• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.191-209
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• 2023

Amid rapid changes in technological innovation due to the influence of the 4th Industrial Revolution and COVID-19, research related to absorption capacity and patent activities to promote technological innovation of Korean technology start-ups is important in this uncertain environment. This study aims to examine the effects on entrepreneurial performance and patent activities by reconstructing absorptive capacity, an organizational capability, for technology-based startups in fields such as BT and ICT with less than seven years of establishment, distinguishing between potential absorptive capacity and realized absorptive capacity. The study also seeks to develop a theoretical research model. To accomplish this, data was collected from managerial executives, including CEOs of 215 technology startups. The following hypotheses were tested: Firstly, potential absorptive capacity had a significant impact on patent activities, while realized absorptive capacity did not. Secondly, potential absorptive capacity had a significant impact on technological performance, while realized absorptive capacity did not. Thirdly, both potential and realized absorptive capacity had a significant impact on financial and non-financial performance. Fourthly, patent activities indirectly influenced potential absorptive capacity and technological performance, but did not affect realized absorptive capacity. Fifthly, patent activities indirectly influenced potential absorptive capacity and financial performance, but did not affect realized absorptive capacity. Lastly, patent activities indirectly influenced potential absorptive capacity and non-financial performance, but did not affect realized absorptive capacity. The practical significance of this study lies in providing useful guidelines for building the core capabilities of organizations through absorptive capacity and patent activities. Furthermore, it is expected that startups that have not recognized the formation process of absorptive capacity for patent activities will perceive the formation mechanism of absorptive capability anew and show considerable interest in future potential and realized absorptive capacity as part of their management strategies. This is anticipated to play an important role in adapting to rapidly changing technological advancements, the startup ecosystem, and securing sustainable competitive advantages.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-20
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• 2023

This study attempted to identify the relationship between the investment determinants of accelerators and investment performance through empirical analysis. Through literature review, four dimensions and 12 measurement items were extracted for investment determinants, which are independent variables, and investment performance was adjusted to the cumulative amount of subsequent investment based on previous studies. Performance data from 594 companies selected by TIPS from 2017 to 2019, which are relatively reliable and easy to secure data, were collected, and the subsequent investment cumulative attraction amount, which is a dependent variable, was hypothesized through multiple regression analysis three years after the investment. As a result of the study, 'industrial experience years' in the characteristics of founders, 'market size', 'market growth', 'competitive strength', and 'number of patents' in the characteristics of products and services had a significant positive (+) effect. The impact of independent variables on dependent variables was most influenced by the competitive strength of market characteristics, followed by the number of years of industrial experience, the number of patents, the size of the market, and market growth. This was different from the results of previous studies conducted mainly on qualitative research methods, and in most previous studies, the characteristics of founders were the most important, but the empirical analysis results were market characteristics. As a sub-factor, the intensity of competition, which was the subordinate to the importance of previous studies, had the greatest influence in empirical analysis. The academic significance of this study is that it presented a specific methodology to collect and build 594 empirical samples in the absence of empirical research on accelerator investment determinants, and created an opportunity to expand the theoretical discussion of investment determinants through causal research. In practice, the information asymmetry and uncertainty of startups that accelerators have can help them make effective investment decisions by establishing a systematic model of experience-dependent investment determinants.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.121-137
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to present the necessary success factors and strategies for high-tech social ventures and stakeholders in the related ecosystem by empirically identifying factors that affect their sustainable performance. Based on prior research, the dimensions of three performance factors were presented: core technology competency, core business competency, and social mission orientation. Then, such sub-dimensions such as technology innovation orientation, R&D capability, business model, customer orientation, social network, and social mission pursuit were derived. For empirical analysis, a survey was conducted on domestic high-tech social ventures, and the significance of the hypothesis was tested through PLS-structural equation analysis of the collected 243 valid data. As a result, it was found that the technology innovation orientation was embedded as an abstract organizational and cultural characteristic in the high-tech social venture, which is a research sample, and thus did not significantly affect the dependent variable. In other words, aiming for the latest cutting-edge technology alone cannot affect performance, and it is a result of proving the need for substantial influencing factors that can strengthen it. On the other hand, the business model had a significant effect only on social performance, which is presumed to be the limitation of measurement tools developed for social enterprises, and the results of additional multi-group analysis to determine the cause also supported the basis for this estimation. Excluding the previous two performance factors, R&D competency, customer orientation, social network, and social mission pursuit were all found to have a significant positive (+) effect on social and economic performance. This study laid a foundation for related research by identifying high-tech social ventures emerging in the ecosystem of a social economy and expanded empirical research models related to the performance of existing social enterprises and social ventures. However, in the research method or process, there were limitations such as factor derivation or verification for balance of dual performance, subjective measurement method, and sample representativeness. It is expected that more in-depth follow-up studies will continue by supplementing future limitations and designing improved research models.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.89-101
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• 2022

This study investigated the effects of individual characteristics (entrepreneurial self-efficacy) and environmental characteristics (social support, government support policy) on entrepreneurial intention for college students in Korea and China. In particular, the moderating effect of differences between countries (Korea and China) was demonstrated in the relationship between individual and environmental characteristics and entrepreneurial intention. The results of the empirical analysis of 626 Korean and Chinese university students are as follows. First, all of the entrepreneurial self-efficacy, social support, and government support policies perceived by Korean college students had a positive effect on entrepreneurial intention. In particular, Korean college students' entrepreneurial intentions were influenced in the order of social support, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and government support policies. Second, all of the entrepreneurial self-efficacy, social support, and government support policies perceived by Chinese college students had a positive effect on start-up intention. In particular, entrepreneurial intention of Chinese college students was influenced in the order of government support policy, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and social support. Third, the relationship between environmental characteristics (social support, government support policy) and entrepreneurial intention was adjusted by differences between countries. First, the positive relationship between social support and entrepreneurial intention was generally higher for Chinese college students than for Korean college students. In addition, the positive relationship between government support policy and entrepreneurial intention was higher for Chinese college students than for Korean college students as the level of awareness of government support policy increased. Finally, theoretical and practical implications for the intention of Korean and Chinese college students to start a business were presented, and the limitations of the study and future research directions were presented based on this study.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.165-182
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• 2022

This study focused on whether employees' perceived leader's creativity has a significant effect on employees' job satisfaction and innovative behavior. In addition, this study analyzed the mediating effect of positive psychological capital and creative self-efficacy in the relationship between perceived leader creativity and employee satisfaction with the job or innovation behavior, and analyzed the moderated mediating effect of team cohesion. This study conducted confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis for each factor using the measurement tool verification method using the SmartPLS 3.0 structural equation model, and empirically analyzed the research model. As a result, it was found that the creativity of employees' perceived leaders did not directly significantly affect employees' job satisfaction and innovation behavior. However, it was found that positive psychological capital significantly mediated the relationship between perceived leader creativity and job satisfaction or innovative behavior. In addition, positive psychological capital and creative self-efficacy have a complete double-mediation relationship between the employees' perceived leader's creativity and employees' innovative behavior. However, positive psychological capital and creative self-efficacy don't have a double-mediation relationship between the employee's perceived leader's creativity and employees' job satisfaction. Finally, Team cohesion was found to moderate the relationship between perceived leader creativity, positive psychological capital (or creative self-efficacy). However, the research model that the moderated mediating effect of team cohesion on the relationship between leader's creativity, the mediating variables(positive psychological capital and creative self-efficacy), and job satisfaction (or innovative behavior) was significant only for groups with high team cohesiveness. This study examined the needs of the times for the importance of creativity of perceived leaders and analyzed the relationship between factors influencing job satisfaction and innovation behavior of organizational members. The study is meaningful in that it suggested a plan to establish a specific organizational strategy to enhance positive psychological capital and creative self-efficacy.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.46-58
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• 2024

Pollinators are organisms that carry out the pollination process of plants and include Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera. Among them, bees not only pollinate plants but also improve urban green spaces damaged by land use changes, providing a habitat and food for birds and insects. Today, however, the number of pollinating plants is decreasing due to issues such as early flowering due to climate change, fragmentation of green spaces due to urbanization, and pesticide use, which in turn leads to a decline in bee populations. The decline of bee populations directly translates into problems, such as reduced biodiversity in cities and decreased food production. Urban beekeeping has been proposed as a strategy to address the decline of bee populations. However, there is a problem asurban beekeeping strategies are proposed without considering the complex structure of the socio-ecological system consisting of bees foraging and pollination activities and are therefore unsustainable. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the socio-ecological system of honeybees, which are pollinators, structurally using system thinking and propose a green space planning strategy to revitalize urban beekeeping. For this study, previous studies that centered on the social and ecological system of bees in cities were collected and reviewed to establish the system area and derive the main variables for creating a causal loop diagram. Second, the ecological structure of bees' foraging and pollination activities and the structure of bees' ecological system in the city were analyzed, as was the social-ecological system structure of urban beekeeping by creating an individual causal loop diagram. Finally, the socio-ecological system structure of honey bees was analyzed from a holistic perspective through the creation of an integrated causal loop diagram. Citizen participation programs, local government investment, and the creation of urban parks and green spaces in idle spaces were suggestedas green space planning strategies to revitalize urban beekeeping. The results of this study differ from previous studies in that the ecological structure of bees and the social structure of urban beekeeping were analyzed from a holistic perspective using systems thinking to propose strategies, policy recommendations, and implications for introducing sustainable urban beekeeping.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2024

Purpose: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic ended, the number of patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pneumonia increased during the spring/summer of 2022. This study aimed to analyze the clinical features and antibiotic usage of children hospitalized for RSV pneumonia in a recently established general hospital in Sejong city. Methods: In this retrospective review, we included inpatients of the Pediatric Department of Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital diagnosed with RSV pneumonia between March 2022 and April 2023. Patients were divided into 2 groups: with and without antibiotic treatment. Demographic data, initial presentations, and clinical courses were reviewed. Results: A total of 116 patients with RSV pneumonia were hospitalized during this period, of which 102 were analyzed, excluding 14 with underlying diseases or who did not fall within the definition of pneumonia. The median age was 17 months. Diagnoses of bacterial infections (acute otitis media and sinusitis) were documented in 9.8% of cases. Intravenous (IV) antibiotics were administered in 46% of cases. The group receiving IV antibiotics showed higher inflammatory levels (C-reactive protein; CRP), more infiltration on initial chest X-rays, and longer fever duration. There was no difference in the length of hospitalization between the groups with and without IV antibiotics. Conclusions: This study showed a tendency for the attending physician to prescribe IV antibiotics to patients with longer fever duration, pulmonary infiltrations on the initial chest X-ray, and higher CRP levels. However, given the high rate of IV antibiotic usage compared to previous studies, care should be taken in antibiotic use.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.224-235
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• 2023

South Korea is the only divided nation globally, marked by a military demarcation line establishing demilitarized and civilian control zones, ensuring national security. Consequently, these areas exhibit relatively minimal ecological disruption compared to other regions. However, the threat to safety persists due to the presence of unexploded ordnances and landmines, imposing significant constraints on ecological research. To address this, we conducted a comparative study utilizing eDNA analysis as a supplementary and alternative approach within three points of the "Road of Peace" - Inje, Yanggu, and Hwacheon courses, located within the civilian control zone. Direct surveys and indirect eDNA sampling were carried out in May, July, and September of 2022. Genetic material obtained from the samples underwent amplification, library preparation, MiSeq sequencing, and subsequent ASV generation for indirect analysis. These results were then compared with the findings of direct surveys. Our findings revealed the detection of eDNA for both observed species at the Yanggu-1 point, and for two out of four species at Yanggu-2. Hwacheon-1 displayed the detection of eDNA for one out of one observed species, whereas Hwacheon-2 yielded seven out of twelve, Hwacheon-3 showed four out of six, and all one observed species at Hwacheon-4 exhibited eDNA detection. Consequently, approximately 69% of the fish species identified through direct surveys were confirmed by indirect eDNA analysis. It is necessary to verify if certain fish species, such as the continental trout and catfish, have genetic information registered in the NCBI database. Additionally, it is believed that further marker development research utilizing different genetic sequences is essential. Given the limitations imposed by the hazardous nature of the surveyed civilian control zone, eDNA analysis proves to be a suitable supplement for fish research in the area.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1658-1670
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• 2021

Objective: To assess the two-year treatment outcomes of chemoembolization with drug-eluting embolics (DEE) for nodular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective, multicenter, registry-based, single-arm trial conducted at five university hospitals in Korea. Patients were recruited between May 2011 and April 2013, with a target population of 200. A DC Bead loaded with doxorubicin was used as the DEE agent. Patients were followed up for two years. Per-patient and per-lesion tumor response analysis, per-patient overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) analysis, and per-lesion tumor control analysis were performed. Results: The final study population included 152 patients, with 207 target lesions for the per-lesion analysis. At one-month, six-month, one-year, and two-year per-patient assessments, complete response (CR) rates were 40.1%, 43.0%, 33.3%, and 19.6%, respectively. The objective response (OR) rates were 91.4%, 55.4%, 35.1%, and 19.6%, respectively. The cumulative two-year OS rate was 79.7%. The cumulative two-year PFS rate was 22.4% and the median survival was 9.3 months. In multivariable analysis, the Child-Pugh score (p = 0.019) was an independent predictor of OS, and tumor multiplicity (p < 0.001), tumor size (p = 0.020), and Child-Pugh score (p = 0.006) were independent predictors of PFS. In per-lesion analysis, one-month, six-month, one-year and two-year CR rates were 57.5%, 58.5%, 45.2%, and 33.3%, respectively, and the OR rates were 84.1%, 65.2%, 46.6%, and 33.3%, respectively. The cumulative two-year per-lesion tumor control rate was 36.2%, and the median time was 14.1 months. The Child-Pugh score (p < 0.001) was the only independent predictor of tumor control. Serious adverse events were reported in 11 patients (7.2%). Conclusion: DEE chemoembolization for nodular HCCs in the Korean population showed acceptable survival, tumor response, and safety profiles after a two-year follow-up. Good liver function (Child-Pugh score A5) was a key predictor of per-patient OS, PFS, and per-lesion tumor control.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.196-210
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• 2024

Background: In January 2018, revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment for the elderly were implemented. When people ages 65 years and older receive outpatient treatment at clinic-level medical institutions (clinic, dental clinic, Korean medicine clinic), with medical expenses exceeding 15,000 won but not exceeding 25,000 won, their copayment rates have decreased differentially from 30%. This study aimed to examine the changes of health utilization of elderly after revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment. Methods: We used Korea health panel data from 2016 to 2018. The time period is divided into before and after the revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment. We conducted Poisson segmented regression to estimate the changes in outpatient utilization and inpatient utilization and conducted segmented regression to estimate the changes in medical expenses. Results: Immediately after the revised policy, the number of clinic and Korean medicine outpatient visits of medical expenses under 15,000 won decreased. But the number of clinic outpatient visits in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 won and Korean medicine clinic in the range of 20,000 to 25,000 won increased. Copayment in outpatient temporarily decreased. The inpatient admission rates and total medical expenses temporarily decreased but increased again. Conclusion: We confirmed the temporary increase in outpatient utilization in the medical expense segment with reduced copayment rates. And a temporary decrease in medical expenses followed by an increase again. To reduce the burden of medical expense among elderly in the long run, efforts to establish chronic disease management policies aimed at preventing disease occurrence and deterioration in advance need to continue.