• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.427-441
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• 2022

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) serving as a separator that can prevent the permeation of unreacted fuels as well as an electrolyte that selectively transports protons from the anode to the cathode has been considered a key component of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The perfluorinated sulfonic acid-based PEMs, represented by Nafion®, have been commercialized in PEMFC systems due to their high proton conductivity and chemical stability. Nevertheless, these PEMs have several inherent drawbacks including high manufacturing costs by the complex synthetic processes and environmental problems caused by producing the toxic gases. Although numerous studies are underway to address these drawbacks including the development of sulfonated hydrocarbon polymer-based PEMs (SHP-PEMs), which can easily control the polymer structures, further improvement of PEM performances and durability is necessary for practical PEMFC applications. Therefore, this study focused on the various strategies for the development of SHP-PEMs with outstanding performance and durability by 1) introducing cross-linked structures, 2) incorporating organic/inorganic composites, and 3) fabricating reinforced-composite membranes using porous substrates.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.294-304
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• 2023

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether image standardization using deep learning-based computed tomography (CT) image conversion would improve the performance of deep learning-based automated hepatic segmentation across various reconstruction methods. Materials and Methods: We collected contrast-enhanced dual-energy CT of the abdomen that was obtained using various reconstruction methods, including filtered back projection, iterative reconstruction, optimum contrast, and monoenergetic images with 40, 60, and 80 keV. A deep learning based image conversion algorithm was developed to standardize the CT images using 142 CT examinations (128 for training and 14 for tuning). A separate set of 43 CT examinations from 42 patients (mean age, 10.1 years) was used as the test data. A commercial software program (MEDIP PRO v2.0.0.0, MEDICALIP Co. Ltd.) based on 2D U-NET was used to create liver segmentation masks with liver volume. The original 80 keV images were used as the ground truth. We used the paired t-test to compare the segmentation performance in the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and difference ratio of the liver volume relative to the ground truth volume before and after image standardization. The concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) was used to assess the agreement between the segmented liver volume and ground-truth volume. Results: The original CT images showed variable and poor segmentation performances. The standardized images achieved significantly higher DSCs for liver segmentation than the original images (DSC [original, 5.40%-91.27%] vs. [standardized, 93.16%-96.74%], all P < 0.001). The difference ratio of liver volume also decreased significantly after image conversion (original, 9.84%-91.37% vs. standardized, 1.99%-4.41%). In all protocols, CCCs improved after image conversion (original, -0.006-0.964 vs. standardized, 0.990-0.998). Conclusion: Deep learning-based CT image standardization can improve the performance of automated hepatic segmentation using CT images reconstructed using various methods. Deep learning-based CT image conversion may have the potential to improve the generalizability of the segmentation network.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2012

Nowadays, customer satisfaction has been one of company's major objectives, and the index to measure and communicate customer satisfaction has been generally accepted among business practices. The major issues of CSI(customer satisfaction index) are three questions, as follows: (a)what level of customer satisfaction is tolerable, (b)whether customer satisfaction and company performance has positive causality, and (c)what to do to improve customer satisfaction. Among these, the second issue is recently attracting academic research in several perspectives. On this study, the second issue will be addressed. Many researchers including Anderson have regarded customer satisfaction as core competencies, such as brand equity, customer equity. They want to verify following causality "customer satisfaction → market performance(market share, sales growth rate) → financial performance(operating margin, profitability) → corporate value performance(stock price, credit ratings)" based on the process model of marketing performance. On the other hand, Insoo Jeon and Aeju Jeong(2009) verified sequential causality based on the process model by the domestic data. According to the rejection of several hypotheses, they suggested the balance model of marketing performance as an alternative. The objective of this study, based on the existing process model, is to examine the causal relationship between customer satisfaction and corporate value performance. Anderson and Mansi(2009) proved the relationship between ACSI(American Customer Satisfaction Index) and credit ratings using 2,574 samples from 1994 to 2004 on the assumption that credit rating could be an indicator of a corporate value performance. The similar study(Sangwoon Yoon, 2010) was processed in Korean data, but it didn't confirm the relationship between KCSI(Korean CSI) and credit ratings, unlike the results of Anderson and Mansi(2009). The summary of these studies is in the Table 1. Two studies analyzing the relationship between customer satisfaction and credit ratings weren't consistent results. So, in this study we are to test the conflicting results of the relationship between customer satisfaction and credit ratings based on the research model considering Korean credit ratings. To prove the hypothesis, we suggest the research model as follows. Two important features of this model are the inclusion of important variables in the existing Korean credit rating system and government support. To control their influences on credit ratings, we included three important variables of Korean credit rating system and government support, in case of financial institutions including banks. ROA, ER, TA, these three variables are chosen among various kinds of financial indicators since they are the most frequent variables in many previous studies. The results of the research model are relatively favorable : R², F-value and p-value is .631, 233.15 and .000 respectively. Thus, the explanatory power of the research model as a whole is good and the model is statistically significant. The research model has good explanatory power, the regression coefficients of the KCSI is .096 as positive(+) and t-value and p-value is 2.220 and .0135 respectively. As a results, we can say the hypothesis is supported. Meanwhile, all other explanatory variables including ROA, ER, log(TA), GS_DV are identified as significant and each variables has a positive(+) relationship with CRS. In particular, the t-value of log(TA) is 23.557 and log(TA) as an explanatory variables of the corporate credit ratings shows very high level of statistical significance. Considering interrelationship between financial indicators such as ROA, ER which include total asset in their formula, we can expect multicollinearity problem. But indicators like VIF and tolerance limits that shows whether multicollinearity exists or not, say that there is no statistically significant multicollinearity in all the explanatory variables. KCSI, the main subject of this study, is a statistically significant level even though the standardized regression coefficients and t-value of KCSI is .055 and 2.220 respectively and a relatively low level among explanatory variables. Considering that we chose other explanatory variables based on the level of explanatory power out of many indicators in the previous studies, KCSI is validated as one of the most significant explanatory variables for credit rating score. And this result can provide new insights on the determinants of credit ratings. However, KCSI has relatively lower impact than main financial indicators like log(TA), ER. Therefore, KCSI is one of the determinants of credit ratings, but don't have an exceedingly significant influence. In addition, this study found that customer satisfaction had more meaningful impact on corporations of small asset size than those of big asset size, and on service companies than manufacturers. The findings of this study is consistent with Anderson and Mansi(2009), but different from Sangwoon Yoon(2010). Although research model of this study is a bit different from Anderson and Mansi(2009), we can conclude that customer satisfaction has a significant influence on company's credit ratings either Korea or the United State. In addition, this paper found that customer satisfaction had more meaningful impact on corporations of small asset size than those of big asset size and on service companies than manufacturers. Until now there are a few of researches about the relationship between customer satisfaction and various business performance, some of which were supported, some weren't. The contribution of this study is that credit rating is applied as a corporate value performance in addition to stock price. It is somewhat important, because credit ratings determine the cost of debt. But so far it doesn't get attention of marketing researches. Based on this study, we can say that customer satisfaction is partially related to all indicators of corporate business performances. Practical meanings for customer satisfaction department are that it needs to actively invest in the customer satisfaction, because active investment also contributes to higher credit ratings and other business performances. A suggestion for credit evaluators is that they need to design new credit rating model which reflect qualitative customer satisfaction as well as existing variables like ROA, ER, TA.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.91-110
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• 2011

This paper analyzes the cases where the hotels have increased their services and enhanced their work process through IT solutions to cope with computerization globalization. Also the cases have been studies where national hotels use the CRM solution internally to respond effectively to customers requests, increase customer analysis, and build marketing strategies. In particular, this study discusses the introduction of the CRM solutions and CRM sales business and marketing services using a process for utilizing the presumed, CRM by introducing effective DEA(Data Envelopment Analysis). First, the comparison has done regarding the relative efficiency of L Company with the CCR model, then compared L Company's restaurants and facilities' effectiveness through BCC model. L Company reached a conclusion that it is important to precisely create and manage sales data which are the preliminary data for CRM, and for that reason it made it possible to save sales data generated by POS system on each sales performance database. In order to do that, it newly established Oracle POS system and LORIS POS system concerned with restaurants for food and beverage as well as rooms, and made it possible to stably generate and manage sales data and manage. Moreover, it set up a composite database to control comprehensively the results of work processes during a specific period by collecting customer registration information and made it possible to systematically control the information on sales performances. By establishing a system which unifies database and managing it comprehensively, impeccability of data has been greatly enhanced and a problem which generated asymmetric data could be thoroughly solved. Using data accumulated on the comprehensive database, sales data can be analyzed, categorized, classified through data mining engine imbedded in Polaris CRM and the results can be organized on data mart to provide them in the form of CRM application data. By transforming original sales data into forms which are easy to handle and saving them on data mart separately, it enabled acquiring well-organized data with ease when engaging in various marketing operations, holding a morning meeting and working on decision-making. By using summarized data at data mart, it was possible to process marketing operations such as telemarketing, direct mailing, internet marketing service and service product developments for perceived customers; moreover, information on customer perceptions which is one of CRM's end-products could feed back into the comprehensive database. This research was undertaken to find out how effectively CRM has been employed by comparing and analyzing the management performance of each enterprise site and store after introducing CRM to Hotel enterprises using DEA technique. According to the research results, efficiency evaluation for each site was calculated through input and output factors to find out comparative CRM system usage efficiency of L's Company four sites; moreover, with regard to stores, the sizes of workforce and budget application show a huge difference and so does the each store efficiency. Furthermore, by using the DEA technique, it could assess which sites have comparatively high efficiency and which don't by comparing and evaluating hotel enterprises IT project outcomes such as CRM introduction using the CCR model for each site of the related enterprises. By using the BCC model, it could comparatively evaluate the outcome of CRM usage at each store of A site, which is representative of L Company, and as a result, it could figure out which stores maintain high efficiency in using CRM and which don't. It analyzed the cases of CRM introduction at L Company, which is a hotel enterprise, and precisely evaluated them through DEA. L Company analyzed the customer analysis system by introducing CRM and achieved to provide customers identified through client analysis data with one to one tailored services. Moreover, it could come up with a plan to differentiate the service for customers who revisit by assessing customer discernment rate. As tasks to be solved in the future, it is required to do research on the process analysis which can lead to a specific outcome such as increased sales volumes by carrying on test marketing, target marketing using CRM. Furthermore, it is also necessary to do research on efficiency evaluation in accordance with linkages between other IT solutions such as ERP and CRM system.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.213-221
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• 1998

The effects of differen concentrations of Obosan as a feed additive dietary herb were examined on survival rate, growth, feed conversion ration and condition factor in olive flounder (paralichthys olivaceus). Effectiveness of dietary Obosan with optimized concentration for 48 weeks were also observed with regard to growth performances and yields. All groups fed diets containing 0.15, 0.3 and 0.6% of Obosan revealed significantly higher survival rate than control group (P<0.05). Growth, feed conversion ratio and condition factor of olive flounder fed diets containing Obosan were considerably improved when compared to those of controls (P<0.05). The 0.3% of dietary Obosan was proven to be the optimal concentration in all parameters tested. The dietary Obosan (0.3%) for 48 weeks showed significantly higher surval rate than control (P<0.05), and also improved yields in weight gain (19.0% improvement), specific growth rate (4.8%), feed conversion ratio(13.6%) and condition factor (10.8%), significantly (P<0.05).

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.90-95
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• 2008

It has become a big matter of concerns that the skill and measures against reduction of energy and cost for heating a protected horticultural greenhouse were prepared. But in these days necessity of cooling a protected horticultural greenhouse is on the rise from partial high value added farm products. In this study, therefore, a horizontal type geothermal heat pump system with 10 RT scale to heat and cool a protected horticultural greenhouse and be considered to be cheaper than a vertical type geothermal heat pump system was installed in greenhouse with area of $240\;m^2$. And cooling performances of this system were analysed. As condenser outlet temperature of heat transfer medium fluid rose from $40^{\circ}C$ to $58^{\circ}C$, power consumption of the heat pump was an upturn from 11.5 kW to 15 kW and high pressure rose from 1,617 kPa to 2,450 kPa. Cooling COP had the trend that the higher the ground temperature at 1.75 m went, the lower the COP went. The COP was 2.7 at ground temperature at 1.75 m depth of $25.5^{\circ}C$ and 2.0 at the temperature of $33.5^{\circ}C$ and the heat extraction rate from the greenhouse were 28.8 kW, 26.5 kW respectively at the same ground temperature range. 8 hours after the heat pump was operated, the temperature of ground at 60 cm and 150 cm depth buried a geothermal heat exchanger rose $14.3^{\circ}C$, $15.3^{\circ}C$ respectively, but the temperature of ground at the same depth not buried rose $2.4^{\circ}C$, $4.3^{\circ}C$ respectively. The temperature of heat transfer medium fluid fell $7.5^{\circ}C$ after the fluid passed through geothermal heat exchanger and the fluid rejected average 46 kW to the 1.5 m depth ground. It analyzed the geothermal heat exchanger rejected average 36.8 W/m of the geothermal heat exchanger. Fan coil units in the greenhouse extracted average 28.2 kW from the greenhouse air and the temperature of heat transfer medium fluid rose $4.2^{\circ}C$after the fluid passing through fan coil units. It was analyzed the accumulation energy of thermal storage thank was 321 MJ in 3 hours and the rejection energy of the tank was 313 MJ in 4 hours.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1978.06a
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• pp.9.2-9
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• 1978

Monaural and binaural hearing aid performance under quiet and noisy conditions were compared in regard to (1) the degree of hearing impairment, (2) the symmetry of pure tone audiogram, (3) the automatic gain control of the hearing aid. (4) hearing impairement with recruitment and, word discrimination ability. Performance using binaural hearing aids was consistently superior to that using monaural hearing aids. The results were as follows. 1. Speech detection thresholds were enhanced by a mean of 4.25dB when tested with danavox 747 PP stereo type hearing aid and by a mean of 4.12 dB when tested hearing aids connected seperately to the right and left ears. 2. Binaurally tested speech reception thresholds were superior to monaurally tested thresholds by a mean of 3.56dB when tested in quiet and by a mean of 5.56dB when tested in noise. 3. Binaurally tested word discrimination scores were also superior by a mean of 17.09% in quiet and by a mean 19.63% in noise. 4. Both SRT and word discrimination scores were performed best by subjects with moderately-severe impairement. The performance by one mildly impaired subject was the poorest of all performances. The levels of performance order were; moderately-severe loss, severe loss. moderate loss and mild loss. 5. The data obtained using AGC aids when compaired with that of linear amplification show that when AGC aids were worn in both ears. the results were very poor but when one AGC aid was worn in one ear and linear amplification in the other. the results were good. 6. The advantages of binaural hearing aids were obvious even in cases 1) with great diferences in hearing thresholds between right and left ears, 2) when the subject was unable to discriminate words without vision and. 3) when the subject had extreme recruitme t phenomenon.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.150-160
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• 2012

The object of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of mulberry leaves and silkworm excreta ethanol extracts on weight performances, blood characteristics, cecal microflorae of chickens. Two hundred forty male broiler chicks(Ross) were fed diets for five weeks containing 0.1%(MLA) and 1%(MLB) of mulberry leaves ethanol extracts, and 0.1%(SEA) and 1%(SEB) of silkworm excreta ethanol extracts. Weight performance did show no significant difference in all test groups which were fed with supplementation of mulberry leaves and silkworm excreta ethanol extracts. They showed better weight gain and feed conversion than the negative control group which was fed only with forage without antibiotics. ABTS(2'-azine-bis[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid]) test was conducted to investigate free radical scavenging activity of blood in tested groups. ABTS scavenging activities of tested groups were higher than control groups in significant level, though there was no significant difference(P = 0.396). Specifically, MLB group showed the highest scavenging activity. Blood-level concentration of MDA, which is an indicator of lipid peroxidation, was also decreased in tested groups and the lowest level was observed in SEA(P = 0.001). As storage time increased at $4^{\circ}C$, muscle-level MDA concentrations of all tested groups were generally increased and significant difference was obsereved between tested groups and controls in total increase of MDA concentration($P=4.417{\times}10^{-3}$). In cecal microflorae, SEA and SEB showed decreased total microbe population compared to NC($P=6.462{\times}10^{-5}$) and even to PC. Supplementation of mulberry leave and silkworm excreta ethanol extract did show a similar inhibition effect against Salmonella sp., furthermore, MLB did enhanced the growth of Lactobacillus sp.($P=3.636{\times}10^{-7}$). In summary, ethanol extract of silkworm excreta may be a potential alternative of antibiotics for chicks. In addition, both of ethanol extracts supplementation to broiler chicks would be very useful not only to improve antioxidant effect of blood but also to suppress lipid peroxidation without any loss of weight performance in poultry farming.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.116-135
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate effects of spent composts of Se-enriched mushrooms as the dietary Se source on muscular Se deposition and plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the finishing Hanwoo steer. Twenty Hanwoo steers were used in the experiment and they were divided into four groups in a randomized complete block design with five replicates. Treatments were four levels (0.1, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9ppm as fed basis) of dietary Se from the combination with spent composts of Se-enriched mushrooms and/or Se non-enriched mushrooms, in which each treatment was formulated with corn and corn gluten meal and so forth. Treatment diets were fed to Hanwoo steers for 90 days until the slaughter. Dry matter intakes had no significant differences among treatments and there were no significant differences for performances such as total BW gain and ADG among treatments. The Se concentration in blood was linearly increased with increasing dietary selenium levels and reached a plateau level after 8 weeks (p<0.001). Plasma GSH-Px activities had the similar trends to blood Se concentrations by showing that the increased dietary Se level significantly increased plasma GSH-Px activities of both total and Se-dependent (p<0.001). Muscle Se contents of Se-supplemented groups were linearly increased by 1.35 ~ 1.68 folds compared with the control group (0.1ppm; 0.273㎍/dry g) and especially those of the hind legs for 0.9ppm treatment showed the highest Se content as shown 0.457㎍ per dry gram (p<0.01) corresponding to approximately 70% increase of the control group. Se retention rate in the muscle of dietary Se originated from spent composts of Se-enriched mushrooms was estimated of maximum approximately 30% and dietary Se content showed the significant correlation with plasma GSH-Px activities and muscle Se contents (p<0.01). Accordingly, Se present in spent composts of Se-enriched mushroom as the dietary Se source not only had great bioavailabilities showing higher blood Se concentration and plasma GSH-Px activities, but also increased Se deposition in the muscle for Hanwoo beef cattle.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.195-204
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• 2002

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of nutrient level and feeding method of split diets for a.m. and p.m. on laying hen performance, feed cost and eggshell quality. In experiment 1, 384 ISA Brown layers of 30∼38wk of age were assigned to four treatments which comprise of three replicates each containing 32 birds. The control(C) was fed a conventional single diet throughout the day and split diet groups(T1, T2 and T3) were offered high energy/protein-low Ca diets, and low energy/protein-high Ca diets in a.m.(04:00∼15:00) and p.m.(15:00∼21:00), respectively. In the split diet groups, daily ME and CP consumption, and feed cost were significantly reduced(P<0.05) compared to the C, while the hen-day egg production, average egg weight and daily feed intake were not different among treatments. Due to the reduced daily ME and CP intakes and feed cost, the conversions of feed, ME, CP and feed cost required per day and per kg egg mass were also significantly improved(P<0.05) in the split diet groups. Eggshell qualities (egg specific gravity, egg breaking strength and eggshell thickness) were improved(P<0.05) by split diet feeding. As the Ca level of the p.m. diet increased. In Experiment 2, 384 ISA Brown layers of 50∼58 wk of age were used in three treatments and each treatment was represented by four replicates each containing 32 birds. The control(C) was fed a conventional single diet throughout the day and split diet group(T1) was offered high energy/protein-low Ca diets, and low energy/protein-high Ca diets in a.m.(04:00∼l5:00) and p.m.(15:00∼21:00), respectively. T2 group was fed the diet mixed (50:50) with the a.m. diets in mash and p.m. diet in pellet used T1 group. In T1 and T2 groups, daily feed intake and average egg weight were significantly reduced(P<0.05) compared to the C, while the hen-day egg production was not influenced by the feeding system. Daily ME and CP consumption, and feed cost were reduced(p.0.05), and the conversions of ME, CP and feed cost required per egg were also significantly improved(P<0.05) in T1 and T2, while the conversions of feed, ME, CP and feed cost required per kg egg mass were not different to the C. Eggshell qualities of T1 and T2 were improved(P<0.05) compared to the others. It was concluded the feed and nutrients consumption, feed cost per day or per kg egg mass could be reduced by introducing split diets for a.m. and p.m. and the feeding method of mixed diet of split diets were also convenient and effective for sparing feed cost and improvement of eggshell quality.