• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.230-240
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• 2023

The pitting corrosion behavior of 329LD cast lean duplex stainless steel and CF3M cast austenitic stainless steel was investigated in chloride environments. The pitting corrosion resistance of the 329LD alloy was superior to that of the CF3M alloy because the pitting potential, passive region, and critical pitting temperature of the low Ni-low Mo 329LD alloy were higher than those of the high Ni-medium Mo commercial CF3M alloy. There are two main reasons for the enhancement of the pitting corrosion resistance of high Cr-low Momedium N 329LD alloy compared to the low Cr-medium Mo CF3M alloy: First, the pitting resistance equivalent number (PREN_δ+γ) value of the 329LD alloy is higher than that of the CF3M alloy. Second, the passive region of the 329LD alloy is larger than that of the CF3M alloy. It indicates that the synergistic effect of the three elements by adding high Cr and low Mo-medium N to the 329LD alloy enhances the passivity of the passive film, thereby increasing the pitting corrosion resistance. It was verified that based on the PREN_γ of austenite (γ) and PREN_δ of ferrite (δ) values calculated using an N-factor of 16, the pitting corrosion of the 329LD alloy was selectively initiated at the γ-phases because PREN_γ value of austenite (γ) was smaller than that of ferrite (δ), and finally propagated from the γ-phase to the δ-phase.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.27-55
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• 2008

Due to the increasing and intensifying competition in the Internet shopping market, it has been recognized as very important to develop an effective policy and strategy for acquiring loyal customers. For this reason, web site designers need to know if a new Internet shopping mall(ISM) will be accepted. Researchers have been working on identifying factors for explaining and predicting user acceptance of an ISM. Some studies, however, revealed inconsistent findings on the antecedents of user acceptance of a website. Lack of consideration for individual differences in user ability is believed to be one of the key reasons for the mixed findings. The elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and several studies have suggested that individual differences in ability plays an moderating role on the relationship between the antecedents and user acceptance. Despite the critical role of user ability, little research has examined the role of user ability in the Internet shopping mall context. The purpose of this study is to develop a user acceptance model that consider the moderating role of user ability in the context of Internet shopping. This study was initiated to see the ability of the technology acceptance model(TAM) to explain the acceptance of a specific ISM. According to TAM. which is one of the most influential models for explaining user acceptance of IT, an intention to use IT is determined by usefulness and ease of use. Given that interaction between user and website takes place through web interface, the decisions to accept and continue using an ISM depend on these beliefs. However, TAM neglects to consider the fact that many users would not stick to an ISM until they trust it although they may think it useful and easy to use. The importance of trust for user acceptance of ISM has been raised by the relational views. The relational view emphasizes the trust-building process between the user and ISM, and user's trust on the website is a major determinant of user acceptance. The proposed model extends and integrates the TAM and relational views on user acceptance of ISM by incorporating usefulness, ease of use, and trust. User acceptance is defined as a user's intention to reuse a specific ISM. And user ability is introduced into the model as moderating variable. Here, the user ability is defined as a degree of experiences, knowledge and skills regarding Internet shopping sites. The research model proposes that the ease of use, usefulness and trust of ISM are key determinants of user acceptance. In addition, this paper hypothesizes that the effects of the antecedents(i.e., ease of use, usefulness, and trust) on user acceptance may differ among users. In particular, this paper proposes a moderating effect of a user's ability on the relationship between antecedents with user's intention to reuse. The research model with eleven hypotheses was derived and tested through a survey that involved 470 university students. For each research variable, this paper used measurement items recognized for reliability and widely used in previous research. We slightly modified some items proper to the research context. The reliability and validity of the research variables were tested using the Crobnach's alpha and internal consistency reliability (ICR) values, standard factor loadings of the confirmative factor analysis, and average variance extracted (AVE) values. A LISREL method was used to test the suitability of the research model and its relating six hypotheses. Key findings of the results are summarized in the following. First, TAM's two constructs, ease of use and usefulness directly affect user acceptance. In addition, ease of use indirectly influences user acceptance by affecting trust. This implies that users tend to trust a shopping site and visit repeatedly when they perceive a specific ISM easy to use. Accordingly, designing a shopping site that allows users to navigate with heuristic and minimal clicks for finding information and products within the site is important for improving the site's trust and acceptance. Usefulness, however, was not found to influence trust. Second, among the three belief constructs(ease of use, usefulness, and trust), trust was empirically supported as the most important determinants of user acceptance. This implies that users require trustworthiness from an Internet shopping site to be repeat visitors of an ISM. Providing a sense of safety and eliminating the anxiety of online shoppers in relation to privacy, security, delivery, and product returns are critically important conditions for acquiring repeat visitors. Hence, in addition to usefulness and ease of use as in TAM, trust should be a fundamental determinants of user acceptance in the context of internet shopping. Third, the user's ability on using an Internet shopping site played a moderating role. For users with low ability, ease of use was found to be a more important factors in deciding to reuse the shopping mall, whereas usefulness and trust had more effects on users with high ability. Applying the EML theory to these findings, we can suggest that experienced and knowledgeable ISM users tend to elaborate on such usefulness aspects as efficient and effective shopping performance and trust factors as ability, benevolence, integrity, and predictability of a shopping site before they become repeat visitors of the site. In contrast, novice users tend to rely on the low elaborating features, such as the perceived ease of use. The existence of moderating effects suggests the fact that different individuals evaluate an ISM from different perspectives. The expert users are more interested in the outcome of the visit(usefulness) and trustworthiness(trust) than those novice visitors. The latter evaluate the ISM in a more superficial manner focusing on the novelty of the site and on other instrumental beliefs(ease of use). This is consistent with the insights proposed by the Heuristic-Systematic model. According to the Heuristic-Systematic model. a users act on the principle of minimum effort. Thus, the user considers an ISM heuristically, focusing on those aspects that are easy to process and evaluate(ease of use). When the user has sufficient experience and skills, the user will change to systematic processing, where they will evaluate more complex aspects of the site(its usefulness and trustworthiness). This implies that an ISM has to provide a minimum level of ease of use to make it possible for a user to evaluate its usefulness and trustworthiness. Ease of use is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the acceptance and use of an ISM. Overall, the empirical results generally support the proposed model and identify the moderating effect of the effects of user ability. More detailed interpretations and implications of the findings are discussed. The limitations of this study are also discussed to provide directions for future research.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.2E
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• pp.30-45
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• 2001

This study considers the environmental factors affecting propagation loss and sonar performance in the continental regions of the East Coast Sea of Korea. Water mass distributions appear to change dramatically in a few weeks. Simple calculation with the case when the NKCW (North Korean Cold Water) develops shows that the difference in propagation loss may reach in the worst up to 10dB over range 5km. Another factor, an eddy, has typical dimensions of 100-200km in diameter and 150-200m in thickness. Employing a typical eddy and assuming frequency to be 100Hz, its effects on propagation loss appear to make lower the normal formation of convergence zones with which sonars are possible to detect long-range targets. The change of convergence zones may result in 10dB difference in received signals in a given depth. Thermal fronts also appear to be critical restrictions to operating sonars in shallow waters. Assuming frequency to be 200Hz, thermal fronts can make 10dB difference in propagation loss between with and without them over range 20km. An observation made in one site in the East Coast Sea of Korea reveals that internal waves may appear in near-inertial period and their spectra may exist in periods 2-17min. A simulation employing simple internal wave packets gives that they break convergence zones on the bottom, causing the performance degradation of FOM as much as 4dB in frequency 1kHz. An acoustic experiment, using fixed source and receiver at the same site, shows that the received signals fluctuate tremendously with time reaching up to 6.5dB in frequencies 1kHz or less. Ambient noises give negative effects directly on sonar performance. Measurements at some sites in the East Coast Sea of Korea suggest that the noise levels greatly fluctuate with time, for example noon and early morning, mainly due to ship traffics. The average difference in a day may reach 10dB in frequency 200Hz. Another experiment using an array of hydrophones gives that the spectrum levels of ambient noises are highly directional, their difference being as large as 10dB with vertical or horizontal angles. This fact strongly implies that we should obtain in-situ information of noise levels to estimate reasonable sonar performance. As one of non-stationary noise sources, an eel may give serious problems to sonar operation on or under the sea bottoms. Observed eel noises in a pier of water depth 14m appear to have duration time of about 0.4 seconds and frequency ranges of 0.2-2.8kHz. The 'song'of an eel increases ambient noise levels to average 2.16dB in the frequencies concerned, being large enough to degrade detection performance of the sonars on or below sediments. An experiment using hydrophones in water and sediment gives that sensitivity drops of 3-4dB are expected for the hydrophones laid in sediment at frequencies of 0.5-1.5kHz. The SNR difference between in water and in sediment, however, shows large fluctuations rather than stable patterns with the source-receiver ranges.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 1998

Background & Objectives: Frameless fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy(FFSRT) is a modification of stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS) with radiobiologic advantage of fractionation without losing mechanical accuracy of SRS. Local recurrence of head and neck cancer at or near skull base benefit from reirradiation. Main barrier to successful palliation is dose limitation secondary to normal tissue tolerance. We try to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FFSRT as a new modality of reirradaton in these challenging patients. Materials & Methods: Seven patients with recurrent head & neck cancer involving at or near skull base received FFSRT from September 1995 to November 1997. Six patients with nasopharyngeal cancer had received induction chemotherapy and curative radiation therapy. One patient with maxillary sinus cancer had received total maxillectomy and postoperative radiation therapy as a initial treatment. Follow-up ranged from 11 to 32 months with median of 24 months. Three of 7 patients received hyperfractionated radiation therapy(1.1-1.2Gy/fraction, bid, total 19.8-24Gy) just before FFSRT. All patients received FFSRT(3-5Gy/fraction, total 15-30Gy/5-10fractions). Chemotherapy(cis-platin $100mg/m^2$) were given concurrently with FFSRT in four patients. Second course of FFSRT were given in 4 patients with progression or recurrence after initial FFSRT. Because IF(irregularity factor; ratio of surface area of target to the surface area of sphere with same volume as a target) is too big to use conventional stereotactic RT using multiple arc method for protection of radiation damage to critical normal tissue, all patients received FFSRT with conformal method using irregular static ports. Results: Five of 7 patients showed complete remission in follow-up CT &/or MRI. Three of these five patients who developed marginal, in-field, and out-field recurrences, respectively. Another one of complete responders has been dead of G-I bleeding without evidence of local recurrence. One partial responder who showed progressive disease 15 months after initial FFSRT has received additional FFSRT, and then he is well-being with symptomatic improvement. One minmal responder who showed progression of locoregional disease 9 months after $1^{st}$ FFSRT has received 2nd FFSRT, and then he is alive with stable disease. Five of 7 case had showed direct invasion to skull base and had complaint headache and various symptoms of cranial nerve involvement. Four of these five case showed improvement of neurologic symptoms after FFSRT. No significant neurologic complicaltion related to FFSRT was observed during follow-up periods. Tumor volumes were ranged from 3.9 to 50.7 cc and surface area ranged from 16.1 to $114.9cm^2$. IF ranged from 1.21 to 1.74. The average ratio of volume of prescription isodose shell to target volume was 1.02 that indicated the improvement of target coverage and dose distribution with FFSRT with conformal method compared to target coverage with FFSRT with multiple arc method. Conclusion: Our initial experience suggests that FFSRT with conformal method was relatively effective and safe modality in the treatment of recurrent head and neck cancer involving at or near skull base. Treatment benefit included good palliation of symptoms and reasonable radiographic response. However, more experience and additional follow-up are needed to better assess its ultimate role in treating these challenging patients.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.7-29
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• 2012

Smartphone and its applications (i.e. apps) are increasingly penetrating consumer markets. According to a recent report from Korea Communications Commission, nearly 50% of mobile subscribers in South Korea are smartphone users that accounts for over 25 million people. In particular, the importance of smartphone has risen as a geospatially-aware device that provides various location-based services (LBS) equipped with GPS capability. The popular LBS include map and navigation, traffic and transportation updates, shopping and coupon services, and location-sensitive social network services. Overall, the emerging location-based smartphone apps (LBA) offer significant value by providing greater connectivity, personalization, and information and entertainment in a location-specific context. Conversely, the rapid growth of LBA and their benefits have been accompanied by concerns over the collection and dissemination of individual users' personal information through ongoing tracking of their location, identity, preferences, and social behaviors. The majority of LBA users tend to agree and consent to the LBA provider's terms and privacy policy on use of location data to get the immediate services. This tendency further increases the potential risks of unprotected exposure of personal information and serious invasion and breaches of individual privacy. To address the complex issues surrounding LBA particularly from the user's behavioral perspective, this study applied the privacy calculus model (PCM) to explore the factors that influence the adoption of LBA. According to PCM, consumers are engaged in a dynamic adjustment process in which privacy risks are weighted against benefits of information disclosure. Consistent with the principal notion of PCM, we investigated how individual users make a risk-benefit assessment under which personalized service and locatability act as benefit-side factors and information privacy risks act as a risk-side factor accompanying LBA adoption. In addition, we consider the moderating role of trust on the service providers in the prohibiting effects of privacy risks on user intention to adopt LBA. Further we include perceived ease of use and usefulness as additional constructs to examine whether the technology acceptance model (TAM) can be applied in the context of LBA adoption. The research model with ten (10) hypotheses was tested using data gathered from 98 respondents through a quasi-experimental survey method. During the survey, each participant was asked to navigate the website where the experimental simulation of a LBA allows the participant to purchase time-and-location sensitive discounted tickets for nearby stores. Structural equations modeling using partial least square validated the instrument and the proposed model. The results showed that six (6) out of ten (10) hypotheses were supported. On the subject of the core PCM, H2 (locatability ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) and H3 (privacy risks ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) were supported, while H1 (personalization ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) was not supported. Further, we could not any interaction effects (personalization X privacy risks, H4 & locatability X privacy risks, H5) on the intention to use LBA. In terms of privacy risks and trust, as mentioned above we found the significant negative influence from privacy risks on intention to use (H3), but positive influence from trust, which supported H6 (trust ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA). The moderating effect of trust on the negative relationship between privacy risks and intention to use LBA was tested and confirmed by supporting H7 (privacy risks X trust ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA). The two hypotheses regarding to the TAM, including H8 (perceived ease of use ${\rightarrow}$ perceived usefulness) and H9 (perceived ease of use ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) were supported; however, H10 (perceived effectiveness ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) was not supported. Results of this study offer the following key findings and implications. First the application of PCM was found to be a good analysis framework in the context of LBA adoption. Many of the hypotheses in the model were confirmed and the high value of $R^2$ (i.,e., 51%) indicated a good fit of the model. In particular, locatability and privacy risks are found to be the appropriate PCM-based antecedent variables. Second, the existence of moderating effect of trust on service provider suggests that the same marginal change in the level of privacy risks may differentially influence the intention to use LBA. That is, while the privacy risks increasingly become important social issues and will negatively influence the intention to use LBA, it is critical for LBA providers to build consumer trust and confidence to successfully mitigate this negative impact. Lastly, we could not find sufficient evidence that the intention to use LBA is influenced by perceived usefulness, which has been very well supported in most previous TAM research. This may suggest that more future research should examine the validity of applying TAM and further extend or modify it in the context of LBA or other similar smartphone apps.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.61-95
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• 2007

Small-and-medium sized enterprises(SMEs) represent quite a large proportion of the industry as a whole in terms of the number of enterprises or employees. However researches on information system so far have focused on large companies, probably because SMEs were not so active in introducing information systems as larger enterprises. SMEs are now increasingly bringing in information systems such as ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning Systems) and some of the companies already entered the stage of ongoing use. Accordingly, researches should deal with the use of information systems by SME s operating under different conditions from large companies. This study examined factors and mechanism inducing faithful appropriation of information systems, in particular integrative systems such as ERP, in view of individuals` active feedback-seeking behavior. There are three factors expected to affect end users` feedback-seeking behavior for faithful appropriation of information systems. They are management support, peer IT champ support, and IT staff support. The main focus of the study is on how these factors affect feedback-seeking behavior and whether the feedback-seeking behavior plays the role of mediator for realizing faithful appropriation of information systems by end users. To examine the research model and the hypotheses, this study employed an empirical method based on a field survey. The survey used measurements mostly employed and verified by previous researches, while some of the measurements had gone through minor modifications for the purpose of the study. The survey respondents are individual employees of SMEs that have been using ERP for one year or longer. To prevent common method bias, Task-Technology Fit items used as the control variable were made to be answered by different respondents. In total, 127 pairs of valid questionnaires were collected and used for the analysis. The PLS(Partial Least Squares) approach to structural equation modeling(PLS-Graph v.3.0) was used as our data analysis strategy because of its ability to model both formative and reflective latent constructs under small-and medium-size samples. The analysis shows Reliability, Construct Validity and Discriminant Validity are appropriate. The path analysis results are as follows; first, the more there is peer IT champ support, the more the end user is likely to show feedback-seeking behavior(path-coefficient=0.230, t=2.28, p<0.05). In other words, if colleagues proficient in information system use recognize the importance of their help, pass on what they have found to be an effective way of using the system or correct others' misuse, ordinary end users will be able to seek feedback on the faithfulness of their appropriation of information system without hesitation, because they know the convenience of getting help. Second, management support encourages ordinary end users to seek more feedback(path-coefficient=0.271, t=3.06, p<0.01) by affecting the end users' perceived value of feedback(path-coefficient=0.401, t=6.01, p<0.01). Management support is far more influential than other factors that when the management of an SME well understands the benefit of ERP, promotes its faithful appropriation and pays attention to employees' satisfaction with the system, employees will make deliberate efforts for faithful appropriation of the system. However, the third factor, IT staff support was found not to be conducive to feedback-seeking behavior from end users(path-coefficient=0.174, t=1.83). This is partly attributable to the fundamental reason that there is little support for end users from IT staff in SMEs. Even when IT staff provides support, end users may find it less important than that from coworkers more familiar with the end users' job. Meanwhile, the more end users seek feedback and attempt to find ways of faithful appropriation of information systems, the more likely the users will be able to deploy the system according to the purpose the system was originally meant for(path-coefficient=0.35, t=2.88, p<0.01). Finally, the mediation effect analysis confirmed the mediation effect of feedback-seeking behavior. By confirming the mediation effect of feedback-seeking behavior, this study draws attention to the importance of feedback-seeking behavior that has long been overlooked in research about information system use. This study also explores the factors that promote feedback-seeking behavior which in result could affect end user`s faithful appropriation of information systems. In addition, this study provides insight about which inducements or resources SMEs should offer to promote individual users' feedback-seeking behavior when formal and sufficient support from IT staff or an outside information system provider is hardly expected. As the study results show, under the business environment of SMEs, help from skilled colleagues and the management plays a critical role. Therefore, SMEs should seriously consider how to utilize skilled peer information system users, while the management should pay keen attention to end users and support them to make the most of information systems.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.291-299
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was designed to measure patient satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life and to assess an association between patients' satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life after implant surgery by using structural equation modeling. Materials and methods: A total of 257 participants who visited 6 dental clinics located in Daegu city for the purpose of implant treatment participated in this study. Six months after completion of implant surgery, the patients' satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life were surveyed. The effect of factors associated with patients' satisfaction such as functions and aesthetics, maintenance and cost on oral health-related quality of life after implant surgery was analyzed using AMOS 4.0. Results: Oral health-related quality of life was improved in all dimensions of OHIP-14 after implant surgery. Functions and aesthetics as well as maintenance had a significant effect on oral health-related quality of life (P<.05), while cost was not a critical factor influencing oral health-related quality of life. Conclusion: High satisfaction with functional aspects and maintenance aspects significantly affected good quality of life. The result of this study supported the fact that education and management for patients after implant therapy were positively related to good quality of life based on a theoretical model.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2008

As managing customer relationship gets more important, companies are strengthening information service using multi-channels to their customers as a part of their customer relationship management (CRM) initiatives. It means companies are now accepting such information services not as simple information -delivering tools, but as strategic initiatives for acquiring and maintaining customer loyalty. In this paper, we attempt to validate whether or not such various information services would impact on organizational performance in terms of CRM strategy. More specifically, our research objective is to answer the next three questions: first, how to construct the instruments to measure not information quality but information service quality?; second, which attributes of information service quality can influence corporate image and customer loyalty?; finally, does each information service type have unique characteristics compared with others in terms of influencing corporate image and customer loyalty? With respect to providing answers to those questions, the previous studies had been limited in that those studies failed to consider the variety of types of information service or restricted the quality of information service to information quality. An appropriate research model answering the above questions should consider the fact that most companies are utilizing multi channels for their information services, and include the recent strategic information service such as customer online community. Moreover, since corporate information service could be regarded as a type of products or services delivered to customer, it is necessary to adopt the criteria for assessing customer's perceived value when to measure the quality of information service. Therefore, considering both multi-channels and multi-traits may enable us to tell the detailed causal routes showing which quality attributes of which information service would affect corporate image and customer loyalty. As information service channels, we include not only homepage and DM (direct mail), which are the most frequently applied information service channels, but also online community, which is getting more strategic importance in recent years. With respect to information service quality, we abstract information quality, convenience of information service, and timeliness of information service through a wide range of relevant literature reviews. As our dependant variables, we consider corporate image and customer loyalty that both of them are the critical determinants of organizational performance, and also attempt to grasp the relationship between the two constructs. We conducted a huge online survey at the homepage of one of representative dairy companies in Korea, and gathered 367 valid samples from 407 customers. The reliability and validity of our measurements were tested by using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and principal factor analysis respectively, and seven hypotheses were tested through performing correlation test and multiple regression analysis. The results from data analysis demonstrated that timeliness and convenience of homepage have positive effects on both corporate image and customer loyalty. In terms of DM, its' information quality was represented to influence both corporate image and customer loyalty, but we found its' convenience have a positive effect only on corporate image. With respect to online community, we found its timeliness contribute significantly both to corporate image and customer loyalty. Finally, as we expected, corporate image was revealed to provide a great influence to customer loyalty. This paper provides several academic and practical implications. Firstly, we think our research reinforces CRM literatures by developing the instruments for measuring information service quality. The previous relevant studies have mainly depended on the measurements of information quality or service quality which were developed independently. Secondly, the fact that we conducted our research in a real situation may enable academics and practitioners to understand the effects of information services more clearly. Finally, since our study involved three different types of information service which are most frequently applied in recent years, the results from our study might provide operational guidelines to the companies that are delivering their customers information by multi-channel. In other words, since we found that, in terms of customer loyalty, the key areas would be different from each other according to the types of information services, our analysis would help to make decisions such as selecting strengthening points or allocating resources by information service channels.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.16-24
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• 2002

Research trends in the measurement of foliar uptake of pesticides and the recently proposed action mechanism of the surfactant-induced uptake of pesticides were reviewed with the related reports and studies. Major techniques used in those fields are bioassay, radiotracer techniques with leaves or cuticular membrane. Recently, a new method using Congo Red as a tracer was proposed. The limiting factor in the pesticides uptake into leaves is the waxy layer which consists of the epicuticular and cuticular wax. Physico-chemical parameters such as molar volume, water solubility and partition coefficient of pesticides have limited influences on the pesticide uptake into leaves. Polydisperse ethoxylated fatty alcohol surfactants are well known as the good activator for many pesticides. It is now generally agreed that uptake activation is not related to the intrinsic surface active properties of surfactants such as surface activity, solvent property, humectancy and critical micelle concentration. Recent studies using ESR-spectroscopy revealed that the surfactants have an unspecific plasticising effect on the molecular structure of the wax and cuticular matrix, leading to increased mobilities of pesticides. Penetration of surfactants into waxy layer altered the pesticide mobility in wax and the partition coefficient of pesticide, and then the pesticides penetration into leaves was enhanced temporally. The enhancing effect of surfactant could be significantly different depending on the carbon number of aliphatic moiety and the number of ethoxy group in polyoxyethylene chain of surfactants. It is suggested that the rate of penetration of surfactants should have a significant relationship with the rate of penetration of pesticides.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2005

Photoautotrophic bacteria are promising candidates for the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) since they can address the critical problem of substrate costs. In this study, we isolated 25 Tn5-inserted mutants of the Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 which showed enhanced PHB accumulation compared to the wild-type strain. After 5-days cultivation under nitrogen-limited mixotrophic conditions, the intracellular levels of PHB content in these mutants reached up to $10-30\%$ of dry cell weight (DCW) comparable to $4\%$ of DCW in the wild-type strain. Using the method of inverse PCR, the affected genes of the mutants were mapped on the completely known genome sequence of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. As a result, the increased PHB accumulation in 5 mutants were found to be resulted from defects of genes coding for NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase, O-succinylbenzoic-CoA ligase, photosystem II PsbT protein or histidine kinase, which are involved in photosystem in thylakoid inner membrane of the cell. The values of $NAD(P)H/NAD(P)^+$ ratio in the cells of these mutants were much higher than that of the wild-type strain as measured by using pulse-amplitude modulated fluorometer, suggesting that PHB synthesis could be enhanced by increasing the level of cellular NAD(P)H which is a limiting substrate for NADPH-dependent acetoacetyl-CoA reductase. From these results, it is likely that NAD(P)H would be a limiting factor for PHB synthesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.