• Title/Summary/Keyword: Performance objective

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Performance Test of the Iterative Method and Newly Developed True X Method (PET 검사에서 Iterative 재구성 방법과 True X 재구성 방법에 따른 영상의 균일성 및 대조도 비교 평가)

  • Choi, Jae-Min;NamKung, Chang-Kyeong;Park, Seung-Yong;Nam, Ki-Pyo;Lim, Ki-Cheon
    • The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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    • v.13 no.1
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    • pp.20-24
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    • 2009
  • Objective: In this study, the differences between two reconstruction methods were analyzed by comparing image uniformity and contrast according to Iteration and Subset, which were altered through the Iterative method and True X method, used in Siemens' PET/CT studies. Methods: The Phantom images were obtained by exposure for two minutes per one bed. To determine the image uniformity, the Coefficient of variance was used. Also, in order to compare the contrast value, we measured and analyzed the ratio of the SUV mean of Phantom image's hot spheres and the background. Results: Under the same reconstruction conditions (Iteration and Subset) of CV, the Iterative method was higher than the True X method. In the comparison of the SUV mean ratio of the background and hot sphere, the True X method had a closer rate than the Iterative method. Conclusion: The newly developed True X reconstruction method is better than the previously used Iterative method in terms of uniformity and contrast. However, the date for this study was only obtained using the Phantom device. In order to obtain more accurate and useful information from the experiment, further research should be conducted. Also, it is necessary to find the appropriate standards for Iteration and Subset for further experimentation.

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Preliminary Results of 3-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy for Primary Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma (절제 불가능한 원발성 간암의 입체조형 방사선치료의 초기 임상 결과)

  • Keum Ki Chang;Park Hee Chul;Seong Jinsil;Chang Sei Kyoung;Han Kwang Hyub;Chon Chae Yoon;Moon Young Myoung;Kim Gwi Eon;Suh Chang Ok
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.20 no.2
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    • pp.123-129
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    • 2002
  • Purpose : The purpose of this study 띤as to determine the potential role of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) in the treatment of primary unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. The preliminary results on the efficacy and the toxicity of 3D-CRT are reported. Materials and Methods : Seventeen patients were enrolled in this study, which was conducted prospectively from January 1995 to June 1997. The exclusion criteria included the presence of extrahepatic metastasis, liver cirrhosis of Child-Pugh classification C, tumors occupying more than two thirds of the entire liver, and a performance status of more than 3 on the ECOG scale. Two patients were treated with radiotherapy only while the remaining 15 were treated with combined transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. Radiotherapy was given to the field including the tumor plus a 1.5 cm margin using a 3D-CRT technique. The radiation dose ranged from $36\~60\;Gy$ (median; 59.4 Gy). Tumor response was based on a radiological examination such as the CT scan, MR imaging, and hepatic artery angiography at $4\~8$ weeks following the completion of treatment. The acute and subacute toxicities were monitored. Results : An objective response was observed in 11 out of 17 patients, giving a response rate of $64.7\%$. The actuarial survival rate at 2 years was $21.2\%$ from the start of radiotherapy (median survival; 19 months). Six patients developed a distant metastasis consisting of a lung metastasis in 5 patients and bone metastasis in one. The complications related to 30-CRT were gastro-duodenitis $(\geq\;grade\;2)$ in 2 patients. There were no treatment related deaths and radiation induced hepatitis. Conclusion : The preliminary results show that 3D-CRT is a reliable and effective treatment modality for primary unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma compared to other conventional modalities. Further studies to evaluate the definitive role of the 3D-CRT technique in the treatment of primary unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma are needed.

A Survey on the Workplace Environment and Personal Protective Equipment of Poultry Farmers (양계 농업인의 작업장 환경 및 개인보호구 착용 실태조사)

  • Kim, Insoo;Kim, Kyung-Ran;Lee, Kyung-Suk;Chae, Hye-Seon;Kim, Sungwoo
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.40 no.6
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    • pp.454-468
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    • 2014
  • Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the actual condition of the farm work environment and personal protective equipment as part of the effort to improve livestock work for the safety and health of poultry farmers and provide basic data for establishing plans to improve and develop personal protective equipment. Methods: For this purpose, a questionnaire survey on general information about stables, the poultry work environment, accidents, the wearing of work clothes and personal protective equipment, and the level of awareness related to personal protective equipment was conducted among 148 poultry farmers. Results: As a result, it was found that poultry workplace environment was exposed to such risks as fine dusts; organic dusts; poisonous gases; odorous substances; chicken excrement; contact with chickens, bacteria or viruses; and accidents related to machine operation. Thirteen percent of respondents suffered severe respiratory diseases, and the most frequently injured sites due to accidents were the hands (25.7%), knees (23.8%), arms (17.3%), and head (10.9%). The most frequent type of accident was collisions between the body and obstacles or machinery during movement (36.4%), followed by erroneous machine operation such as feeders and electric shocks (8.5%). Regarding the wearing of work clothes and personal protective equipment, 51.7% of the respondents wore worn-out clothing or everyday clothes, whereas only 32.0% wore work clothes. The percentage of farmers who wore proper protective equipment for the work environment during poultry work was 48.4%. The most frequently used type of protective equipment was boots (38.9%), followed by mask (36.7%), gloves (36.3%), appropriate work clothes (22.6%), quarantine clothes (17.6%), helmets (13.4%), and goggles (12.6%). The rate of wearing goggles was low because they were considered inconvenient and lowered work efficiency. Furthermore, they purchased everyday products available on the market for their personal protective equipment which were not appropriate for maintaining safety in an actual harmful environment and its consequent risks. As a result of the survey of the awareness level related to personal protective equipment, their levels of awareness of accidents and attitude proved to be average or higher, but the practice of wearing protective equipment and the level of knowledge and management of personal protective equipment were lower. Conclusion: This survey found that the wearing status of personal protective equipment among poultry farmers was insufficient even though they were exposed to risks. Most respondents were aware of the necessity of wearing personal protective equipment and of the potential for accidents, but they did not wear proper protective equipment. Their wearing rate was low due to a lack of knowledge about protective equipment, as well as the inconvenience of wearing it. Therefore there is a need to improve and develop specialized personal protective equipment for respiration, hands, and eyes, as well as work clothes that can protect farmers from major harmful matter that is generated in the poultry workplace. Based on the results of this investigation, we will conduct further studies on the required performance and design directions of personal protective equipment while collecting more objective data through field-oriented assessments.

Decreased Attention in Narcolepsy Patients is not Related with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (기면병 환자의 주의집중 저하와 주간졸음증 간의 상관관계 부재)

  • Kim, Seog-Ju;Lyoo, In-Kyoon;Lee, Yu-Jin;Lee, Ju-Young;Jeong, Do-Un
    • Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.122-132
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    • 2005
  • Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess cognitive functions and their relationship with sleep symptoms in young narcoleptic patients. Methods: Eighteen young narcolepsy patients and 18 normal controls (age: 17-35 years old) were recruited. All narcolepsy patients had HLA $DQB_1$ *0602 allele and cataplexy. Several important areas of cognition were assessed by a battery of neuropsychological tests consisting of 13 tests: executive functions (e.g. cognitive set shifting, inhibition, and selective attention) through Wisconsin card sorting test, Trail Making A/B, Stroop test, Ruff test, Digit Symbol, Controlled Oral Word Association and Boston Naming Test; alertness and sustained attention through paced auditory serial addition test; verbal/nonverbal short-term memory and working memory through Digit Span and Spatial Span; visuospatial memory through Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test; verbal learning and memory through California verbal learning test; and fine motor activity through grooved pegboard test. Sleep symptoms in narcolepsy patients were assessed with Epworth sleepiness scale, Ullanlinna narcolepsy scale, multiple sleep latency test, and nocturnal polysomnography. Relationship between cognitive functions and sleep symptoms in narcolepsy patients was also explored. Results: Compared with normal controls, narcolepsy patients showed poor performance in paced auditory serial addition (2.0 s and 2.4 s), digit symbol tests, and spatial span (forward)(t=3.86, p<0.01; t=-2.47, p=0.02; t=-3.95, p<0.01; t=-2.22, p=0.03, respectively). There were no significant between-group differences in other neuropsychological tests. In addition, results of neuropsychological test in narcolepsy patients were not correlated with Epworth sleepiness scale score, Ullanlinna narcolepsy scale score and sleep variables in multiple sleep latency test or nocturnal polysomnography. Conclusion: The current findings suggest that young narcolepsy patients have impaired attention. In addition, impairment of attention in narcolepsy might not be solely due to sleep symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness.

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Norm-referenced criteria for strength of the elbow joint for the korean high school baseball players using the isokinetic equipment: (Focusing on seoul and gyeonggi-do) (등속성 장비를 이용하여 한국고교야구선수 주관절 근력 평가기준치 설정: (서울 및 경기도 중심으로))

  • Kim, Su-Hyun;Lee, Jin-Wook
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.18 no.10
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    • pp.442-447
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    • 2017
  • The purpose of this study was to establish norm-referenced criteria for the isokinetic strength of the elbow joint in Korean high school baseball players. Two hundred and one high school baseball players participated in this study, none of whom had any medical problem with their upper limbs. The elbow flexion/extension test was conducted four times at a speed of $60^{\circ}/sec$. The HUMAC NORM (CSMI, USA) system was used to obtain the values of the peak torque and peak torque per body weight. The results were presented as norm-referenced criterion valuesusing the 5-point scale of Cajori which consists of five stages (6.06%, 24.17%, 38.30%, 24.17%, and 6.06%). In the results of this study, the peak torques of the elbow (flexor and extensor?) at an angular velocity of $60^{\circ}/sec$ were $37.88{\pm}8.14Nm$ and $44.59{\pm}11.79Nm$, and the peak torque per body weight of the elbow (flexor and extensor?) were $50.06{\pm}8.66Nm$ and $58.28{\pm}12.84Nm$, respectively. The reference values of the peak torque and peak torque per body weight of the elbow flexor and extensor were setat an angular velocity of $60^{\circ}/sec$. On the basis of the results analyzed in this study, the following conclusions were drawn. There is a lack of proper studies on the elbow joint strength, even though the most common injury in baseball players occurs in the elbow joint. Therefore, we need to establish a standard muscle strength in order to prevent elbow joint injuries and improve their performance. The criteria for the peak torque and peak torque per body weight established here in will provide useful information for high school baseball players, baseball coaches, athletic trainers and sports injury rehabilitation specialists in injury recovery and return to rehabilitation, which can beutilized as objective clinical assessment data.

Task Satisfaction, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Turnover Intension of Center for Children's Foodservice Management Employees (어린이급식관리지원센터 직원의 업무만족, 직무만족, 조직몰입 및 이직의도)

  • Park, Eun Hye;Lee, Young Eun
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.44 no.12
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    • pp.1881-1894
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    • 2015
  • The objective of this study was to provide information on difficulty of performing tasks, degree of task satisfaction, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention as well as investigate correlations among these factors. Data were collected on employees working at Centers for Children's Foodservice Management, which had been operating for over 6 months until December 2013. The recruitment period was from December 16, 2013 to January 30, 2014. A total of 228 employees (79.7%) participated in the study, and 227 completed questionnaires were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed on the data utilizing the SPSS V20.0 and AMOS V21.0 programs. The main results of this study were as follows: task satisfaction of employees in charge of 'visiting-teaching' for children was highest (4.24 points), whereas that of employees in charge of financial management was lowest (2.92 points). In terms of evaluation of job satisfaction factors, the score of 'co-worker' was highest (3.99 points) while that of 'payment' was lowest (2.45 points). Average scores of general job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention were 3.56 points, 3.54 points, and 3.07 points, respectively. Job achievement was the most significant influencing factor on general job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intention. According to the path analysis results, the degree of task satisfaction affected job satisfaction. Organizational commitment had a more significant effect on turnover intention than job satisfaction and mediate both job satisfaction and turnover intention. Although employees of CCFSMs endeavor to improve the quality of child-care facility foodservice, some facilities do not. Controlling turnover intention of employees is especially critical for CCFSMs since it is important for each employees to form strong bonds with child-care facilities as well as to shorten the time required to train new employees. Thus, job satisfaction, which is related to organizational commitment and turnover intention, can be improved by considering poorly scored job satisfaction factors such as wage or workload.

Effects of Arc Number or Rotation Range upon Dose Distribution at RapidArc Planning for Liver Cancer (간암환자를 대상으로 한 래피드아크 치료계획에서 아크수 및 회전범위가 선량분포에 미치는 영향)

  • Park, Hae-Jin;Kim, Mi-Hwa;Chun, Mi-Son;Oh, Yeong-Teak;Suh, Tae-Suk
    • Progress in Medical Physics
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.165-173
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    • 2010
  • In this paper, we evaluated the performance of 3D CRT, IMRT and three kind of RA plannings to investigate the clinical effect of RA with liver cancer case. The patient undergoing liver cancer of small volume and somewhat constant motion were selected. We performed 3D CRT, IMRT and RA plannings such as 2RA, limited triple arcs (3RA) and 3MRA with Eclipse version 8.6.15. The same dose volume objectives were defined for only CTV, PTV and body except heart, liver and partial body in IMRT and RA plannings. The steepness of dose gradient around tumor was determined by the Normal Tissue Objective function with the same parameters in place of respective definitions of dose volume objectives for the normal organs. The approach between the defined dose constraints and the practical DVH of CTV, PTV and Body was the best in 3MRA and the worst in IMRT. The DVHs were almost the same among RAs. Plans were evaluated using Conformity Index (CI), Homogeneity Index (HI) and Quality of coverage (QoC) by RTOG after prescription with dose level surrounding 98% of PTV in the respective plans. As a result, 3MRA planning showed the better favorable indices than that of the others and achieved the lowest MUs. In this study, RA planning is a technique that is possible to obtain the faster and better dose distribution than 3D CRT or IMRT techniques. Our result suggest that 3MRA planning is able to reduce the MUs further, keeping a similar or better targer dose homogeneity, conformity and sparing normal tissue than 2RA or 3RA.

Effects of Design Innovations on Small and Medium Enterprises' International Competitiveness (디자인혁신이 중소기업의 국제경쟁력에 미치는 영향)

  • Lee Soo-Bong
    • Archives of design research
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    • v.19 no.4 s.66
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    • pp.163-174
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    • 2006
  • The purpose this study is to discuss effects of product design innovations on small and medium enterprises' business accomplishments and further on raising those enterprises' international competitiveness through reviewing previous studies that quantitatively analyzed economic and technological performance and ripple effects of products developed through design innovations. To determine how much design innovations are influential and contributing to small and medium enterprises' international competitiveness, then, the researcher took most advantage of statistical data from quantitative analyses of business accomplishments brought by design innovation development and investment, or economic effects like sales and exports increase. Results of the study can be summarized as follows. First, product design innovations by small and medium enterprises directly contribute to creating plenty of technological and economical achievements, for example, improved product quality, increased product profitability, the effect of product differentiation, improved price competitiveness and increased business sales and exports. Second, technological and economic achievements brought by product design innovations can directly lead to ripple effects like accumulating related knowledge and know-hows, strengthening the competitiveness of products, improving corporate image, increasing business sales and net profit, and meeting many different consumer requirements. Third, technological and economic achievements and ripple effects brought by product design innovations all become very important factors and sources on which small and medium enterprises strengthen their international competitiveness in world markets and maintain their sustainable competitive advantage. Fourth, business accomplishments or economic effects brought by design innovations can be quantitatively measured and analyzed with statistical data. Additional data from the moves can help understand and express the very value or nature of design in a quantitative way. This study is significant in that its results was made based on statistical data from empirical, objective measurements and quantification. The researcher hopes that the study contributes to promoting design innovations by small and medium enterprises and helps CEOs of those businesses better understand the very value and nature of design.

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Dynamic Characteristic Analysis Procedure of Helicopter-mounted Electronic Equipment (헬기 탑재용 전자장비의 동특성 분석 절차)

  • Lee, Jong-Hak;Kwon, Byunghyun;Park, No-Cheol;Park, Young-Pil
    • Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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    • v.23 no.8
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    • pp.759-769
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    • 2013
  • Electronic equipment has been applied to virtually every area associated with commercial, industrial, and military applications. Specifically, electronics have been incorporated into avionics components installed in aircraft. This equipment is exposed to dynamic loads such as vibration, shock, and acceleration. Especially, avionics components installed in a helicopter are subjected to simultaneous sine and random base excitations. These are denoted as sine on random vibrations according to MIL-STD-810F, Method 514.5. In the past, isolators have been applied to avionics components to reduce vibration and shock. However, an isolator applied to an avionics component installed in a helicopter can amplify the vibration magnitude, and damage the chassis, circuit card assembly, and the isolator itself via resonance at low-frequency sinusoidal vibrations. The objective of this study is to investigate the dynamic characteristics of an avionics component installed in a helicopter and the structural dynamic modification of its tray plate without an isolator using both a finite element analysis and experiments. The structure is optimized by dynamic loads that are selected by comparing the vibration, shock, and acceleration loads using vibration and shock response spectra. A finite element model(FEM) was constructed using a simplified geometry and valid element types that reflect the dynamic characteristics. The FEM was verified by an experimental modal analysis. Design parameters were extracted and selected to modify the structural dynamics using topology optimization, and design of experiments(DOE). A prototype of a modified model was constructed and its feasibility was evaluated using an FEM and a performance test.

An Analysis of the Roles of Experience in Information System Continuance (정보시스템의 지속적 사용에서 경험의 역할에 대한 분석)

  • Lee, Woong-Kyu
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.45-62
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    • 2011
  • The notion of information systems (IS) continuance has recently emerged as one of the most important research issues in the field of IS. A great deal of research has been conducted thus far on the basis of theories adapted from various disciplines including consumer behaviors and social psychology, in addition to theories regarding information technology (IT) acceptance. This previous body of knowledge provides a robust research framework that can already account for the determination of IS continuance; however, this research points to other, thus-far-unelucidated determinant factors such as habit, which were not included in traditional IT acceptance frameworks, and also re-emphasizes the importance of emotion-related constructs such as satisfaction in addition to conscious intention with rational beliefs such as usefulness. Experiences should also be considered one of the most important factors determining the characteristics of information system (IS) continuance and the features distinct from those determining IS acceptance, because more experienced users may have more opportunities for IS use, which would allow them more frequent use than would be available to less experienced or non-experienced users. Interestingly, experience has dual features that may contradictorily influence IS use. On one hand, attitudes predicated on direct experience have been shown to predict behavior better than attitudes from indirect experience or without experience; as more information is available, direct experience may render IS use a more salient behavior, and may also make IS use more accessible via memory. Therefore, experience may serve to intensify the relationship between IS use and conscious intention with evaluations, On the other hand, experience may culminate in the formation of habits: greater experience may also imply more frequent performance of the behavior, which may lead to the formation of habits, Hence, like experience, users' activation of an IS may be more dependent on habit-that is, unconscious automatic use without deliberation regarding the IS-and less dependent on conscious intentions, Furthermore, experiences can provide basic information necessary for satisfaction with the use of a specific IS, thus spurring the formation of both conscious intentions and unconscious habits, Whereas IT adoption Is a one-time decision, IS continuance may be a series of users' decisions and evaluations based on satisfaction with IS use. Moreover. habits also cannot be formed without satisfaction, even when a behavior is carried out repeatedly. Thus, experiences also play a critical role in satisfaction, as satisfaction is the consequence of direct experiences of actual behaviors. In particular, emotional experiences such as enjoyment can become as influential on IS use as are utilitarian experiences such as usefulness; this is especially true in light of the modern increase in membership-based hedonic systems - including online games, web-based social network services (SNS), blogs, and portals-all of which attempt to provide users with self-fulfilling value. Therefore, in order to understand more clearly the role of experiences in IS continuance, analysis must be conducted under a research framework that includes intentions, habits, and satisfaction, as experience may not only have duration-based moderating effects on the relationship between both intention and habit and the activation of IS use, but may also have content-based positive effects on satisfaction. This is consistent with the basic assumptions regarding the determining factors in IS continuance as suggested by Oritz de Guinea and Markus: consciousness, emotion, and habit. The principal objective of this study was to explore and assess the effects of experiences in IS continuance, with special consideration given to conscious intentions and unconscious habits, as well as satisfaction. IN service of this goal, along with a review of the relevant literature regarding the effects of experiences and habit on continuous IS use, this study suggested a research model that represents the roles of experience: its moderating role in the relationships of IS continuance with both conscious intention and unconscious habit, and its antecedent role in the development of satisfaction. For the validation of this research model. Korean university student users of 'Cyworld', one of the most influential social network services in South Korea, were surveyed, and the data were analyzed via partial least square (PLS) analysis to assess the implications of this study. In result most hypotheses in our research model were statistically supported with the exception of one. Although one hypothesis was not supported, the study's findings provide us with some important implications. First the role of experience in IS continuance differs from its role in IS acceptance. Second, the use of IS was explained by the dynamic balance between habit and intention. Third, the importance of satisfaction was confirmed from the perspective of IS continuance with experience.