• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.173-178
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• 2010

A privately held, third generation family owned company, Boom Technologies, Inc. (BTI), a provider of products and services to the electric utility, telecommunications and contractor markets, continues to make progress in exporting. Although export sales only equaled 5% of total revenue in 2008, BTI has an entire export division. Their export division's Managing Director reveals the trial and errors of a privately held company and their quest for success overseas. From its inception, BTI has always believed its greatest asset is its employees. When export sales struggled due to lack of strategy and direction, BTI hired a Managing Director for its export division. With leadership and guidance from BTI's president and from the Managing Director, they utilized the department's skills and knowledge. Structural changes were made to expand their market presence abroad and increase export sales. As a result, export sales increased four-fold, area managers in new countries were added and distribution networks were successfully cultivated. At times, revenue generation was difficult to determine due to the structure of the company. Therefore, in 1996, the export division was restructured as a limited liability company. This allowed the company to improve the tracking of revenue and expenses. Originally, 80% of BTI's export sales came from two countries; therefore, the initial approach to selling overseas was not reaching their anticipated goals of expanding their foreign market presence. However, changes were made and now the company manages the details of selling to over 80 countries. There were three major export expansion challenges noted by the Managing Director: 1. Product and Shipping - The major obstacle for BTI was product assembly. Originally, the majority of the product was assembled in the United States, which increased shipping and packaging costs. With so many parts specified in the order, many times the order would arrive with parts missing. The missing parts could equate to tens of thousands of dollars. Shipping these missing parts separately in another shipment also cost tens of thousands of dollar, plus a delivery delay time of six to eight weeks; all of which came out of the BTI's pockets. 2. Product Adaptation - Safety and product standards varied widely for each of the 80 countries to which BTI exported. Weights, special licenses, product specification requirements, measurement systems, and truck stability can all differ from country to country and can serve as a type of barrier to entry, making it difficult to adapt products accordingly. Technical and safety standards are barriers that serve as a type of protection for the local industry and can stand in the way of successfully pursuing foreign markets. 3. Marketing Challenges - The importance of distribution creates many challenges for BTI as they attempt to determine how each country prefers to operate with regard to their distribution systems. Some countries have competition from a small competitor that only produces one competing product; whereas BTI manufactures over 100 products. Marketing material is another concern for BTI as they attempt to push marketing costs to the distributors. Adapting the marketing material can be costly in terms of translation and cultural differences. In addition, the size of paper in the United States differs from those in some countries, causing many problems when attempting to copy the same layout and With distribution being one of several challenges for BTI, the company claims their distribution network is one of their competitive advantages, as the location and names of their distributors are not revealed. In addition, BTI rotates two offerings yearly: training to their distributors one year and then the next is a distributor's meeting. With a focus on product and shipping, product adaptation, and marketing challenges, the intricacies of selling overseas takes time and patience. Another competitive advantage noted is BTI's cradle to grave strategy, where they follow the product from sale to its final resting place, whether the truck is leased or purchased new or used. They also offer service and maintenance plans with a detailed cost analysis provided to the company prior to purchasing or leasing the product. Expanding abroad will always create challenges for a company. As the Managing Director stated, "If you don't have patience (in the export business), you better do something else." Knowing how to adapt quickly provides BTI with the skills necessary to adjust to the changing needs of each country and its own unique challenges, allowing them to remain competitive.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.241-249
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• 2018

As the international trade increases, vessel traffics around the Korean Peninsula are also increasing. Maritime accidents hence take place more frequently in the southern coast of Korea where many big and small ports are located. Accidents involving ship collision and sinking result in a substantial human and material damage as well as the marine environmental pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to locate the ships quickly when such accidents occur. In this study, we suggest a new ship detection index by comparing and analyzing the reflectivity of each channel of the Korea MultiPurpose SATellite-2 (KOMPSAT-2) images of the area around the Gwangyang Bay. A threshold value of 0.1 is set based on a histogram analysis, and all vessels are detected when compared with RGB composite images. After selecting a relatively large ship as a representative sample, the distribution of spatial reflectivity around the ship is studied. Uniform shadows are detected on the northwest side of the vessel. This indicates that the sun is in the southeast, the azimuth of the actual satellite image is $144.80^{\circ}$, and the azimuth angle of the sun can be estimated using the shadow position. The reflectivity of the shadows is 0.005 lower than the surrounding sea and ship. The shadow height varies with the position of the bow and the stern, perhaps due to the relative heights of the ship deck and the structure. The results of this study can help search technology for missing vessels using optical satellite images in the event of a marine accident around the Korean Peninsula.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2003

Purpose : The efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating coronary artery disease has been reported. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of breath-hold segmented K-space cine MR imaging for evaluating the patency of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG). Materials and Method s : Thirty eight patients with a total of 92 CABGs (36 internal thoracic arteries and 56 saphenous vein grafts) were evaluated using segmented K-space cardiac-gated fast gradient echo sequence (2D-FASTCARD) MR imaging. MR magnitude images were evaluated from the hard copies by two independent observers. A graft was defined as patent if it was seen as a bright small round area on at least two consecutive images throughout the cardiac cycle at a position consistent with the expected location for that graft. Results : MR images were obtained successfully for 23 patients (61%). The sagittal planes were most helpful in visualizing the cross-section of sapheneous vein bypass graft to left circumflex artery branch, whereas the transverse planes were used for identification of internal mammary artery grafts to left anterior descending coronary artery or its branch and identification of saphenous vein grafts to right coronary artery. Forty five grafts were visible using this MR technique, while the grafts were not visible on seven saphenous vein grafts and two internal mammary artery grafts. In two patients showing symptoms of myocardial ischemia, one or two bypass grafts were not visible. Imaging, perpendicular plane to a CABG was important to visualize the flow inside the CABG with maximum sensitivity. Conclusion : Evaluation of patency of the bypass graft was clinically feasible by 2D-FASTCARD MR imaging, whereas any invisible bypass grafts should be further studied by contrast-enhanced MR angiography or by conventional angiography for confirmation of abnormalities.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.3-7
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• 2010

Purpose: The usefulness of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images in diagnosis, staging, recurrent and treatment response evaluation has already been known. However, tumors which are small size, located in lower lobe of lung or upper lobe of liver are shown misalignment, distortion and different Standard Uptake Value (SUV) by respiration in PET images. Therefore, if radiotherapy based on normal respiration, it may cause low treatment response or more side effects because targets which had to treat, out of treat range or over dose to normal tissue. The purpose of this study is to evaluate attenuation-correction with Average CT (ACT) for more accuracy SUV measurement and minimize artifact by respiration. Materials and Methods: 13 patients, who had tumors which are around the diaphragm, underwent ACT scan after Helical CT (HCT) scan with PET/CT (Discovery DSTE 8; GE Healthcare). We quantified the differences between attenuation corrected image with HCT and attenuation corrected image with ACT in artifact size and maximum SUV ($SUV_{max}$). Artifacts were evaluated by measurement of the curved photogenic area in the lower thorax of the PET images for all patients. $SUV_{max}$ was measured separately at the primary tumors. Analysis program was Advantage Workstation v4.3 (GE Healthcare). Patients were injected with 7.4 MBq (0.2 $mC_i$) per kg of $^{18}F$-FDG and scanned 1 hour after injection. The PET acquisition was 3 minute per bed. Results: Significantly lower artifact were observed in PET/ACT images than in PET/HCT images (below-thoracic artifacts caused by under corrected $1.5{\pm}3.5$ cm vs. $13.4{\pm}4.2$ cm). Significantly higher $SUV_{max}$ were noted in PET/ACT images than in PET/HCT images in the primary tumor. Compared with PET/HCT images, $SUV_{max}$ in PET/ACT images were higher by $5.3{\pm}3.9%$ (mean value) tumor. The highest difference was observed in Lower lobe of lung (7.7 to 8.7; 13%). Conclusion: Due to its significantly reduced artifacts in lower thoracic, attenuation corrected image with ACT images provided more reliable $SUV_{max}$ and may be helpful in monitoring treatment response. Moreover, ACT can separate upper lobe of liver and lower lobe of lung, it may be helpful in interpretation. ACT will be clinically useful, considering increased dose caused by ACT scan and adapt.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.47-67
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• 2007

Objectives : This study was aimed to investigated the warning signs and its relationship with the other characteristics in acute stroke patients. Methods : 225 acute stroke patients were recruited at the Department of Cardiovascular and Neurologic Diseases (Stroke Center) of Kyung Hee University Oriental Hospital from October 2005 to September 2006. We evaluated their stroke type with brain MRI, their warning signs, and general characteristics such as age, sex, past history, risk factors, etc. Results : 225 subjects were included in the final analysis. In the subjects' general characteristics, the most common etiology of stroke was small vessel occlusion. In the assessment of the subjects' warning signs, the frequency of tension felt at the cervical area was highest followed by blepharospasm, sensory dysfunction (one side of numbness, tingling sensation, dead sensation), one side paralysis or weakness, etc. After analyzing etiology, cerebral hemorrhage had more facial spasm sign and hypertension than cerebral infarction. On the other hand, cerebral infarction had more diabetes and sensory dysfunction (one side of numbness, tingling sensation, dead sensation) than cerebral hemorrhage. Among stroke locations, subjects with their brain lesion in the cortex had more warning sings of motor dysfunction such as one side paralysis, or weakness. Multiple lesions showed a close relationship with smoking habit and were more common in males than in females. The under 65 years old group were more commonly associated with alcohol consumption, accidental mental stress and blepharospam than the over 65 years old group. In the group of under 65 years old, males more commonly had lesions in occipital lobe, alcohol consumption and smoking habit than females. Otherwise, females more commonly had vision dysfunction and blepharospasm than males. In the group of over 65 years old, males more commonly had cortex lesion than females. On the other hand, Females more commonly had accidental mental stress than males. Conclusions : We observed various warning signs and their distribution in acute stroke patients. The subjects' brainlesions and their etiology seemed to affect the features of the warning signs. Hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia were also related to etiology of stroke and some habitual problems such as smoking and drinking seemed to reduce the age of stroke ictus. Although a concrete conclusion can hardly be drawn from this study, it reminds physicians of the importance of warning signs which appear among their patients.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.36 no.2_2
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• pp.379-399
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• 2020

The detection of illegal ship is one of the key factors in building a marine surveillance system. Effective marine surveillance requires the means for continuous monitoring over a wide area. In this study, the possibility of ship detection monitoring based on satellite SAR, HF radar, UAV and AIS integration was investigated. Considering the characteristics of time and spatial resolution for each platform, the ship monitoring scenario consisted of a regular surveillance system using HFR data and AIS data, and an event monitoring system using satellites and UAVs. The regular surveillance system still has limitations in detecting a small ship and accuracy due to the low spatial resolution of HF radar data. However, the event monitoring system using satellite SAR data effectively detects illegal ships using AIS data, and the ship speed and heading direction estimated from SAR images or ship tracking information using HF radar data can be used as the main information for the transition to UAV monitoring. For the validation of monitoring scenario, a comprehensive field experiment was conducted from June 25 to June 26, 2019, at the west side of Hongwon Port in Seocheon. KOMPSAT-5 SAR images, UAV data, HF radar data and AIS data were successfully collected and analyzed by applying each developed algorithm. The developed system will be the basis for the regular and event ship monitoring scenarios as well as the visualization of data and analysis results collected from multiple platforms.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.101-120
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of agricultural polices on the change of regional structure based on the specialization during the productivism period. Analysis are carried on through the comparison of distribution in 1950s and 1997. Since the 1950s, governmental policy has played a leading role in shaping the pattern of farming in Great Britain. The range of British measures have also been employed in an attempt to improve the efficiency of agriculture and raise farm income. Three fairly distinct phase can be identified in the developing relationship between government policies and British agriculture in the postwar period. In the 1st phase, The Agricultural Act of 1947 laid the foundations for agricultural productivism in Great Britain until membership of the EC. This was to be achieved through the system of price support and guaranteed prices and the means of a series of grants and subsidies. Guaranteed prices encouraged farmenrs to intensify production and specialize in either cereal farming or milk-beef enterprise. The former favoured eastern areas, whereas the latter favoured western areas. Various grants and subsidies were made available to farmers during this period, again as a way of increasing efficiency and farm incomes. Many policies, such as Calf Subsidy and the Ploughing Grant, Hill cow and Hill Sheep Schemes and the Hill Farming and Livestock Rearing Grant was provided. Some of these policies favoured western uplands, whilst the others was biased towards the Lake District. Concentration of farms occured especially in near the London Metropolitan Area and south part of Scotland. In the 2nd stage after the membership of EC, very high guaranteed price created a relatively risk-free environment, so farmers intensified production and levels of self-sufficiency for most agriculture risen considerably. As farmers were being paid high prices for as much as they could produce, the policy favoured areas of larger-scale farming in eastern Britain. As a result of increasing regional disparities in agriculture, the CAP became more geographically sensitive in 1975 with the setting up of the Less Favoured Areas(LFAs). But they are biased towards the larger farms, because such farms have more crops and/or livestock, but small farms with low incomes are in most need of support. Specialization of cereals such wheat and barely was occured, but these two cereal crops have experienced rather different trend since 1950s. Under the CAP, farmers have been paid higher guaranteed prices for wheat than for barely because of the relative shortage of wheat in the EC. And more barely were cultivated as feedstuffs for livestock by home-grown cereals. In the 1950s dairying was already declining in what was to become the arable areas of southern and eastern England. By the mid-1980s, the pastral core had maintained its dominance, but the pastoral periphery had easily surpassed arable England as the second most important dairying district. Pig farming had become increasingly concentrated in intensive units in the main cereal areas of eastern England. These results show that the measure of agricultural policy induced the concentration and specialization implicitly. Measures for increasing demand, reducing supply or raising farm incomes are favoured by large scale farming. And price support induced specialization of farming. And technology for specialization are diffused and induced geographical specialization. This is the process of change of regional structure through the specialization.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.53-60
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• 2006

Single well injection withdrawal tracer tests with bromide were carried out at two wells developed in a horizontally heterogeneous fractured rock. The hydraulic conductivity of TW-1 well was 5 times larger than TW-2 well, and the average linear velocity of TW-2 well was 1.8 times faster than TW-1 well. The difference of hydrodynamic dispersions of two wells in the fractured rock was studied with the analysis of concentration breakthrough curves and cumulative mass recovery curves of bromide with withdrawal time, and the estimation of average travel distance, pore velocity, longitudinal dispersivity and longitudinal dispersion coefficient. The average travel distances of bromide were estimated to be 3.00 m in TW-1 well and 5.62 m in TW-2 well. The average pore velocities for the injection/withdrawal phase were estimated to be $4.31\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;m/sec$ in TW-1 well and $8.08\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;m/sec$ in TW-2 well. Average travel distance and pore velocity were higher in TW-2 well because of small effective porosity. Longitudinal dispersivities were estimated to be 28.73 cm in TW-1 well and 18.49 cm in TW-2 well, and bromide transport was 1.55 times faster in TW-1 well. Longitudinal dispersion coefficients were estimated to be $5.14\;{\times}\;10^{-6}\;m^2/sec$ in TW-1 well and $6.06\;{\times}\;10^{-6}\;m^2/sec$ in TW-2 well, and diffusion area was 1.18 times larger in TW-2 well.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.760-769
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• 1997

This study aimed to determine factors that influence blood flow through coronary bypass grafts and to analyze relationship between the graft flow and postoperative outcome. Blood flow through 146 bypass grafts(GBF) was measured with transit-time ultrasound flowmeter during coronary artery bypass grafting operations in 50 patients. Single and multiple regression analyses were done for relationships between the GBF and four variables: internal diameter of recipient coronary artery, myocardial value of bypassed branch(es), type of graft, and finding of preoperative myocardial perfusion scan. The relationship between GBF and postoperative scan finding was also analyzed. 1. The mean GBF was significantly higher in sequential grafts than in single vein grafts or in internal thoracic artery grafts(61.5 vs. 46.9 and 42.5 ml/min). 2. Myocardial value and recipient artery diameter were found to be the factors determining GBF. There was no correlation between GHF and presence of perfusion defect in the preoperative scan. 3. Myocardial value was found to be more important than recipient artery diameter in determinintg GBF. 4. Reversible perfusion defects were more frequently found in the areas upplied by grafts with low GBP. But this fact had only mild statistical significance. These results suggest that blood flow through a bypass graft is more determined by the size of its supplyinf: myocardium than by the size of recipient artery. So, we can expect effective improvement in myocardial flow reserve after grafting of small(1~1.5mm) coronary arteries, if they supply substantial area of myocardium.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.397-408
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• 2011

The study was carried to identify the impact on nation-wide genetic evaluation and to obtain basic materials for the development of strategies in Swine Improvement Network Project (SINP). Data consisted of pedigree records of 235,511 and performance records of 70,747 for Duroc from 1987 to 2010 were collected by Korea Animal Improvement Association. Performance traits included three point back fat thickness (Shoulder, Belly, Waist), loin area, days to 90 kg and average daily gain. Exchange of genetic resources cross the breeding farms was not high, and furthermore the sizable farms which can accommodate genetic evaluation within the farm were scarce. Three data sets (individual farm evaluation: I, two sub-group evaluation: S, and whole eight farm evaluation: P) were used for genetic analysis. Genetic variances were larger in subordinate farms than in joiners farms for connectedness, and consequently the heritabilities were generally higher in subordinate farms than in joiner farms with I. The standard errors of heritability were small in the order of I, S and P. Estimated average inbreeding coefficients were 1.12%, 0.95% and 1.53% for joiner and subordinate group with S and population with P, respectively. The estimated correlations of breeding values with I and P were lowest. The correlations of breeding values with I and P for traits ranged 0.22 to 0.45 for moved parent animals and 0.24 to 0.72 for all animals. The results in the study suggest that nation-wide evaluation uses more pedigree information and improves accuracy. Furthermore SINP for connectedness could help to improve the accuracy of evaluation.