-elemene, extracted from herb medicine Curcuma wenyujin has potent anti-tumor effects in various cancer cell lines. However, the activity of ${\beta}$-elemene against glioma cells remains unclear. In the present study, we assessed effects of ${\beta}$-elemene on human glioma cells and explored the underlying mechanism. Materials and Methods: Human glioma U87 cells were used. Cell proliferation was determined with MTT assay and colony formation assay to detect the effect of ${\beta}$-elemene at different doses and times. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe cell apoptosis with Hoechst 33258 staining and change of glioma apoptosis and cell cycling were analyzed by flow cytometry. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western-blotting assay were performed to investigated the influence of ${\beta}$-elemene on expression levels of Fas/FasL, caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax. The experiment was divided into two groups: the blank control group and ${\beta}$-elemne treatment group. Results: With increase in the concentration of ${\beta}$-elemene, cytotoxic effects were enhanced in the glioma cell line and the concentration of inhibited cell viability ($IC_{50}$) was $48.5{\mu}g/mL$ for 24h. ${\beta}$-elemene could induce cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. With Hoechst 33258 staining, apoptotic nuclear morphological changes were observed. Activation of caspase-3,-8 and -9 was increased and the pro-apoptotic factors Fas/FasL and Bax were upregulated, while the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was downregulated after treatment with ${\beta}$-elemene at both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, proliferation and colony formation by U87 cells were inhibited by ${\beta}$-elemene in a time and does-dependent manner. Conclusions: Our results indicate that ${\beta}$-elemene inhibits growth and induces apoptosis of human glioma cells in vitro. The induction of apoptosis appears to be related with the upregulation of Fas/FasL and Bax, activation of caspase-3,-8 and -9 and downregulation of Bcl-2, which then trigger major apoptotic cascades.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.467-474
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• 2014

Objective: To observe the effects of allogeneic and autologous transfusion on cellular immunity, humoral immunity and secretion of serum inflammatory factors and perforin during the perioperative period in patients with malignant tumors. Methods: A total of 80 patients (age: 38-69 years; body weight: 40-78 kg; ASA I - II) receiving radical operation for gastro-intestinal cancer under general anesthesia were selected. All the patients were divided into four groups based on the methods of infusion and blood transfusion: blank control group (Group C), allogeneic transfusion group (group A), hemodiluted autotransfusion Group (Group H) and hemodiluted autotransfusion + allogenic transfusion Group (A+H group). Venous blood was collected when entering into the surgery room ($T_0$), immediately after surgery ($T_1$) and 24h ($T_2$), 3d ($T_3$) and 7d ($T_4$) after surgery, respectively. Moreover, flow cytometry was applied to assess changes of peripheral blood T cell subpopulations and NK cells. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays were performed to determine levels of IL-2, IL-10, TNF-${\alpha}$ and perforin. Immune turbidimetry was employed to determine the changes in serum immunoglobulin. Results: Both CD3+ and NK cells showed a decrease at $T_1$ and $T_2$ in each group, among which, in group A, CD3+ decreased significantly at $T_2$ (P<0.05) compared with other groups, and CD3+ and NK cell reduced obviously only in group A at $T_3$ and $T_4$ (P<0.05). CD4+ cells and the ratio of D4+/CD8+ were decreased in groups A, C and A+H at $T_1$ and $T_2$ (P<0.05). No significant intra- and inter-group differences were observed in CD8+ of the four groups (P<0.05). IL-2 declined in group C at $T_1$ and $T_2$ (P<0.05) and showed a decrease in group A at each time point (P<0.05). Moreover, IL-2 decreased in group A + H only at $T_1$. No significant difference was found in each group at $T_1$ (P<0.05). More significant decrease in group ?? at $T_2$, $T_3$ and $T_4$ compared with group A (P<0.05), and there were no significant differences among other groups (P>0.05). IL-10 increased at $T_1$ and $T_2$ in each group (P<0.05), in which it had an obvious increase in group A, and increase of IL-10 occurred only in group A at $T_3$ and $T_4$ (P<0.05). TNF-${\alpha}$ level rose at $T_1$ (P<0.05), no inter- and intra-group difference was found in perforin in all groups (P<0.05). Compared with the preoperation, both IgG and IgA level decreased at $T_1$ in each group (P<0.05), and they declined only in Group A at $T_2$ and $T_3$ (P<0.05), and these parameters were back to the preoperative levels in other groups. No significant differences were observed between preoperative and postoperative IgG and IgA levels in each group at $T_4$ (P>0.05). No obvious inter- and intra-group changes were found in IgM in the four groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: Allogeneic transfusion during the perioperative period could obviously decrease the number of T cell subpopulations and NK cells and the secretion of stimulating cytokines and increase the secretion of inhibiting cytokines in patients with malignant tumors, thus causing a Th1/Th2 imbalance and transient decreasing in the content of plasma immune globulin. Autologous transfusion has little impact and may even bring about some improvement oo postoperative immune function in patients with tumors. Therefore, cancer patients should receive active autologous transfusion during the perioperative period in place of allogeneic transfusion.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4773-4780
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• 2014

Background: To investigate the effects of small interference RNA (siRNA) targeting BCR/ABL mRNA on proliferation and apoptosis in the K562 human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line and to provide a theoretical rationale and experimental evidence for its potential clinical application for anti-CML treatment. Materials and Methods: The gene sequence for BCR/ABL mRNA was found from the GeneBank. The target gene site on the BCR/ABL mRNA were selected according to Max-Planck-Institute (MPI) and rational siRNA design rules, the secondary structure of the candidate targeted mRNA was predicted, the relevant thermodynamic parameters were analyzed, and the targeted gene sequences were compared with BLAST to eliminate any sequences with significant homology. Inhibition of proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay and colony-formation inhibiting test. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry (FCM) and the morphology of apoptotic cells was identified by Giemsa-Wright staining. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of BCR/ABL fusion protein in K562 cells after siRNA treatment. Results: The mRNA local secondary structure calculated by RNA structure software, and the optimal design of specific siRNA were contributed by bioinformatics rules. Five sequences of BCR/ABL siRNAs were designed and synthesized in vitro. Three sequences, siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786, which showed the most effective inhibition of K562 cell growth, were identified among the five candidate siRNAs, with a cell proliferative inhibitory rate nearly 50% after exposure to 12.5nmol/L~50nmol/L siRNA1384 for 24,48 and 72 hours. The 50% inhibitory concentrations ($IC_{50}$) of siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786 for 24hours were 46.6 nmol/L, 59.3 nmol/L and 62.6 nmol/L, respectively, and 65.668 nmol/L, 76.6 nmol/L, 74.4 nmol/L for 72 hours. The colony-formation inhibiting test also indicated that, compared with control, cell growth of siRNA treated group was inhibited. FCM results showed that the rate of cell apoptosis increased 24 hours after transfecting siRNA. The results of annexinV/PI staining indicated that the rate of apoptosis imcreased (1.53%, 15.3%, 64.5%, 57.5% and 21.5%) following treamtne with siRNAs (siRNA34, siRNA372, siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786). Morphological analysis showed td typical morphologic changes of apoptosis such as shrunken, fragmentation nucleus as well as "apoptotic bodies" after K562 cell exposure to siRNA. Western blot analysis showed that BCR/ABL protein was reduced sharply after a single dose of 50nmol/L siRNA transfection. Conclusions: Proliferation of K562 cells was remarkbly inhibited by siRNAs (siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786) in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro, with effective induction of apoptosis at a concentration of 50 nmol/L. One anti-leukemia mechanism in K562 cells appeared that BCR/ABL targeted protein was highly down-regulated. The siRNAs (siRNA1384, siRNA1276 and siRNA1786) may prove valuable in the treatment of CML.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2005

We estimated the loadings of nitrogen and phosphorus flowing into Gwangyang Bay front river for monthly interval from April to December of 2003. We analyzed the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in water and estimated the flowing rates of fresh water in 34 rivers. The amounts of water flowing into the Gwdngyang Bay from Sum-Jin River was 51-76％ in the total inflow of the river. The river water over 96％ of discharge was from Sumjin River, Dong River, Ju-Kyo River, Seo River and Shinkyum River. The flowing patterns of nitrogen and phosphorus into Gwangyang Bay were similar to the flowing of river. The nitrogen and phosphorus loadings into the Bay were higher in July and August than in dry seasons. In particular, the concentrations of phosphorus were high in Namshu River, Deukyang River and Kilho River sewage during in dry seasons. The range of DIN and TN loadings from Sumjim River were 46-66％ and 36-64％, respectively. The loading of DIP and TP from Sumjim River were 2-55％ and 12-67％, respectively. These results show that the most efficient control of N. p flow into Gwangyang Bay is to restrain the inflows of N, p from Namshu River, Deukyang River and Kilho River and to restrain the flows of N, p from Dong River, Ju-Kyo River and industrial plant. The DIN/DIP atom ratio in river water was about 18 in July and August, while the ratio was more higher in dry seasons than July and August of rainy seasons. The TN/TP atom ratio in river water was about 7 in rainy seasons, while the ratios were higher than 100 in the other months of dry seasons.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.199-207
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• 2002

Purpose : Since the successful application of total atrio-pulmonary connection(TAPC) to patients with various types of physiologic single ventricles in 1971, post-operative survival rates have reached more than 90%. However some patients have been shown to present with late complications such as right atrial thrombosis, atrial fibrillation and protein losing enteropathy eventually leading to re-operation to control the long-term complications. The aim of this study is to review the results of total cavo-pulmonary connection(TCPC) in cases with late complications after TAPC. Methods : Between Jan. 1995 and Dec. 2000, 6 patients(5 males and 1 female) underwent cardiac catheterization $11{\pm}3$ months after conversion of previous TAPC to TCPC. We compared the hemodynamic and morphologic parameters before and after TCPC and also assessed the clinical outcomes. The indications for TAPC were tricuspid atresia in 4 cases and complex double-outlet right ventricle with single ventricle physiology in 2 cases. Results : There was no peri-operative mortality and all patients were clinically and hemodynamically improved at a mean follow-up of 11 months(range : 4 to 13). However, protein losing enteropathy recurred in 2 patients; this was were successfully treated with subcutaneous administration of heparin. Right atrial pressure before TCPC was $18.0{\pm}3.6mmHg$, but baffle pressure, corresponding to right atrial pressure decreased to $14.8{\pm}3.6mmHg$ after TCPC. The size of the pulmonary arteries did not regress after TCPC. Conclusion : The conversion of TAPC to TCPC improves clinical and hemodynamic status by decreasing the right atrial pressure and by providing a laminar cavo-pulmonary flow which enhances the effective pulmonary circulation in the so-called Fontan circulation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.189-200
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• 1991

During the past few years it has been proposed that lithium clearance can be used as a reliable measure for the outflow of tubular fluid from the proximal tubule. This study was aimed to characterize the inflow dependent reabsorption of Na in renal tubule beyond the proximal tubule. For this purpose, lithium clearance was used as a measure for the inflow from the proximal tubule and the changes in reabsorption fraction of Na and water were determined in rabbits. Rabbits were pretreated with hypotonic saline solutions for an hour (50 mM/L NaCl, 20 ml/hr/kg). And then a hypertonic solution of 500 mM/L NaCl (20 ml/kg) was administered intraperitoneally in conjunction with a bolus of LiCl solution (2 mM/kg, i.v.) for conditioning the $C_{Li}$ and urine flow rate. To rule out the effect of $Li^+$ on tubular functions, a bolus of NaCl solution (2 mM/kg, i.v.) was administered. Fifteen, thirty, and sixty minutes after injection of hypertonic saline arterial blood and urine samples were taken. Urinary and plasma concentrations as well as urinary output of $Li^+,\;Na^+\;and\;K^+$ were measured. From these $C_{Li},\;C_{Na}$ and the reabsorption fraction of Na and water $(Fr_{Na}\;&\;FrH_2O)$ were calculated. These results were compared with those from control groups in which the same amount of isotonic saline (145 mM/L NaCl) and of 15% dextran solution were administered in the same way as that in experimental group. Followings are the results obtained. 1) The plasma concentration of $Na^+$ in rabbits injected with hypertonic saline reached the peak value after 15 min and thereafter no significant change was observed. Hematocrit values did not show any change, while urinary excretion of $Na^+$ increased markedly during the first 15 min and decreased thereafter. These results were not affected by an injection of a small amount of LiCl. 2) The clearances of $Li^+,\;Na^+\;and\;K^+$ in rabbits injected with hypertonic saline and LiCl solution decreased. 3) In spite of the variation in $C_{Li},\;Fr_{Na}$ did not show any significant change while $FrH_2O$ increased gradually. 4) $C_{Li}$ decreased also in rabbits received isotonic saline. $Fr_{Na}$ tended to be higher than that in hypertonic saline group, while $FrH_2O\;and\;Fr_{Na}$ did not associated with the decrease in $C_{Li}$. 5) $C_{Li}$ of the rabbits received dextran solution fluctuated persistently and $Fr_{Na}\;and\;FrH_2O$ did not change in along with $C_{Li}$ although $Fr_{Na}$ had a tendency to be higher than that in hypertonic saline group. 6) From the above results it was concluded that: (a) In rabbits with normal body store of $Na^+$, the $Fr_{Na}$ of renal tubule beyond proximal tubule. calculated from $C_{Li}$ as a measure of inflow from proximal tubule is constant in spite of variations in $C_{Li}$. (b) The $FrH_2O$ calculated from $C_{Li}$ is dependent largely upon ADH rather than inflow from proximal tubule. (c) When there is a decrease in plasma $Na^+$ concentration or ineffective body fluid. $Li^+$ reabsorption may occur in the thick segnent of Henle's loop and hence the determination of $Fr_{Na}$ and $FrH_2O$ will not be easy one, but $Fr_{Na}$ is constant under the same experimental conditions.

• The Transactions of the Korea Information Processing Society
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• v.4 no.12
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• pp.3159-3174
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• 1997

This paper reports a research to develop a methodology and a tool for understanding of very large and complex real-time software. The methodology and the tool mostly developed by the author are called the Architecture-based Real-time Software Understanding (ARSU) and the Software Re/reverse-engineering Environment (SRE) respectively. Due to size and complexity, it is commonly very hard to understand the software during reengineering process. However the research facilitates scalable re/reverse-engineering of such real-time software based on the architecture of the software in three-dimensional perspectives: structural, functional, and behavioral views. Firstly, the structural view reveals the overall architecture, specification (outline), and the algorithm (detail) views of the software, based on hierarchically organized parent-chi1d relationship. The basic building block of the architecture is a software Unit (SWU), generated by user-defined criteria. The architecture facilitates navigation of the software in top-down or bottom-up way. It captures the specification and algorithm views at different levels of abstraction. It also shows the functional and the behavioral information at these levels. Secondly, the functional view includes graphs of data/control flow, input/output, definition/use, variable/reference, etc. Each feature of the view contains different kind of functionality of the software. Thirdly, the behavioral view includes state diagrams, interleaved event lists, etc. This view shows the dynamic properties or the software at runtime. Beside these views, there are a number of other documents: capabilities, interfaces, comments, code, etc. One of the most powerful characteristics of this approach is the capability of abstracting and exploding these dimensional information in the architecture through navigation. These capabilities establish the foundation for scalable and modular understanding of the software. This approach allows engineers to extract reusable components from the software during reengineering process.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.25-49
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• 2009

Advances in technology have resulted in the emergence of new information systems. The convergence of IT and manufacturing sectors has blurred the boundaries among industries. Also, such convergence has become established as a paradigm to build a new area. Especially the convergence of broadcasting and telecommunication, notably in the case of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), is among the most salient examples of its kind in recent years as a major case of disruptive technology innovation. Despite its much fanfare, such convergence, however, has not fulfilled the expectation; it has not produced positive economic effects while negatively affecting the growth of IPIV. Stakeholders in and around IPIV including telecommunication companies, broadcasting corporations, and government bodies wish to gain control of IPTV under their wings. IPTV has drifted in the midst of conflicts among the stakeholders in and around IPTV, particularly telecommunication and broadcasting organizations in a broad sense. Our empirical research intends to deal with how audiences accept IPTV and how firms provide IPTV services to utilize their resources. Three research questions in this paper include, first, whether Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) can sufficiently explain the acceptance of IPTV as an information system. The second question concerns with empirically testing the playful aspect of IPTV to increase its audience acceptance. Last, but not least, this paper deals with how firms can efficiently and effectively allocate their limited resources to increase IPTV viewers. To answer those three main questions of our study, we collect data from 197 current subscribers of high speed internet service and/or cable/satellite television. Empirical results show that 'perceived usefulness (PU) $\rightarrow$ Intention to use' and 'perceived ease of use (PEU) $\rightarrow$ Intention to use' are significant. Also, 'perceived ease of use' is significantly related to 'perceived usefulness.' Perceived ease of handling IPTV without much effort can positively influence the perceived value of IPTV. In this regard, engineers and designers of IPTV should pay more attention to the user-friendly interface of IPTV. In addition, 'perceived playfulness (PP)' of IPTV is positively related to 'intention to use'. Flow, fun and entertainment have recently gained greater attention in the research concerned with information systems. Such attention is due to the changing features of information systems in recent years that combine the functional and leisure attributes. These results give practical implications to the design of IPTV that reflects not just leisure but also functional elements. This paper also investigates the relationship between 'perceived ease of use (PEU)' and 'perceived playfulness (PP).' PEU is positively related to pp. Audiences without fear can be attracted more easily to the user-friendly IPTV, thereby perceiving the fun and entertainment with ease. Practical implications from this finding are that, to attract more interest and involvement from the audience, IPTV needs to be designed with similar or even more user friendly interface. Of the factors related to 'intention to use', 'perceived usefulness (PU)' and 'perceived ease of use (PEU)' have greater impacts than 'perceived playfulness (PP).' Between PU and PEU, their impacts on 'intention to use' are not significantly different statistically. Managerial implications of this finding are that firms in preparation for the launch of IPTV service should prioritize the functions and interface of IPTV. This empirical paper also provides further insight into the ways in which firms can strategically allocate their limited resources so as to appeal to viewers, both current and potential, of IPTV.