• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2010

During the past 10 years, sales of luxury goods increased significantly to more than US$ 130 billion in 2007. In this industry, more than half of the revenue comes from Asia where the average income has risen significantly, and the demand for luxury products is forecast to grow rapidly. Purchasing luxury brands appears to be an intriguing social phenomenon that is profitable for companies in this region. As a newly developed country, Korea is one of the most attractive luxury markets in Asia. Currently, a total of 120 luxury fashion brands have entered the Korean market, primarily in luxury districts in Seoul where the competition is fierce. The purposes of this study are to: (1) identify antecedents of attitude toward luxury brands, (2) examine the effect of attitudes toward luxury brands on customer equity, (3) determine the impact of attitudes toward luxury brands on customer lifetime value, and (4) investigate the influence of customer equity on customer life time value. Previous studies have examined materialism, social need, experiential need, need for uniqueness, conformity, and fashion involvement as antecedents of attitude toward luxury brands. Richins and Dowson (1992) suggested that that materialism influences consumption behavior relative to quantity of goods purchased. Nueno and Quelch (1998) reported that the ownership of luxury brands conveys information related to the owner's social status, communicates an image of success and prestige, and is a determinant of purchase behavior. Experiential need is recognized as an important aspect of consumption, especially for new products developed to meet consumer demand. Since luxury goods, by definition are relatively scarce, ownership of these types of products may fulfill consumers' need for uniqueness. In this study, value equity, relationship equity, and brand equity are examined as drivers of customer equity. The sample (n = 114) was undergraduate and graduate students at two private women's universities in Seoul, Korea. Data collection was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire survey in March, 2009. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability analysis, and regression analysis using SPSS 15.0 software. Data analysis resulted in a number of conclusions. First, experiential need and fashion involvement positively influence participants' attitude toward luxury brands. Second, attitude toward luxury brands positively influences brand equity, followed by value equity and relationship equity. However, there is no significant relationship between attitude toward luxury brand and customer lifetime value. Finally, relationship equity positively influences customer lifetime value. In conclusion, young consumers are an important potential consumer group that tries different brands to discover the ones most suitable for them. Luxury marketers that use effective marketing strategies to attract and engender loyalty among this potentially lucrative consumer group may increase customer equity and lifetime value.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2005.11b
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• pp.204-207
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• 2005

A reliable and practical finite element modeling technique to predict the lifetime of automotive electronics is important for engineers in reliability. In reliability evaluation on the automotive electronics, most studies rarely used FE model verification process. The material properties and boundary conditions are very important factors in this process to assure the reliability of the automotive electronics. This study aims to develop a better and more accurate FE model in order to predict fatigue life of the automotive electronics using Virtual Qualification lifetime assessment techniques. After conducting the modal analysis by the experiments to grasp a system characteristic, this paper presents material properties and boundary conditions that is obtained by the comparisons of FEA simulation results using DOE technique and the experiment results.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.225-233
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• 2004

In this study, the seismic safety of containment building is assessed using response surface method. The structural analyses considering random variables such as load, resistance and analysis by ABAQUS are performed to obtain the structural response. The structural response is represented by polynomial of random variables, and the reliability analysis is performed by Level II method. Drucker-Prager failure criterion is applied as limit state function to take bi-axial stress states into account in the concrete. The lifetime probability of failure is evaluated by considering the lifetime of containment building, the annual occurrence rate of earthquake and the conditional probability of failure. Also the sensitivity analysis on the selection of sampling points is performed to obtain the steady results from response surface method.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.255-269
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• 2003

The objective of this study was to estimate human exposure to benzo (a)pyrene through multimedia/multi-pathway exposure scenario. The human exposure scenario for benzo(a)pyrene was consisted of 12 multiple exposure pathways, and the multipathway human exposure model based on this scenario constituted. In this study, the multipathway human exposure model was used to estimate the concentrations in the exposure contact media, human intake factors and lifetime average daily dose (LAD $D_{model}$) of benzo(a)pyrene in the environment. Sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the important parameters and Monte-Carlo simulation was undertaken to examine the uncertainty of the model. The total LAD $D_{model}$ was estimated to be 5.52${\times}$10$^{-7}$ mg/kg-day (2.06${\times}$10$^{-7}$ -8.65${\times}$10$^{-7}$ mg/kg-day) using the multipathway human exposure model. The inhalation dose accounted for 78% of the total LADD, whereas ingestion and dermal contact intake accounted for 20.2% and 1.8% of the total exposure, respectively. Based on the sensitivity analysis, the most significant contributing input parameter was benzo (a)pyrene concentration of ambient air. Consequently, exposure via inhalation in outdoor/indoor air was the highest compared with the exposure via other medium/pathways.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.103-114
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• 2003

This paper aims to propose a method that helps maintenance engineers to evaluate the damage states of bridge structure systems by using a Fuzzy Fault Tree Analysis. It may be stated that Fuzzy Fault Tree Analysis may be very useful for the systematic and rational fuzzy reliability assessment for real bridge structure systems problems because the approach is able to effectively deal with all the related bridge structural element damages in terms of the linguistic variables that incorporate systematically experts experiences and subjective judgement. This paper considers these uncertainties by providing a fuzzy reliability-based framework and shows that the identification of the optimum maintenance scenario is a straightforward process. This is achieved by using a computer program for LIFETIME. This program can consider the effects of various types of actions on the fuzzy reliability index profile of a deteriorating structures. Only the effect of maintenance interventions is considered in this study. However. any environmental or mechanical action affecting the fuzzy reliability index profile can be considered in LIFETIME. Numerical examples of deteriorating bridges are presented to illustrate the capability of the proposed approach. Further development and implementation of this approach are recommended for future research.

• Journal of Applied Reliability
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to point out that the Kaplan-Meier method is not valid to calculate the survival probability or failure probability (risk) in the presence of competing risks and to introduce more valid method of cumulative incidence function. Methods: Survival analysis methods have been widely used in biostatistics division. However the same methods have not been utilized in reliability division. Especially competing risks cases, where several causes of failure occur and the occurrence of one event precludes the occurrence of the other events, are scattered in reliability field. But they are not noticed in the realm of reliability expertism or they are analysed in the wrong way. Specifically Kaplan-Meier method which assumes that the censoring times and failure times are independent is used to calculate the probability of failure in the presence of competing risks, thereby overestimating the real probability of failure. Hence, cumulative incidence function is introduced and sample competing risks data are analysed using cumulative incidence function and some graphs. Finally comparison of cumulative incidence functions and regression type analysis are mentioned briefly. Results: Cumulative incidence function is used to calculate the survival probability or failure probability (risk) in the presence of competing risks and some useful graphs depicting the failure trend over the lifetime are introduced. Conclusion: This paper shows that Kaplan-Meier method is not appropriate for the evaluation of survival or failure over the course of lifetime. In stead, cumulative incidence function is shown to be useful. Some graphs using the cumulative incidence functions are also shown to be informative.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2014

Inverter module, which feeds the converted power to the traction motor for EMU. Consists of the power semiconductors with their gate drive unit(GDU)s and the control computer for driving, voltage, current and speed controls. Electrolytic condenser, connected to the gate drive unit and a core component to drive the power semiconductor, has problems such as reduction in lifetime and malfunction caused by electrical and mechanical characteristic changes from heat generation during high speed switching for generation of stable power. In this study, To check the service life of electrolytic condenser, the test was carried out in two ways. First, In the case of accelerated life testing of condenser, the Arrhenius model is a way of life testing. Another way is to analyze the reliability of the failure data by the method of parametric data analysis. Eventually, life time by accelerated life test than a method of failure data analysis(Weibull distribution) was found to be slightly larger output.

• Journal of Applied Reliability
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.130-142
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to introduce regression method in the presence of competing risks and to show how you can use the method with hypothetical data. Methods: Survival analysis has been widely used in biostatistics division. But the same method has not been utilized in reliability division. Especially competing risks, where more than a couple of causes of failure occur and the occurrence of one event precludes the occurrence of the other events, are scattered in reliability field. But they are not utilized in the area of reliability or they are analysed in the wrong way. Specifically Kaplan-Meier method is used to calculate the probability of failure in the presence of competing risks, thereby overestimating the real probability of failure. Hence, cumulative incidence function is introduced. In addition, sample competing risks data are analysed using cumulative incidence function along with some graphs. Lastly we compare cumulative incidence functions with regression type analysis briefly. Results: We used cumulative incidence function to calculate the survival probability or failure probability in the presence of competing risks. We also drew some useful graphs depicting the failure trend over the lifetime. Conclusion: This research shows that Kaplan-Meier method is not appropriate for the evaluation of survival or failure over the course of lifetime in the presence of competing risks. Cumulative incidence function is shown to be useful in stead. Some graphs using the cumulative incidence functions are also shown to be informative.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.914-924
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• 2010

In this paper, results on the orbit analysis for the KOMPSAT-2 satellite using a real orbit data during the LEOP and normal mission lifetime are presented. In particular, the preparation and performance of an orbit operations during the LEOP is emphasized and the effects of space environments (i.e., Solar activity) on orbit evolutions are investigated comparing to those of the KOMPSAT-1 satellite. The summarized results in this paper would be an important reference to improve the stability and effectiveness of satellite operations during the LEOP and normal mission lifetime in case of LEO satellites such as successors of KOMPSAT-2 (i.e., KOMPSAT-3, KOMPSAT-3A, KOMPSAT-5).

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.561-570
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• 2022

It is of great importance to be able to evaluate different structural systems not only based on their seismic performance but also considering their lifetime service costs. Many structural systems exist that can meet the engineering requirements for different performance levels; therefore, these systems shall be selected based on their economic costs over time. In this paper, two structural systems, including special steel moment-resisting and the ordinary concentric braced frames, are considered, which are designed to meet the three performance levels: Immediate Occupancy (IO), Life Safety (LS), Collapse Prevention (CP). The seismic behavior of these two systems is studied under three strong ground motions (i.e., Tabas, Bam, Kajour earthquake records) using the Perform3D package, and the incurred damages to the studied systems are examined at two hazard levels. Economic analyses were performed to determine the most economical structural system to meet the specified performance level requirements, considering the initial cost and costs associated with damages of an earthquake that occurred during their lifetime. In essence, the economic lifetime study results show that the special moment-resisting frames at IO and LS performance levels are at least 20% more economical than braced frames. The result of the study for these building systems with different heights designed for different performance levels also shows it is more economical from the perspective of long-term ownership of the property to design for higher performance levels even though the initial construction cost is higher.