• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.69-98
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• 2009

We investigated what factors motivate gamers to participate in a guild and why they continue to be engaged as members of the guild. We find that, based on the result of focus group interviews with MMORPG gamers, social support and self-esteem factors play important roles. Considering both prior research and the focus group interviews we have conducted, we define social support and character control as independent variables. Character identity, guild identity, and self-esteem are proposed as mediating variables while guild flow and game loyalty as dependent variables. Accordingly, we develop the research model and hypotheses, and verify them empirically. Based on our experiences of playing the WoW game, we proposed a research model and conducted focus-group interviews (FGIs). FGIs involve formulating a hypothesis and then collecting some relevant data. FGIs were conducted face-to-face with students of C University in Korea. We formulated structured interview schedules, and the questions were based on our research variables and personal experiences. The questions for the interviews encompassed the following areas: (a) the demographic characteristics of the focus group; (b) the number of years for which respondents had played online games; (c) the motive for starting a game; (d) the number of game-characters assumed by each gamer; (e) the type of game played; and (f) other issues such as the reasons for involvement in the play, the willingness to reuse the game in case new versions were released, etc. On average, it took two hours to interview each of three groups. A primary set of FGIs was conducted with three groups on the premise that there would be some differences caused by character race (Horde vs. Alliance) or by playable server (Normal vs. Combat). With respect to the manner of playing, we found that guild members shared information, felt a sense of belonging, and played computer games for quite a long time through the guild; however, they did not undergo these experiences when playing alone. Gamers who belonged to a specific guild helped other players without expecting compensation for that, freely shared information about the game, gave away items for free, and more generous with other members who made mistakes. The guild members were aware of the existence other members and experienced a sense of belonging through interactions with, and evaluations from, other players. It was clear that social support was shown within the guild and that it played an important role as a major research variable. Based on the results of the first FGIs, a second set of in-depth FGIs was carried out with a focus on the psychology of the individual within the guild and the social community of the guild. The second set of FGIs also focused on the guild's offline meetings. Gamers, over all, recognize the necessity of joining a community, not only off-line but also online world of the guild. They admit that the guild is important for them to easily and conveniently enjoy playing online computer games. The active behavior and positive attitudes of existing guild members can motivate new members of the guild to adapt themselves to the guild environment. They then adopt the same behaviors and attitudes of established guild members. In this manner, the new members of the guild strengthen the bonds with other gamers while feeling a sense of belonging, and developing social identity, thereby. It was discovered that the interaction among guild members and the social support encouraged new gamers to quickly develop a sense of social identity and increase their self-esteem. The guild seemed to play the role of socializing gamers. Sometimes, even in the real world, the guild members helped one another; therefore, the features of the guild also spilled over to the offline environment. We intend to use self-esteem, which was found through the second set of FGIs, as an important research variable. To collect data, an online survey was designed with a questionnaire to be completed by WoW gamers, who belong to a guild. The survey was registered on the best three domestic game-sites: 'WoW playforum,' 'WoW gamemeca,' and 'Wow invent.' The selected items to be measured in the questionnaire were decided based on prior research and data from FGIs. To verify the content of the questionnaire, we carried out a pilot test with the same participants to point out ambiguous questions as a way to ensure maximum accuracy of the survey result. A total of 244 responses were analyzed from the 250 completed questionnaires. The SEM analysis was used to test goodness-of-fit of the model. As a result, we found important results as follows: First, according to the statistics, social support had statistically significant impacts on character control, character identity, guild identity and self-esteem. Second, character control had significant effects on character identity, guild identity and self-esteem. Third, character identity shows its clear impact on self-esteem and game loyalty. Fourth, guild identity affected self-esteem, guild flow and game loyalty. Fifth, self-esteem had a positive influence on the guild flow. These days, the number of virtual community is rising along with its significance largely because of the nature of the online games. Accordingly, this study is designed to clarify the psychological relationship between gamers within the guild that has been generally established by gamers to play online games together. This study focuses on the relationships in which social support influences guild flow or game loyalty through character control, character identity, guild identity, and self-esteem, which are present within a guild in the MMORPG game environment. The study results are as follows. First, the effects of social support on character control, character identity, guild identity and self-esteem are proven to be statistically significant. It was found that character control improves character identity, guild identity and self-esteem. Among the seven variables, social support, which is derived from FGIs, plays an important role in this study. With the active support of other guild members, gamers can improve their ability to develop good characters and to control them. Second, character identity has a positive effect on self-esteem and game loyalty, while guild identity has a significant effect on self-esteem, guild flow and game loyalty. Self-esteem affects guild flow. It was found that the higher the character and guild identities become, the greater the self-esteem is established. Contrary to the findings of prior research, our study results indicate that the relationship between character identity and guild flow is not significant. Rather, it was found that character identity directly affects game players' loyalty. Even though the character identity had no direct effect on increasing guild flow, it has indirectly affected guild flow through self-esteem. The significant relationship between self-esteem and guild flow indicates that gamers achieve flow, i.e., a feeling of pleasure and excitement through social support. Several important implications of this study should be noted. First, both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to conduct this study. Through FGIs, it was observed that both social support and self-esteem are important variables. Second, because guilds had been rarely studied, this research is expected to play an important role in the online community. Third, according to the result, six hypotheses (H1, H5, H6, H7, H8, and H11) setup based on FGIs, were statistically significant; thus, we can suggest the corresponding relationships among the variables as a guideline for follow-up research. Our research is significant as it has following implications: first, the social support of the guild members is important when establishing character control, character identity, guildidentity and self-esteem. It is also a major variable that affects guild flow and game loyalty. Second, character control when improved by social support shows notable influence on the development of character identity, guild identity and self-esteem. Third, character identity and guild identity are major factors to help establish gamers' own self-esteem. Fourth, character identity affects guild flow through self-esteem and game loyalty. The gamers usually express themselves through characters; the higher character identity is, the more loyalty a gamer has. Fifth, guild identity, established within the guild, has clear effects on self-esteem, guild flow and game loyalty. Sixth, qualitative and quantitative methods are employed to conduct this study. Based on the results of focus group interviews and SEM analysis, we find that the social support by guild members and psychological factors are significant in strengthening the flow of guild and loyalty to the game. As such, game developers should provide some extra functions for guild community, through which gamers can play online games in collaboration with one another. Also, we suggest that positive self-esteem which is built up through social support can help gamers achieve higher level of flow and satisfaction, which will consequently contribute to minimizing the possibility for the players to develop negative attitude toward the guild they belong to.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.1041-1048
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• 2016

Biofilm cells and viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state may play a role in the survival of Campylobacter jejuni under unfavorable environmental conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the behavior of C. jejuni biofilm cells and VBNC cells on smoked duck. The transfer of C. jejuni biofilm cells to smoked duck and its ability to resuscitate from biofilm and VBNC cells on smoked duck was investigated. Transfer experiments were conducted from C. jejuni biofilm cells to smoked duck after 5 min, 1 h, 3 h, and 24 h contact at room temperature, and the efficiency of transfer (EOT) was calculated. In addition, smoked duck was inoculated with C. jejuni biofilm and VBNC cells and then stored at 10, 24, 36, and $42^{\circ}C$ to examine the cells' ability to resuscitate on smoked ducks. The 5 min contact time between C. jejuni biofilm cells and smoked duck showed a higher EOT (0.92) than the 24 h contact time (EOT=0.08), and the EOT decreased as contact time increased. Furthermore, C. jejuni biofilm cells on smoked duck were not recovered at 10, 24, and $36^{\circ}C$, and C. jejuni VBNC cells were not resuscitated at $42^{\circ}C$. Although the resuscitation of C. jejuni biofilm and VBNC cells was not observed on smoked duck, microbial criteria of C. jejuni is needed in poultry and processed poultry products due to risk of its survival and low infectious dose.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.853-860
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• 2007

In this modern era, human beings lead their life in complex environment where there are lots of parameters such as temperature, light, smell, sound, visual stimulus etc. that play important role for quality life. These parameters affect physical and mental behavior of a human being immensely. To ensure quality life the demand for quality products is always associated with human emotion and sensibility. Due to human sensibility and emotion involvement with quality life, the design stages of any kind of product must include some certain features related with emotion and sensibility. The cues for optimizing artificial environment are the physiological responses of human in that environment. The conventional approach of environmental physiology is to measure the relationship between environmental physical parameters and human psychological parameters under artificial conditions. Using that approach we tried to design an artificial environment for our daily lives and activities associated with both physiological and psychological behavior. We developed the technique to present the mock environment and software to measure and evaluate sensibility physiologically or psychologically and a simulator to measure and evaluate sensibility that can be utilized for large scale industrial production and design of environment. Simulator to measure and analyze human sensibility (SMAS) was constructed, which was utilized to estimate human sensibility and to simulate living and office environment.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.171-179
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the structural performance of DH beams. DH beam construction method uses thin steel plates as form-works and structural elements. The prefabricated plates and rebars of DH beams were transported to a construction site and erected for casting concrete at the site. In this study, the contribution of steel plates to the flexural strength was evaluated since the plates were expected to play a role as reinforcements. Five test specimens were made for experimental and analytical studies. They consisted of two DH beams for the positive moment test and two DH beams for the negative moment test and a RC beam for the comparison purpose. Test results on DH beams were compared with design equations and the RC beam test result. It was proven that DH beams demonstrated the good flexural behavior showing sufficient strengths and deformation capacities. Flexural strengths, principal strains of concrete, and rebar stresses were evaluated through nonlinear finite element analyses for two test beams. The analyses also showed that steel plates can contribute to the enhancement of flexural strength of DH beams. Based on experimental and analytical studies, it was concluded that steel plates of DH beams can be used as good flexural reinforcements.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2005

YSZ layer containing nano-sized particles has been deposited on the commercial A1203 substrate by Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposition (EB-PVD). The role of coating rnjcrostructures of YSZ to indentation damage is studied. The different coating microsouctures are prepared by varying the substrate temperatures from $600^{circ}C$ to $800^{circ}C$ during the deposition. Microhardness test and Hertzian indentation are conducted on the $YSZ/Al_{2}O_{3}$ layered systems. The damage and flilure behaviors have been investigated according to the effect of microstructures and indentation loads. With increasing the substrate temperature during EB-PVD, the overall grain sizes are coarser and more faceted, which microsoucture ultimately influences on the indentation behavior, thus, YSZ/Al_{2}O_{3}$ layered system prepared at the substrate temperature of $800^{circ}C$ shows relatively higher damage tolerance.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.70-81
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• 2020

Point-by-point data, which is abundantly collected by vehicles with embedded GPS (Global Positioning System), generate useful information. These data facilitate decisions by transportation jurisdictions, and private vendors can monitor and investigate micro-scale driver behavior, traffic flow, and roadway movements. The information is applied to develop app-based route guidance and business models. Of these, speed data play a vital role in developing key parameters and applying agent-based information and services. Nevertheless, link speed values require different levels of physical storage and fidelity, depending on both collecting and reporting intervals. Given these circumstances, this study aimed to establish an appropriate collection interval to efficiently utilize Space Mean Speed information by vehicles with embedded GPS. We conducted a comparison of Probe-vehicle data and Image-based vehicle data to understand PE(Percentage Error). According to the study results, the PE of the Probe-vehicle data showed a 95% confidence level within an 8-second interval, which was chosen as the appropriate collection interval for Probe-vehicle data. It is our hope that the developed guidelines facilitate C-ITS, and autonomous driving service providers will use more reliable Space Mean Speed data to develop better related C-ITS and autonomous driving services.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.7820-7830
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• 2015

Korean households' demand for food consumed away from home is on the steady increase. The ratio of eating-out expenditure of the household income, however, tends to decrease recently irrespective of income groups. This paper, therefore, aims to analyse the food-away-from-home expenditures of salary and wage earners' households by income decile group. The eating-out expenditure is modelled as a function of household income and then estimated using econometric methods such as regression, rolling regression, impulse response, and variance decomposition of forecast error. The regression results indicate that the higher the income decile group is, the lower the income elasticity of eating-out expenditure is, and the high income groups enjoy seasonal eating-out, the low groups do not. The coefficients of dynamic rolling regression are much smaller than those of static one, meaning that households tend to decrease the eating-out expenditure of their income. The impulse response analysis suggests that the eating-out expenditure increase of higher income groups lasts long relative to that of lower income groups. The variance decomposition, also, shows that household income plays much more important role in determining eating-out expenditure at the higher income groups than at the lower income groups.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.23-33
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• 2021

Under the long-term influence of COVID-19, offline activities were interrupted and online communication became the main way. With the rapid development of Korean Wave and network information technology, there have been many entertainment communication platforms. Fans can communicate with stars and other fans and share information through entertainment and communication platforms. This can improve users' perception of the value of entertainment communication platforms, arouse emotional resonance and have a positive impact on users' platform recommendation intention. In this study, the influence of user interaction, identity and recommendation intention of entertainment communication platforms was investigated by questionnaire. The results are as follows: First, the interaction between fans and content has a positive effect on psychological and behavioral identity. Second, the interaction between fans does not affect their psychological and behavioral identity. Third, the interaction between fans and stars has a positive impact on psychological identity and behavior identity. Fourth, psychological identity and behavioral identity have a positive impact on community members' willingness to recommend. Behavioral identity plays a partial mediating role between psychological identity and recommendation intention. Based on the above analysis results, the present situation, limitations and future research directions of this study are put forward.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.60-75
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• 1998

The parents have much expectation upon the pregnancy and child birth, and in most cases, they expect the healthy parturient child. However, we can be placed on the high-risk conditions which have the physical, social and immature infant, due to the unexpected results, among the new-born. Accordingly, these high-risk newborn and premature infants will be mostly in NICU, which the concentrated medical treatment can be given, upon their conditions. After their birth and during these periods, they will be divided from the parents, and the nurse will accomplish the bringing-up activities which they can take care of the infant, expected by the parents after their birth. The hospitalization of high-risk newborn including these premature infants is the shocking experience to the parents of family, and thus they can feel the fear and uneasiness, and these reactions of parents are troubled in the behavior at the usual days, and cause the disorder and spiritless status, and these results break the supporting ability of parents, and cause the obstruction. Also, the unavoidable division between the parents and the children as like hospitalization of children can make the parents to feel the alienation emotionally, and this causes the results which the pride on the bringing-up ability of baby gets to be lost. These problems can cause the difficulties on the bonding or the parenting in the further days, and can be related to the neglect and abuse of children. Also, it is gradually increased to study and report which the emotional division by the physical division between the mother and the baby obstructs the normal affection course between the parent and the infant. The stress caused by the birth and the hospitalization of high-risk newborn, as like this, is important in the points which it can uncertainly affect the potential energy for the relationship of parent-child who are finally healthy. Accordingly, the significance and purpose of this study are to understand the contents and degree of stress which the parents of high-risk newborn including the immature child can be experienced from the hospitalization of ICU for their new borns, and thus to offer the basic program to the nursing intervention program for these. The subject of this study is the mother of newborn in NICU of 10 General Hospitals located at the 3one of Pusan, Korea from September 1997 to October 1997, and thus makes the subject of 95 person of parents who agreed to take part in the study and it is descriptive study related to the stress of mother having the newborn in NICU. The method is based on the preceding study related to the stress of mother having the experience of child hospitalization and chronic disease child, and then acquires the advice of specialists group as like 5 nursing professors, and then is amended and supplemented. Total number of questions is 43 items and consists of 5 factors as like medical treatment &nursing procedures, disease status & prognosis, role of parents, communication & inter-personal relationships, hospital environment, and is 5 point Likert Scale. The reliability of this study method is very highly shown to be Cronbach α=0.95. The collected data is analysed as Average, Frequency, Standard Deviation, T-test, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Coefficient, Duncan multifulrange test by use of SPSS /PC (V7.5). The results of this study is summarized as under. 1. Every characteristics of subject is which the party of mother is 28.70age(±7.48) in the average ages, 51% in the high-school graduate, 38.5% in the christianity, total monthly income is 212.55 thousand won(±1.971), 74.5% in the housewife, 72.9% in the parents and children together living and the number of children to be 1.48person(± 0.6) in average, the recognition on the prognosis of baby is 74.0% in 'Don't know', the relationship with the husband after the hospitalization of babyis 37.3% in 'More Intimate', the relationship with the family of husband to be 48% in 'No-change', and the degree which is consulted with the husband about the baby is 55% in 'very frequently' and the visiting number per week is 4.59(±1.63) in average and the accompanying person in the time of visiting is which the number of husband is 56.3% and thus is the highest. The characteristics of baby is which the age is 21.88days(±16.47) after the birth in average, the sex to be 50 person in the female 52.1% and the order of birth to be 54.2% in the first chid, and the weight in the birth to be 2770gm(±610) and the height in the birth to be 46.26cm(±7.62) in aver age. The medical diagnosis is 37.5% in the premature infant, the career of hospitalization is 96.9% in 'None', and the operation plan is 90.6% in 'None' and the execution of operation is 88% in 'None' and the nursing of incubator is 55.2% in 'Yes', and the method of feeding is 50.5% in 'Oral' and the contents of feeding is 46.9% in the 'Milk'. 2. The total stress degree of subject is almost highly shown to be as 3.36(±0.86). If it is compared upon each cause, 'stress on disease status & prognosis' is highest 3.79(±1.28), and it is in the order of 'stress on medical treatment & nursing procedures' 3.70(±0.93), 'stress on hospital environment' 3.14(±0.86), 'stress on role of parents' 3.18(±0.92) and 'stress on communication & inter personal relationship' 2.62(± 0.77) 3. As the results of checking the notworthiness of stress degree upon each variable of subject, the variable showing the noted difference was the birth weight(γ=-0.16, P=0.04), birth height(γ=-0.23, P=0.03), nursing in the incubator(F=8.93, P=0.04), feed method(F=2.94, P=0.04). That is to say, it is shown which the smaller the birth weight is, the higher the stress degree of mother is noteworthily. Also, the smaller the birth height baby is, the higher the stress of mother is. In the incubator, it os shown which the mother whose baby is nursing in the incubator is higher in the stress degree than other mothers. Upon the feeding method of baby, that is to say, TPNis the highest, and it is shown in the order of NPO, Tube feeding, and P.O. feeding. When we review the above-mentioned results, as the status is serious, it is thought which we include the supporting nursing for coping with the stress of parents in the setting-up od nursing plan for the baby in the NICU.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.19
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• pp.225-244
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• 2009

Electronic security system is composed mainly of electronic-information-communication device, so system technology, configuration and management of the electronic security system could be affected by the change of information-communication environment. This study is to propose the future prospect on the development of technique for electronic security system through the analysis of the trend and the actual condition on the development of technique. This study is based on literature study and interview with user and provider of electronic security system, also survey was carried out by system provider and members of security integration company to come up with more practical result. Hybrid DVR technology that has multi-function such as motion detection, target tracking and image identification is expected to be developed. And 'Embedded IP camera' technology that internet server and image identification software are built in. Those technologies could change the configuration and management of CCTV system. Fingerprint identification technology and face identification technology are continually developed to get more reliability, but continual development of surveillance and three-dimension identification technology for more efficient face identification system is needed. As radio identification and tracking function of RFID is appreciated as very useful for access control system, hardware and software of RFID technology is expected to be developed, but government's support for market revitalization is necessary. Behavior pattern identification sensor technology is expected to be developed and could replace passive infrared sensor that cause system error, giving security guard firm confidence for response. The principle of behavior pattern identification is similar to image identification, so those two technology could be integrated with tracking technology and radio identification technology of RFID for total monitoring system. For more efficient electronic security system, middle-ware's role is very important to integrate the technology of electronic security system, this could make possible of installing the integrated security system.