• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.668-677
• /
• 2017

Embryo implantation is the crucial step for a successful pregnancy. Diverse factors, including adhesion molecules, growth factors, and cytokines are important for embryo implantation through improving endometrial receptivity. Benzoic acid (BA), a component of various plants, has been shown to have antifungal and antioxidant effects. However, the effect of BA on embryo implantation remains unknown. Here, we showed the contribution of BA for the enhancement of endometrial receptivity through the leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-dependent increase of integrin ${\alpha}V$, ${\beta}3$, and ${\beta}5$ expression. Furthermore, in vivo study using a mifepristone-induced implantation failure model showed that BA definitely improves the numbers of implantation embryos. Taken together, we suggest that BA has a novel function for embryo implantation through the up-regulation of LIF-mediated integrins, and may be a candidate for therapeutic medicine to increase the pregnancy rate.

• Experimental and Molecular Medicine
• /
• v.50 no.12
• /
• pp.11.1-11.9
• /
• 2018

Estrogen has diverse effects on cardiovascular function, including regulation of the contractile response to vasoactive substances such as serotonin. The serotonin system recently emerged as an important player in the regulation of vascular tone in humans. However, hyperreactivity to serotonin appears to be a critical factor for the pathophysiology of hypertension. In this study, we examined the modulatory mechanisms of estrogen in serotonin-induced vasoconstriction by using a combinatory approach of isometric tension measurements, molecular biology, and patch-clamp techniques. $17{\beta}$-Estradiol (E2) elicited a significant and concentration-dependent relaxation of serotonin-induced contraction in deendothelialized aortic strips isolated from male rats. E2 triggered a relaxation of serotonin-induced contraction even in the presence of tamoxifen, an estrogen receptor antagonist, suggesting that E2-induced changes are not mediated by estrogen receptor. Patch-clamp studies in rat arterial myocytes showed that E2 prevented Kv channel inhibition induced by serotonin. Serotonin increased Src activation in arterial smooth muscle required for contraction, which was significantly inhibited by E2. The estrogen receptor-independent inhibition of Src by E2 was confirmed in HEK293T cells that do not express estrogen receptor. Taken together, these results suggest that estrogen exerts vasodilatory effects on serotonin-precontracted arteries via Src, implying a critical role for estrogen in the prevention of vascular hyperreactivity to serotonin.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• v.8 no.5
• /
• pp.81-89
• /
• 2021

This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting Logistics capabilities for Logistics Service Providers in Vietnam. Researchers inherited and developed based on previous research to focus on analyzing and evaluating dynamics, measuring Logistics capabilities, and the factors affecting Logistics capabilities for Logistics Service Providers. The logistics capabilities Model is used based on three factors: customer demand management capability, innovation capability, and information management capability. The empirical analysis used data from the survey data of l90 managers of Logistics Service Providers in Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hue, Hanoi with reliable tools (SPSS 26.0 software). The data were analyzed by frequencies, percentages, means, Pearson's Linear Correlation Coefficient, exploratory factor analysis, and multi-linear regression model based on the survey data. The research results identified the following factors affecting Logistics capabilities for Logistics Service Providers: innovation capability has the strongest impact on Logistics capabilities; customer demand management capability has the following strong effects on Logistics capabilities; and finally, information management capability that affects Logistics capabilities. There is also a positive relationship between all factors and Logistics capabilities. Several recommendations are further suggested to enhance to improve Logistics capabilities for Logistics Service Providers in Vietnam.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.157-171
• /
• 2014

This study has empirically analyzed the effect of government technology development supports on the performance of SME's (Small-and-Medium-Sized Enterprises). To analyze the effects of government technology development supports on the performance of SME's, this paper collected data from 271 Korean SMEs and tested hypothesis on the key questions. The result shows that government technology development supports had a meaningful positive effect on the performance of SMEs in terms of innovation. It was also understood that the closer the ties were with large enterprises, the higher the R&D personnel ratio was. Furthermore, when the SME was a certified venture, the government technology development supports had less influence on the SME's technological innovation. On the other hand, SME's technological innovation performance in relation to the government supports showed an improvement when the business environment of SME's was hostile. This study offers theoretical and practical implications, as it more accurately analyses the effect of government technology development supports on the performance of SME's, for which data were collected and analyzed for the same companies two separate times. Last of all, the limitation of this study is discussed in terms of the sample selection, data collection method, variables measurement method, etc.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.669-676
• /
• 2004

Functional characteristics of citrus products fermented with lactic acid bacterium and yeast were investigated. Flavonoid composition of fermented citrus extracts increased significantly compared to control, leading to increases of naringenin and hesperetin concentrations. All citrus extracts showed anti-apoptotic effects in HepG2 cells regardless of fermentation, with citrus-fermented products showing greater anti-apoptotic effect and intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species content reduction compared to native citrus extracts. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally dosed with native or fermented citrus extracts. Singnificantly higher body weight reductions were observed in higher fermented citrus-dosed (100 mg/kg body weight) group compared to the other groups. Plasma total cholesterol level was slightly, but not significantly, reduced. Fatty liver formation induced by high-fat diet was significantly suppressed in rats administered with fermented citrus extracts. Results suggest fermented citrus extracts have potent anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative activities in vitro, and inhibitory activity against fatty liver formation by high-fat diet in vivo.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.49-56
• /
• 2013

KakaoTalk, a Korean mobile instant messenger service launched by KAKAO Inc., has grown remarkably popular in a short period of time, with its number of subscribers exceeding 100 million as of July 2013. Today, KakaoTalk is an everyday communication tool among most Korean mobile users. Although KAKAO has been the subject of many business and consumer studies, the KakaoTalk platform strategy has not been studied thoroughly. In this study, we analyze its platform strategy through the lens of several widely utilized frameworks such as Platform Leadership (Gawer & Cusumano 2002, 2008), Winner-take-all dynamics (Eisenmann et al. 2006), and Open Service Innovation (Chesbrough 2011). Our results show that Eisenmann et al (2006)'s "Winner-Take-All" platform best explains how KakaoTalk dominated its rivals, Mypeople by Daum Communications and Line by Naver Corporation. In surpassing its rivals, KAKAO delivered a solution to the 'essential problem' that mobile social communication should be upgraded from mobile companies' paid "Short Message Service" (SMS). By doing so, KakaoTalk fulfilled the first requirement of Gawer & Cusumano (2008)'s "Coring" strategy, which explains how a new platform is created. KakaoTalk also satisfied the second requirement of "Coring" by providing economic incentives for KakaoTalk members to interact through its Games and Items store. Actively accepting its customers' ideas and upgrading its services, KAKAO reinforced its platform leadership to its customers and put Chesbrough (2011)'s "Outside In - Open Service" innovation strategy into practice.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.441-452
• /
• 2021

This work verifies the effect of Job Crafting on organizational commitment through innovative actions, and analyzes the regulatory effect, by setting up knowledge sharing among members as factors that promote Job Crafting and Innovative Action. Depending on the level of knowledge sharing, the indirect effects of Job Crafting from organizational commitment of the members through innovative actions are expected to vary, and the controlled mediated effects are analyzed. Totally, 463 individuals were surveyed, including start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, public institutions, and large enterprise workers. The hypothesis was subsequently verified through analysis by applying SPSS 18.0 and SPSS Process Macro. Our results reveal that Job Crafting has a positive impact on the innovation behavior of the members. Secondly, a higher level of knowledge sharing had a greater positive outcome in the member's innovation behavior. Third, all innovative actions positively impacted the organizational commitment of the members. The fourth notable point was that innovation behavior imparted only a moderate impact on the association between Job Crafting and Organizational Commitment. Finally, it was determined that there was no significance in the controlled mediated effect of knowledge sharing on the indirect effects of Job Crafting affecting organizational commitment through innovative actions. Based on the data verifying the hypothesis, we present here the theoretical and practical implications of this study.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.247-260
• /
• 2022

In order to advance theoretical and practical understanding of innovative behaviors and affective commitment to change, this study investigated the relationship among innovation supporting organizational culture, decentralized structure, acceptance of organizational change, and affective commitment to change and tested the mediating effect of acceptance of organizational change in the relationship. Data were collected from 261 employees at H corporation and analyzed to test suggested research hypotheses using SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 20.0. The results are as follows: First, it is found that innovation supporting organizational culture influences positively acceptance of organizational change and affective commitment to change. Second, results show that decentralized structure influences positively acceptance of organizational change, but does not influence innovative behavior. Third, it is found that acceptance of organizational change influences positively affective commitment to change and innovative behavior. Fourth, it is also found that acceptance of organizational change mediates partially the relationship between innovation supporting organizational culture and affective commitment to change and acceptance of organizational change mediates completely the relationship between decentralized structure and affective commitment to change. With these findings, it is confirmed that innovation supporting organizational culture and decentralized structure influence positively affective commitment to change and innovative behavior through acceptance of organizational change. Limitations and suggestions were discussed.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.57-74
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study is to verify the influence of SME members' motivation and creative working environment on innovative behavior and to see differences according to individual absorptive capacity. As a research method for this, 350 copies were collected by requesting a specialized research company for employees who have worked at SMEs for more than a year, and research models and hypotheses were verified with SPSS 28 and Smart PLS 3. As a result of the study, approach motivation and creative work environment had a positive effect on individual innovation behavior, which showed significant differences according to individual absorptive capacity. The implications of this study are summarized as follows. First, for innovative organizational management in SMEs where human resources are more important than physical resources, SMEs need to provide a creative working environment and motivate members to derive positive innovative behavior. Second, innovation behavior differs depending on personal absorptive capacity, and innovation behavior becomes the subject of corporate growth, indicating that various interests and support are needed to increase personal absorptive capacity along with positive motivation for members.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.61-75
• /
• 2019

This article analyzed the direct impact of resource inputs on business performances of Korean environmental companies conducting R&D, and the mediation effects of product-, process-, organization-, marketing-innovations between resource inputs and business performances. We conducted the mediation analysis using SPSS and Process Macro, based on a survey data from the Korean environmental companies. The article found that ① resource inputs have directly had a positive impact on business performances, and ② innovations have mediated them. ③ But among 4 types of innovations, the only mediation effect of organization-innovation has been verified, and the others have not appeared. Considering the above results, the following policy implications can be suggested. ① It is necessary to reinforce related policies so that companies can improve business performances through innovation. ② The government needs to carry out the prudent supporting policies so that innovations in product, process, and marketing can lead to business performances. This article has the limitation of using the survey data, and needs further researches on the sectoral system of innovation for Korean environmental industry.