• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.25-43
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• 2020

Although ready meals have recently increased their market share in the Korean food industry, a literature review found that the use of ready meals triggers feelings of guilt in homemakers. Such guilt arises as a result of several factors apparently related to consumers' health. Consequently, levels of guilt might be expected to vary depending on consumers' perceived health locus. The present study aims to examine (a) how health locus affects guilty feelings about ready-meal consumption, (b) how the effect varies in relation to the consumption of different types of ready meal, and (c) the relationship between consumers' guilty feelings and willingness to buy ready meals. Three dimensions of health locus of control (HLC) -internal HLC (IHLC), powerful-others HLC (PHLC), and chance HLC (CHLC)- were presumed to influence consumers' feelings of guilt in association with ready meals. Data were collected via an online survey, and participants were randomly assigned to either of two groups: one group was instructed to heat meals in a microwave (ready-to-heat [RTH] group, n=104) and the other cooked using a pan with additional ingredients (ready-to-cook [RTC] group, n=101). The study found that guilty feelings about consuming RTH meals increased in line with increased external HLCs, namely, PHLC and CHLC. For the RTC group, guilt increased in line with increased PHLC. IHLC had no significant effect on guilty feelings in either group. Willingness to buy ready meals decreased for both groups as consumers' feelings of guilt increased. Even RTC meals, which require more time and energy in food preparation, did not reduce guilty feelings among consumers with higher PHLC. RTC meals are preferable for consumers with higher CHLC, since their sense of greater involvement in the cooking process alleviates their feelings of guilt. Cooking with already prepared and uncooked ingredients brought fun and joy, both for the participants and their significant others. This interpretation may be developed into a strategic plan by ready-meal producers to strengthen their marketing strategy.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.565-575
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• 2021

This study was attempted to establish a model to investigate the relationship between career decision self-efficacy, department satisfaction, and job preparing stress of college students and to investigate the relationship between these factors. The subjects of this study were 355 college students aged 18 years or older in G-do, and the collected data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 24.0/AMOS 24.0 program. The fit index of the structural regression model met the acceptance criteria (χ²/df=2.89, SRMR=.04, RMSEA=.07, CFI=.96, TLI=.95). As a result of the study, first, it was found that career decision self-efficacy and department satisfaction directly affect job stress. Second, career decision self-efficacy was found to directly affect department satisfaction. Third, career decision self-efficacy was found to have an indirect effect on job stress through department satisfaction. Of the two variables influencing job stress, department satisfaction was found to have a greater relative influence on job preparing stress. Based on these research results, it is necessary to develop a strategy to increase career decision self-efficacy and department satisfaction, which has been found to affect job stress in order to reduce job preparing stress of college students.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.295-303
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• 2023

Immune and metabolic systems are important factors in maintaining homeostasis. Immune response and metabolic regulation are highly associated, so, when the normal metabolism is disturbed, the immune response changed followed the metabolic diseases occur. Likewise, obesity is highly related to immune response. Obesity, which is caused by an imbalance in energy metabolism, is associated with metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver diseases, atherosclerosis and hypertension. As known, obesity is characterized in chronic low-grade inflammation. In obesity, the microenvironment of immune cells became inflammatory by the unique activation phenotypes of immune cells such as macrophage, natural killer cell, T cell. Also, the immune cells interact each other in cellular or cytokine mechanisms, which intensify the obesity-induced inflammatory response. This phenomenon suggests the possibility of regulating the activation of immune cells as a pharmacological therapeutic strategy for obesity in addition to the common pharmacological treatment of obesity which is aimed at inhibiting enzymes such as pancreatic lipase and α-amylase or inhibiting differentiation of preadipocytes. In this review, we summarize the activation phenotypes of macrophage, natural killer cell and T cell, and their aspects in obesity. We also summarize the pharmacological substances that alleviates obesity by regulating the activation of immune cells.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2016

A conflict of interest (COI) places people in ethical dilemma when providing consultation in a field of business, medical/pharmaceutical industry, research etc. Disclosure is a commonly adopted strategy for the adverse effect of COI, but previous studies have reported inconsistent results. This investigated whether individual differences in pursuing self-interest influence differently on consultation behavior during voluntary- or no-disclosure of COI conditions. A total of 190 adults participated in an on-line experiment which consisted of two tasks. On the 1^st task, participants were divided into either a role-oriented group or a self-interest group depending on their consultation choice on the task. On the 2^nd task, participants were required to choose whether to disclose COI to his/her virtual partner and provided consultation to them. No group differences were found in frequency of choosing voluntary disclosure. For the role-oriented group, the voluntary disclosure group provided unbiased information to the virtual partners than the no disclosure group. However, no group difference between voluntary- and no-disclosure group in the self-interest group. Implications and limitations are further discussed.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.302-316
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• 2023

Objectives: The study aim was to identify changes in the nutritional status of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic according to household income and demographic characteristics. Methods: Study participants were 2,408 adults aged 65 and over who participated in the 2019-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). To examine changes in nutrient intake levels resulting from COVID-19, data of 2019 and of 2020 were compared. Study participants were divided into three groups based on household income level to compare these changes. The changes were compared according to household income level, age group, and household type. Results: Percentages of recommended intakes for energy, protein, and most micronutrients were the lowest for the low-income group of both males and females in 2020. The Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR) score was the lowest for the low-income group in both years. When comparing nutrient density for 2019 and 2020 by income group, the male low-income group experienced a decrease in nutrient densities of vitamin A, thiamine, calcium, and iron. For the same group, a decreased percentage for energy intake from protein was noted. Fruit intake was lowest in the low-income group for both males and females. Low-income males had the lowest intake levels for meat, fish, eggs, and legumes in both 2019 and 2020 and the lowest milk and milk product intake levels in 2020. Older adults living alone or single older adults with children had lower MAR scores than those living with a spouse. Older adults living alone experienced decreases in energy and thiamine and iron intake levels in 2020 compared to their intake levels in 2019. Conclusions: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, nutrition intake levels worsened for older adult males in the low-income group and older adults living alone. This finding shows the need for a more systematic nutritional support strategy for the vulnerable older adults population in national disaster situations.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.93-106
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• 2019

Persona is an actor's external ego constructed by playing various roles, and his/her another self-portrait in the eyes of the audience. This study was conducted to analyze persona identity containing core persona(CP) and to gain implications for the growth strategy of the actress Son Ye-jin called "melo queen" by verifying consistency between the CP and audience responses to her starring works of the past. According to the related theories and models, the persona was firstly set as image, visuality, personality and consistency, and it was used to extract and sort descriptive texts about Son related news articles in the last 5 years of the six major Korean newspapers using the content analysis method. After that, we analyzed the number of viewers of her movies and the audience share of her dramas by genre. As a result, Son's persona components were found to have a proportion for 54.2% images (34.0% for melo and romance images, 20.2% for non-melo and romance images), 25.6% for visibility, 13.8% for consistency, and 6.4% for personality. Her CP was derived from a melo and romance image. Comparing this with the audience reaction, the melo romance genre dominated and showed consistency in the drama, but in the case of the film, the non-melo romance was dominant and did not match each other. The results were attributed to a wide gap between dramas and movies in terms of key viewers, box office factors, degree of genre hybridity and experimentality. Therefore, Son should actively use her CP in the drama and challenge the various roles in order to expand her persona spectrum in the film.

• Iberoamérica
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.25-52
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• 2019

Esperpento denotes a literary style in Spanish literature first established by Spanish author Ramón María del Valle Inclán that uses distorted descriptions of reality in order to criticize society. And esperpento's narrative strategy is similar in many ways to Mikhail Bakhtin's carnivalism. Especially Valle Inclán's first esperpentic theatre, Luces de Bohemia contained various carnivalistic elements of Bakhtin. The various techniques of Valle Inclán's esperpento used in Luces de Bohemia can be explained by Bachchin's carnivalist techniques. Therefore, this paper aims to re-examine the esperpentic techniques in Luces de Bohemia of Valle Inclán in terms of Bakhchin's carnivalism. Because the esperpentic tecniques of this play pursue the subversion of power or authority through the carnivalistic aspects such as polyphony, subversion of seriousness, parody, grotesque realism, plaza, ambivalence, anomalous structure of space, time and plot, etc. Esperpento and carnivalism serve as a tool to interpret the social reality, beyond criticism and satire of Spanish society. The characters act passively on all the external factors that determine human destiny, rather than actively carving their own destiny like the classic heroes. Modern man cannot defy or control the external situation of the modern civilization. So they are tragic. In this situation, the protagonist of the tragedy who challenges reality disappears and a puppet figure like Max Estrella, the protagonist of the Luces de Bohemia, takes his place on a satirical level. This is the satire and the true meaning of carnivalistic humor that Valle Inclán tried in his play.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.305-313
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• 2023

With an increasing interest in the commercialization of research results in the present societal climate, especially in the construction industry, preliminary product analysis plays a critical role when introducing a new product to the market. It significantly influences the product's success or failure. In this context, this study aims to investigate the utility of Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) as a management strategy tool for preliminary analysis in the commercialization of new architectural technologies. The study specifically assesses a smart ball product engineered for pipeline inspection. The evaluation is carried out based on product quality, convenience, and usability categories. Seventeen factors are recognized as sub-items, and a survey is conducted among relevant experts and consumer groups. From the survey, four key items are chosen: "Keep up the good work," "Concentrate here," "Low priority," and "Possible overkill." Suitable strategic measures are derived for each item. By conducting a correlation analysis between product importance and performance, this study offers a method to establish priority directions for future development. This analysis assists in identifying areas that necessitate improvement or additional focus to increase the product's commercial potential. On the whole, this study contributes to understanding and applying Importance-Performance Analysis as a valuable tool in the preliminary analysis and commercialization of novel technologies in the field of architecture.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.436-444
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• 2023

Scientific training, diet, and ergogenic aids are widely used to overcome the limits of humans' physical abilities and to achieve excellent sports records. The adoption of nutritional strategies is important for athletes to perform at their highest level, and one of the main factors determining endurance ability is increased fat metabolism. A ketogenic diet (high fat, low carbohydrates) has thus been proposed as an alternative strategy to maximize fatty acid oxidation during prolonged periods of exercise. However, studies have shown mixed results regarding the ergogenic value of a ketogenic diet. For this reason, exogenous ketone supplements (EKS, ingestible forms of ketone bodies, ketone esters, and/or salts) have been suggested to obtain nutritional ketosis, an acute transient increase in circulating acetoacetate (AcAc) and b-hydroxybutyrate (bHB) concentrations, without limiting carbohydrate intake. Some studies have suggested the beneficial effects of EKS on the performance of endurance exercises by providing an additional fuel substrate for peripheral tissues, such as cardiac and skeletal muscles, sparing carbohydrates/increasing fat oxidation and post-exercise recovery by increasing glycogen resynthesis in the liver/muscle, attenuating protein degradation, stimulating protein synthesis in the skeletal muscle, etc. However, many studies have failed to observe the beneficial effects of EKS as an ergogenic aid. As such, this review summarizes the theoretical basis of, as well as the proposed and proven effects of EKS on exercise performance and recovery to date.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.155-175
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• 2018

This study estimates the technical efficiency and total factor productivity(TFP) of and analyzes the relationship between TFP and exports for Korean manufacturing companies from 2000 to 2016. Specially, TFP is decomposed into Technical Change(TC), Technical Efficiency Change (TEC), and Sale Effect(SE), and compared between large and small enterprises. First, in the case of technical efficiency, the Korean economy has been very vulnerable to external shocks, such as the sharp decline following the 2008 financial crisis. The efficiency of the electronics, automobile, and machinery sectors is low and needs to be improved. In addition, the technological efficiency of large enterprises is higher than that of SMEs in most manufacturing sub-sectors except for non-ferrous metals. In the case of TFP, most changes are due to TC, and the effective combination of labor, capital and the effect of scale have little effect, suggesting that improvement of internal structure is urgent. In addition, volatility due to the impact of the financial crisis in 2008 was much larger in SMEs than in large companies, so external economic impacts are more greater for SMEs than large enterprises. The relationship between TFP decomposition factors and exports shows that TC has a positive effect only on exports of SMEs. Therefore, in order to increase exports, in the case of SMEs, R&D support to promote technological development is needed. In the case of large companies, it is necessary to establish differentiated strategies for each export market, competitor company, and item to link efficiency and scale effect of exports.