• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.493-513
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• 2014

With the development of related technologies, Location-Based Services (LBS) are growing fast and being used in many ways. Past LBS studies have focused on adoption of LBS because of the fact that LBS users have privacy concerns regarding revealing their location information. Meanwhile, the number of LBS users and revenues from LBS are growing rapidly because users can get some benefits by revealing their location information. Little research has been done on how LBS affects consumers' information search behavior in product purchase. The purpose of this paper is examining the effect of LBS information filtering on buyers' uncertainty and their information search behavior. When consumers purchase a product, they try to reduce uncertainty by searching information. Generally, there are two types of uncertainties - knowledge uncertainty and choice uncertainty. Knowledge uncertainty refers to the lack of information on what kinds of alternatives are available in the market and/or their important attributes. Therefore, consumers having knowledge uncertainty will have difficulties in identifying what alternatives exist in the market to fulfil their needs. Choice uncertainty refers to the lack of information about consumers' own preferences and which alternative will fit in their needs. Therefore, consumers with choice uncertainty have difficulties selecting best product among available alternatives.. According to economics of information theory, consumers narrow the scope of information search when knowledge uncertainty is high. It is because consumers' information search cost is high when their knowledge uncertainty is high. If people do not know available alternatives and their attributes, it takes time and cognitive efforts for them to acquire information about available alternatives. Therefore, they will reduce search breadth. For people with high knowledge uncertainty, the information about products and their attributes is new and of high value for them. Therefore, they will conduct searches more in-depth because they have incentive to acquire more information. When people have high choice uncertainty, people tend to search information about more alternatives. It is because increased search breadth will improve their chances to find better alternative for them. On the other hand, since human's cognitive capacity is limited, the increased search breadth (more alternatives) will reduce the depth of information search for each alternative. Consumers with high choice uncertainty will spend less time and effort for each alternative because considering more alternatives will increase their utility. LBS provides users with the capability to screen alternatives based on the distance from them, which reduces information search costs. Therefore, it is expected that LBS will help users consider more alternatives even when they have high knowledge uncertainty. LBS provides distance information, which helps users choose alternatives appropriate for them. Therefore, users will perceive lower choice uncertainty when they use LBS. In order to test the hypotheses, we selected 80 students and assigned them to one of the two experiment groups. One group was asked to use LBS to search surrounding restaurants and the other group was asked to not use LBS to search nearby restaurants. The experimental tasks and measures items were validated in a pilot experiment. The final measurement items are shown in Appendix A. Each subject was asked to read one of the two scenarios - with or without LBS - and use a smartphone application to pick a restaurant. All behaviors on smartphone were recorded using a recording application. Search breadth was measured by the number of restaurants clicked by each subject. Search depths was measured by two metrics - the average number of sub-level pages each subject visited and the average time spent on each restaurant. The hypotheses were tested using SPSS and PLS. The results show that knowledge uncertainty reduces search breadth (H1a). However, there was no significant correlation between knowledge uncertainty and search depth (H1b). Choice uncertainty significantly reduces search depth (H2b), but no significant relationship was found between choice uncertainty and search breadth (H2a). LBS information filtering significantly reduces the buyers' choice uncertainty (H4) and reduces the negative relationship between knowledge uncertainty and search breadth (H3). This research provides some important implications for service providers. Service providers should use different strategies based on their service properties. For those service providers who are not well-known to consumers (high knowledge uncertainty) should encourage their customers to use LBS. This is because LBS would increase buyers' consideration sets when the knowledge uncertainty is high. Therefore, less known services have chances to be included in consumers' consideration sets with LBS. On the other hand, LBS information filtering decrease choice uncertainty and the near service providers are more likely to be selected than without LBS. Hence, service providers should analyze geographically approximate competitors' strength and try to reduce the gap so that they can have chances to be included in the consideration set.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.21 no.6 s.90
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• pp.895-907
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• 2005

In an attempt to improve the taste and storage characteristics of Sulgidduk, a Korean traditional rice cake product, baekbokryung(White Poria cocos Wolf) powder was supplemented as one of the ingredients and Product Quality waw assessed. The baekbokryung Powder was added in rations of 0, 5, 7, 10, and $15\%$(w/w) per rice powder during the raw material preparations. The sensory, objective quality, and microbiological characteristics of the products were examined at 4-hr intervals during storage for 36 hours at $20^{\circ}C$ The sensory evaluation was conducted based on the acceptability and intensity characteristics of the product. In the acceptability test, a $5\%$ treatment wae renerally ranked with the highest score, among all the treatments while the preference differed according to ages of the panels ; namely, those in their 20's to 30's liked a $5\%$ supplementation while those in their 40's to 60's Preferred a $7\%$ one. The addition of baekbokryung Powder proportionally decreased the moisture content of the products. The colorimetric redness(a) and yellowness(b) of the Products increased with increasing added baekbokryung Powder. The redness values began to decrease slowly from the beginning while the rates were accelerated after 8 to 12 hours of the storage. In the textural characteristics, hardness, gumminess and adhesiveness values increased with increasing added baekbokryung powder. The rapid increase in adhesiveness during the initial 4 hour of storage and the following stabilization was noted. Cohesiveness and springiness values tended to decrease gradually with increasing added baekbokryung Powder. Except for the control sample, no significant differences in the total microbial counts among the treatments were noted. After 20 hours of storage, the control sample exhibited a rapid increase in total microbial count, while the Proliferations of microorganisms were rather suppressed in baekbokryung Powder treatments according to the added amounts The results of the study support the benefits of baekbokryung powder supplementation in Sulgidduk in the aspects of taste and functionality. The degree of further increase of baekbokryung Powder in Sulgidduk without causing the adverse qualify effects remains for future study.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.98 no.4
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• pp.426-434
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• 2009

This study was carried out to derive the most optimal production process for the wood fuels(chip and pellet), by collecting cost data on each procedure through the life cycle assessment approach, and to compare between the profitability and efficiency, from the view points of producers and consumers, irrespectively. The costs accounted in this analysis were based on the opportunity cost. The results show that wood chips are cheaper than wood pellets in production costs. In respect to the process with the lowest production cost, while wood chips should be to crush collected residues into pieces on the spot for merchandizing, wood pellets need to be transported to manufactory for pelletizing. The study findings also include that the profits, which is estimated by subtracting expenses from gained sale revenue, were a bit higher for wood chips than wood pellets. Additionally, the price ratio of wood pellets to wood chips for getting the same caloric value appears to be 1.27. Despite of economic benefits of processing wood chips, there are several problems in practice. For producers, there is a possible increase in not only transportation cost for conveying crushers to the dispersed places, but storage cost due to the lack of the marketplaces in the immediate surroundings. For consumers, on the other hand, there are some challenging issues, such as bulky storage facility requirement, additional labor for fuel supplement, frequent ashes disposal, and decomposition in summer and freezing in winter caused by wood chips' own moisture.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.1-27
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• 2012

Many companies have recently become interested in using social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook as a new channel to communicate with their customers. For example, companies often offer "special deals" (e.g., coupons, discounts, free samples, etc.) to their customers who participate in promotions or events on social networking sites. Companies often make important announcements on their products or services on social networking sites. By doing so, customers are encouraged to continue to have relationships with companies on social networking sites and to recommend the companies' presence on social networking sites to other potential customers. Moreover, customers who keep close relationships with companies on social networking sites often provide the companies with valuable suggestions and feedback. For instance, Starbucks has more than 2 million followers on Twitter, and often receive suggestions and feedback for their product offerings and services from the followers on Twitter. Although companies realize potential benefits of using social networking sites as a channel to communicate with their customers, it appears that many companies have difficulty forging long-lasting relationships with customers on social networking sites. It is often reported that many customers who had followed companies on Twitter later stopped following them for various reasons. Therefore, it is an important issue to understand what motivates customers to continue to keep relationships with companies on social networking sites. Nonetheless, due attention has yet paid to this issue until recently. This study intends to contribute to our understanding on customers' intention to continue to follow companies on Twitter and to spread positive word-of-mouth about companies on Twitter. Specifically, we identify seven potential factors that customers perceive as important in evaluating their experience with companies on Twitter. The seven factors include similarity, receptivity, interactivity, ubiquitous connectivity, enjoyment, usefulness and transparency. We posit that the seven perception factors can affect the two types of satisfaction, emotional and cognitive, which can in turn influence on customers' intention to follow companies on Twitter and to spread positive word-of-mouth about companies on Twitter. Research hypotheses formulated in this study were tested with data collected from a questionnaire survey administered to customers who had been following companies on Twitter. The data was analyzed with the partial least square (PLS) approach to structural equation modeling. The results of data analysis based on 177 usable responses were generally supportive of our predictions for the effects of the seven factors identified and the two types of satisfaction. In particular, out results suggest that emotional satisfaction was strongly influenced by perceived similarity, perceived receptivity, perceived enjoyment, and perceived transparency. Cognitive satisfaction was significantly influenced by perceived similarity, perceived interactivity, perceived enjoyment, and perceived transparency. While cognitive satisfaction was found to have significant and positive effects on both continued following and word-of-mouth intentions, emotional satisfaction had a significant and positive effect only on word-of-mouth intention.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.8
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• pp.119-133
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• 2012

Recent rise of social media channel is changing social and economic paradigm and is being used as an effective communication in marketing. The following research analyzes the most employed social marketing tools such as portal advertisement, blogs, and SNS channels to effectively execute social media marketing from performance indicator and ICSI perspective, analyzes each channel's characteristics and results based on Korea distribution companies' case studies and suggests a framework to effectively use each channel. Portal site advertisements are the most effective channel to draw customers with new information and are thus linked to profit by corporations with excessive budget and workforce. Blogs target a specific range of customers providing quality information and knowledge thus improving a corporation's and its product's trustworthiness, spread the word by allowing customers to scrap the information, form social groups and synthesize ideas, events, new contents and social involvement with loyal customers. SNS channels allow customers to get involved in real time information and events, grow through network by the power of customers, react immediately to customers' needs, and execute real-time market and customer reports. Though national corporations currently rely heavily on portal site advertisements, insightful marketing professionals are showing financial results with blog and SNS. In the future, based on a precise understanding of each channel's benefits and expected results, and with a focus on flexibility, timeliness and integrated use of each channel, a portfolio of dynamic marketing as a maximizing strategy could be synthesized.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.15-23
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• 2013

Purpose - This is a case study aimed at finding a solution for improving the pallet loading efficiency in the process of delivering products through a transshipment using the T-11 and T-12 pallet systems. The study proposes a solution by demonstrating the case of a certain manufacturer A, who aims to reduce the logistics cost by using packaging sizes that are commonly applicable and can improve the compatibility between the T-11 pallet system, designated as the standard pallet in Korea, and the T-12 pallet system, which is commonly used in other foreign countries. The use of common sizes increases compatibility among the two systems and reduces both logistics and environmental costs. Thus, this case study calculates the quantitative benefits of applying common packaging sizes to improve the compatibility between the T-11 and T-12 pallet systems. These systems are considered to be the most important and widely used transportation systems in the global logistics industry. Research design, data, and methodology - This study examined manufacturer A's representative product and delivery system and assessed how manufacturer A was affected by the use of incompatible packaging sizes in the T-11 (1100 mm×1100 mm) and T-12 (1200mm×1000 mm) pallet systems, which were specified in the KS T 1002 standard. In addition, this study analyzed the impact of these packaging sizes on A's logistics cost. The TOPS program (Total Packaging System) was used to simulate pallet loading efficiency,and the main parameter studied was volume, as calculated from length, width, and height. Results - When the sizes of secondary packaging were not compatible across the T-11 and T-12 pallet systems, a reduction in loading efficiency was observed, leading to an increase in logistics cost during transshipment. Such low loading efficiencies led to a further loss of efficiency in transportation, storage and unloading. This may have a possible environmental impact with high social expenses, such as increased CO₂ emissions. Hence, this study proposed that the KS T 1002 standard be amended to include 21 packaging sizes, including 7 sizes of the 600 mm×500 mm category, which are compatible with both the T-11 and T-12 pallet systems. Conclusions - This study found that the 69 standard sizes under the T-11 pallet system and the 40 standard sizes under the T-12 system in the KS T 1002 standard can be simplified and reduced to 21 mutually compatible packaging sizes, enabling logistics standardization and reducing national-level logistics costs. If the government pays attention to this study and considers the standardization of common sizes for the T-11 and T-12 pallet systems and amends the KS T 1002 standard, this study will deliver practical value to the global logistics industry, apart from being of academic significance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.268-268
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• 2016

Chemical sensors have attracted much attention due to their various applications such as agriculture product, cosmetic and pharmaceutical components and clinical control. A conventional chemical and biological sensor is consists of fluorescent dye, optical light sources, and photodetector to quantify the extent of concentration. Such complicated system leads to rising cost and slow response time. Until now, the most contemporary thin film transistors (TFTs) are used in the field of flat panel display technology for switching device. Some papers have reported that an interesting alternative to flat panel display technology is chemical sensor technology. Recent advances in chemical detection study for using TFTs, benefits from overwhelming progress made in organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) electronic, have been studied alternative to current optical detection system. However numerous problems still remain especially the long-term stability and lack of reliability. On the other hand, the utilization of metal oxide transistor technology in chemical sensors is substantially promising owing to many advantages such as outstanding electrical performance, flexible device, and transparency. The top-gate structure transistor indicated long-term atmosphere stability and reliability because insulator layer is deposited on the top of semiconductor layer, as an effective mechanical and chemical protection. We report on the fabrication of InGaZnO TFTs with silver nanowire as the top gate electrode for the aim of chemical materials detection by monitoring change of electrical properties. We demonstrated that the improved sensitivity characteristics are related to the employment of a unique combination of nano materials. The silver nanowire top-gate InGaZnO TFTs used in this study features the following advantages: i) high sensitivity, ii) long-term stability in atmosphere and buffer solution iii) no necessary additional electrode and iv) simple fabrication process by spray.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.47-69
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• 1990

The measures taken to reform the Dutch health insurance system hold valuable lessons for countries such as Korea, where there has been increased concern regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the health services provided. The growing literature on comparative health insurance policies suggests that nations can learn from each other. In addition, Korean policymakers have shown great interest in the health insurance systems of foreign countries, particularly in Japan. The development of Korea's health insurance scheme during the past 12 years has made a significant contribution to the increased accessibility of health care services. Although the insurance coverage is universal, the health insurance system today in Korea is by no means a product of systematic and planned efforts. Moreover, it lacks due considerations of insured's needs as well as the long-term objectives of the social security health care system. There are growing gaps in premium burdens and benefits between the rural health insurance program and the employee's health insurance programs. Furthermore, the regional health insurance program is experiencing financial difficulties in spite of the fact that the amount of the government subsidy has been sharply increased in recent years. Under the present payment method solely based on the fee-for-service schedule, both consumers and providers are encouraged to utilize and prescribe more services. The combination of the utilization-inducing reimbursement system and continuous pushes for expanding health insurance has played a crucial role in raising the country's medical bills. Current trends in Korea's health care sector and those anticipated in the near future necessitate changes in the structure and funding of health care. As indicated in the above, there are various shortcomings in this context, the health policy authority in Korea can draw valuable lessons from the Dutch experiences in reforming their health insurance system. The main elements of the Dutch reform measures are a restructuring of the insurance system and a greater role for market forces in the health care system. On this basis a new system will be created which reflects the social nature of health care while at the same time containing sufficient mechanisms to allow the health care sector to operate in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.71-78
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• 2012

Recycled aggregates are made from construction wastes, and they have many national and social benefits by saving energy, developing substitute resources, and protecting environment. However, low-quality recycled aggregate with low density and high absorption rate cannot be used for structural concrete aggregate but is used mainly for low added value. Therefore, this study aims to identify the characteristics of the materials of recycled aggregates made after crashing and pulverizing waste concrete. For this, their major physical characteristics of cement content, absolute dry density, absorption rate, etc. were reviewed to make a mix design (draft) for the production of the secondary product and performance evaluation was done on the bending strength, absorption rate, bending strength after freezing and thawing, compressive strength, air-dried gravity, etc. of the test products produced by applying the mix design to compare the results with the quality standards of GR mark. The results of the tests showed that the substitution rate of recycled aggregate increased to 50~90 %, which is of superior quality than the performance standards of GR F 4007. Therefore, it is thought that they can be used for various construction works with certain physical characteristics applicable to the production of secondary concrete products using recycled aggregates.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.291-295
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• 2015

Sweet pumpkin is a squash fruit that contains low total solids but is rich in carotene, pectin, mineral salts, vitamins, and other substances beneficial to health. An attempt was made to develop a value-added food product; sweet pumpkin powders (SPP) were incorporated into a model system of noodles as a healthy food ingredient, and selected physicochemical properties and consumer preferences were determined. Elevated SPP concentration was associated with increased pH, soluble solids, and turbidity; however, moisture absorption decreased (P<0.05). Increasing amounts of SPP significantly reduced both raw and cooked noodle brightness (L*); however, yellowness (b*) appeared to increase. In addition, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity increased significantly (P<0.05). The consumer acceptance test indicated that incorporation of 10% SPP to the formulation is recommended to take advantage of the health benefits of SPP without major sacrificing the quality acceptance of consumers.