• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.101-112
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• 2014

Purpose - Recently, although corporate social responsibility activities have been increasing in size, they do not have to achieve qualitative improvements and can be passive and cost consuming. Therefore, companies should make quantitative as well as qualitative improvements in their efforts in corporate social responsibility activities. In this study, the classification of social responsibility activities in a variety of studies was analyzed through a more specific path than in previous studies. Corporate behavior image, social behavior image, and corporate contributions image were analyzed through a more detailed analysis of performance. This study suggests that more detailed and concentrated social responsibility activities be pursued by forming companies. Research design, data, and methodology - The purpose of study is to gauge the corporate need for a more intensive, specific area of CSR activities. For this purpose, the sample of consumers that were targeted for CSR activities, recognized as 261 persons, have been investigated. Through a theoretical discussion on previous research, nine hypotheses were established on corporate image, the influence of corporate performance on CSR, and the CSV regulation effect. In order to test the hypothesis, a survey was conducted on 261 male and female consumers who were targeted for CSR, being persons in their 20s to 40s. PASW Statistics 18.0 and AMOS 18.0 were used for statistical analysis. Results - Corporate behavior image was formed through legal responsibility activities and economic responsibility activities. In addition to economic responsibilities, ethical responsibilities and environmental responsibilities were confirmed to have influence on social behavior image. Corporate social responsibility and philanthropic responsibility were confirmed to have influence on economic contribution image. Corporate image has positive effects on brand attitude, corporate reputation, and corporate competition. In addition, when CSV awareness is high, consumers perceive corporate image only through economic responsibility. However, when CSV awareness is low, economic responsibility as well as legal responsibility through charitable activities form the corporate image that influences the brand attitude and corporate reputation, as well as corporate competitiveness. It would appear that the area of corporate social responsibility needs more intensive management for corporate image and corporate competitive advantage. Conclusion - First, the findings of this study show that each CSR activity has a different effect on corporate image and thus, the corporate image influences corporate performance in distinct ways, depending on the CSR activity. This implies that reactive strategies should be tailored to the required image. Second, there is a difference in CSV awareness between groups. When the CSV awareness is low, we can confirm that legal responsibility activities have an especially significant effect on corporate image, implying that corporations should pursue their economic objectives within legal regulations and need to invest significant time and effort for this. This study has limited generalization potential because the result of the model fit has insufficient reference value. In future research, we need to approach various dimensions of corporate performance.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.73-80
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• 2013

Purpose - As the smart-phone market adds new technologies and introduces new marketing trends, competition among companies is getting fierce. Now, smart-phone companies need to pay attention not only to attaining new customers but also to retaining customers, which means managing relationships to prevent customer defection. Therefore, how to satisfy customer needs and maintain long-term relations are both important to make consistent progress in the rapidly changing smart-phone market. To illustrate this point, the study focuses on analyzing the effects of consumption value on relational factors and buying intentions among smart-phone users. First, consumption value was divided into functional, economic, and emotional values. After that, the effects of these values on satisfaction and brand trust were confirmed. Additionally, effects of satisfaction and brand trust on repurchase intention were analyzed. Research design, data, and methodology - The data was collected in a self-administered survey among 270 undergraduate students, using smart-phones between June 4th-12th, 2012. A total of 257 questionnaires were collected and used for the data analysis. A path analysis based on Lisrel 8.54 was used for the hypothesis test. Consumption value was divided into functional, economic, and emotional values. Subsequently, the effects of these values on satisfaction and trust in the brand were confirmed. Additionally, the effects of satisfaction and trust in the brand on repurchase intention were analyzed. Results - First, functional value, economic value, and emotional value - especially emotional value - were revealed to have positive effects on satisfaction. Second, emotional value was shown to have positive effects on brand trust, while functional and economic values did not. Third, satisfaction had positive effects on brand trust. In considering the relative influence on brand trust, satisfaction was the most crucial factor. It is clear that in the evaluation of the direct experience, using the product or the service plays an important role in building brand trust. Fourth, satisfaction and brand trust positively influenced repurchase intention. This indicates that both factors must be achieved to induce the repurchase Intention among customers. Conclusions - One can see that the enjoyable emotions consumers feel while using smart-phones is the most important factor in increasing levels of satisfaction. Moreover, this indicates that consumers pursue economic desires along with convenient functions in order to reduce opportunity costs. Additionally, consumers are affected by psychological and emotional messages in building trust, rather than practical and rational ones. Thus, in order to appeal to young clients as an attractive brand in the smart-phone market, approaching customers with an emotional value is recommended. In addition, in order for the brand to gain trust, the overall experience the consumer feels while using smart phones should be maximized. After all, one must fulfill the consumers' desire for a new experience and show a willingness to faithfully accomplish the responsibility of the brand to strengthen relationships with customers in the smart-phone market.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.12-24
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• 2013

Eradication of endemic malaria was declared in mid 1980's in Korea, but the number of malaria cases has been oscillating for the past 10 years since the reemergence of the disease in early 1990's. The occurrence of malaria has been concentrated near the demilitarized zone(DMZ), and the regional characteristics of the disease are evident. Considering the spatial variations of malaria incidence across the high-risk areas, the hotspot of the disease, it seems that the occurrence of the disease is influenced by the natural and human environment in the region. Malaria is an infectious disease that is transmitted to humans by the bites of vector-mosquitoes carrying malaria parasites, and it depends on specific climatic and sociodemographic factors. Malaria transmission is highly climate-sensitive, and temperature is the most important component. In addition, human contacts with vector-mosquitoes and the distance between human residence and mosquito habitats are crucial conditions determining malaria incidence rates. The present study aimed to test a hypothesis that the spatial characteristics of malaria incidence depended on local climatic conditions, relative proportions of mosquito habitats, and the distance between mosquito habitats and human residence using meteorological and satellite-based land cover data.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2013

The present study was conducted to test a hypothesis that pork quality traits would be influenced by the systemic and/or local bioavailability of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), transforming growth factor-${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$), or epidermal growth factor (EGF) before or at slaughter. To this end, 60 cross-bred female market pigs weighing approximately 110 kg were slaughtered, after which Longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) samples taken at slaughter (D 0) and blood samples taken at D -7 and D 0 were analyzed. The 60 carcasses rendered 36 RFN (reddish-pink, firm, and non-exudative), 16 RSE (reddish-pink, soft, and exudative), and 6 PSE (pale, soft, and exudative); 2 DFD (dark, firm, and dry) also were found but were excluded in subsequent experiments. The $L^*$ and drip loss were greater in PSE vs. RFN and RSE and in PSE and RSE vs. RFN, respectively, as they should (P<0.05). The $pH_{45min}$ was less in PSE vs. RFN (P<0.05); $pH_{24h}$ tended to be less in the former (P=0.09). The LM IGF-I and TGF-${\beta}1$ as well as serum EGF concentrations were less in PSE than in RFN. None of the other LM and serum concentrations of the three growth factors differed across the three pork quality categories. The LM IGF-I and TGF-${\beta}1$ concentrations and serum EGF concentration at D 0 were negatively correlated with drip loss [r = -0.36(P<0.01), -0.44 (P<0.01), and -0.32 (P<0.05), respectively]. However, none of the serum and LM growth factor variables was correlated with $L^*$ or $a^*$ (redness) of LM. Taken together, results suggest that locally expressed IGF-I and TGF-${\beta}1$ and blood-borne EGF may have a beneficial effect on postmortem water holding capacity of the muscle and that pork quality traits could be predicted to some extent from concentrations of IGF-I and TGF-${\beta}1$ in muscle and EGF in serum at slaughter.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.147-156
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• 2018

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of the weight values of evaluation items by traffic safety project type. METHODS : In general, a large-scale investment in projects such as the traffic safety project requires economic analyses to be performed in advance. However, there is an argument for considering special characteristics of the traffic safety project. Therefore, this study conducted characteristic analysis of the weight values of evaluation items. The analysis consisted of two steps. The first step was hypothesis verification using analysis of variance (ANOVA). In this process, the authors examined whether the weight of evaluation items is the same regardless of the traffic safety project type. Based on the first step's results, the authors proceeded to the second step. The objective of this step was to analyze how different the weight values are by traffic safety project type using an analytic hierarchy process. RESULTS : According to the ANOVA test results, the benefit to cost ratios have different weight values based on traffic safety project type at the 0.01 significance level. The policy evaluation items, such as the plans connection, resident opinion, and regional equity, also showed the same results except that the result for the related plans connection was statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Based on the first step's result, the AHP analysis in the second step showed that the traffic safety projects for vulnerable users and pedestrians have very low weight values in economic evaluation factors compared with other safety project types. The weight values for vulnerable users and pedestrians were 0.29 and 0.26, respectively, in economic evaluation items. On the other hand, the weight values for other safety project types were around 0.6. Among the policy evaluation items, resident opinion showed a higher weight value than other factors, such as connection and regional equity items. CONCLUSIONS : The social and economic impact of a traffic safety project varies by project type and project characteristics. Although the economic approach is overarching and a reasonable methodology is applied for large-scale projects, it should be noted that the safety issue, especially for transportation of vulnerable uses, requires a non-economical approach. Based on the analysis results, this study suggests that the priority of the projects should be determined by separating them into independent assessment groups depending on their characteristics.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.279-287
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• 2007

Copper (Cu) is an essential trace element indispensable for brain development and function; either excess or deficiency in Cu can cause brain malfunction. While it is known that Cu and Fe homeostasis are strictly regulated in the brain, the question as to how systemic Fe status may influence brain Cu distribution was poorly understood. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that dietary Fe condition affects Cu transport into the brain, leading to an altered brain distribution of Cu. Rats were divided into 3 groups; an Fe-deficient (Fe-D) group which received an Fe-D diet ($3{\sim}5 mg$ Fe/kg), a control group that was fed with normal diet (35mg Fe/kg), and an Fe-overload group whose diet contained an Fe-O diet (20g carbonyl Fe/kg). Following a 4-week treatment, the concentration of Cu/Fe in serum, CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) and brain were determined by AAS, and the uptake rates of Cu into choroids plexus (CP), CSF, brain capillary and parenchyma were determined by an in situ brain perfusion, followed by capillary depletion. In Fe-D and Fe-O, serum Fe level decreased by 91% (p<0.01) and increased by 131% (p<0.01), respectively, in comparison to controls. Fe concentrations in all brain regions tested (frontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus, mid brain, and cerebellum) were lower than those of controls in Fe-D rats (p<0.05), but not changed in Fe-O rats. In Fe-D animals, serum and CSF Cu were not affected, while brain Cu levels in all tested regions (frontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus, mid brain, and cerebellum) were significantly increased (p<0.05). Likewise, the unidirectional transport rate constants $(K_{in})$ of Cu in CP, CSF, brain capillary and parenchyma were significantly increased (p<0.05) in the Fe-D rats. In contrast, with Fe-O, serum, CSF and brain Cu concentrations were significantly decreased as compared to controls (p<0.05). Cu transport was no significant change of Cu transport of serum in Fe-O rats. The mRNA levels of five Cu-related transporters were not affected by Fe status except DMT1 in the CP, which was increased in Fe-D and decreased in Fe-O. Our data suggest that Cu transport into brain and ensuing brain Cu levels are regulated by systemic Fe status. Fe deficiency appears to augment Cu transport by brain barriers, leading to an accumulation of Cu in brain parenchyma.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.1-28
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• 2007

The success of new product development is a key factor for getting competitive advantages. Marketing research has been investigating marketing capability, manufacturing technical capability, cross-functional integration, market knowledge competence, market orientation, and competitive environment as the key success factors of new product development. Recently, the role of IT infrastructure in enhancing new product advantage is assumed in the literature. However, the empirical studies on the role of IT infrastructure are lacking. The purpose of this study is to empirically exam the impacts of IT infrastructure on new product competitive advantage. In this study, IT infrastructure is conceptualized as the flexibility of IT infrastructure. Based on previous research, a conceptual model is established by incorporating the direct impact of IT infrastructure flexibility and its indirect impact through the key success factors on new product development. To empirically test the research model, data are surveyed from a pair of IS department and Marketing department of 92 consumer goods manufacturers. By employing PLS technique, the measurement reliability and reliability of research variables are tested and the path analysis is conducted to do the hypothesis testing. The path analysis shows that IT infrastructure flexibility has no direct effect on new product advantage, However, the indirect effect of IT infrastructure is found, which is mediated by marketing capability, manufacturing technical capability, cross-functional integration, and market orientation respectively. Hence, The flexible IT infrastructure increases cross-functional integration (H1), market orientation (H3), marketing capability (H5), and manufacturing technical capability (H6). All success factors of new product development excepts for competitive environment have a positive association with new product competitive advantages (from H10 to H14). Finally, the path from IT infrastructure flexibility to cross-functional integration, to market orientation, to market knowledge capability, and to new product advantage is found as the strongest path. These results indicate that the flexible IT infrastructure enhances information sharing with multiple departments and collaboration within a distributed innovation environment. The collaboration among departments positively affects the level of customer and competitor intelligence. The ability to obtain knowledge about customers and competitors makes firms to adapt to a changing environment quickly and to respond to customers' demands adequately. The flexible IT infrastructure also enhances the capability of organization to more rapidly respond to the changes in product design resulting in faster product development and reduced costs. In addition to, it enhances marketing capability by the two-way communications with customers and the analyses of various kinds of customer data. In brief, the finding of this study suggests that the flexible IT infrastructure allows many firms to pursue sustained new product competitive advantages. This study advances research on IT infrastructure in two important aspects. First, by Integrating marketing research and IS research, this study develops a conceptual model on the role of IT infrastructure in enhancing new product advantage. Second, it empirically finds the indirect impacts of IT infrastructure on new product advantage, which confirms the potential for the IS field to contribute to new product development research. The limitations of this study are also discussed to provide research directions for future research.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.29-47
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• 2007

Owing to the rapid growth of using the Internet, not only click-and-mortar companies but also brick-and-mortar ones have been expanding their distribution channels into online, Moreover, since online channels are more attractive than offline ones in control and maintenance, switching customers into online ones is emerged as one of very important managerial issues in a view of reduction of cost as well as expansion of services. However, the switched customers should be faced by uncertainties which could not have been experienced in offline. Specifically, in online channels, buyers and sellers are separated temporally and spacially and there are always so many kinds of threat for security as well as not enough systems and conventions for them yet. Therefore, trust has been considered as one of the most critical mechanisms for resolution of such uncertainties in online transactions. However, it is not easy to build and maintain the relationships in online since most of them are virtual and indirect generally. Therefore, in order to switch offline customers into online ones, it is very important to make strategies based on identification of the relationship between online transaction and offline trust which has been built in offline business. Generally offline trust, which has been built independent of online, could not include trust for online-dependent activities such as payment security during or after transactions, while most of online trust include it. Therefore, a customer with high offline trust does not always perceive high security and assure safe transactions. Accordingly, while online trust, where technical capabilities for online security is one of main bases, includes control trust implicitly or explicitly, offline trust does not. However. in spite of such clear discrimination and independence between offline trust and perceived security, there can be the significant dependency between these two beliefs. The customers with high offline trust believe that the company would do some activities for online security for customers' safe transactions since it has been believed of doing well for customers' trust. Theoretically, users' perception of security is interpreted as a kind of control trus, which is trust for company's technical control capacities in order to resolve technical uncertainties in online. Therefore, the relationship between two beliefs can be considered as transference from offline trust to another type trust. that is, control trust. The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of offline trust on online transaction uses mediated by perceived security. For this purpose, we suggest a research model based on technology acceptance model (TAM). Reuse intention is adopted as a dependent variable and TAM is modified by adding perceived risk (PR) as well as two beliefs of using Internet banking, perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU). Moreover, perceive security (PS) is adopted as an external variable for PR and PU, while offline trust (OT) is an antecedent of PS. For an empirical test, sampling from 108 visitors to the banks in Daegu, Korea, we analyze our model by partial least square (PLS) approach. In result, our model is shown to explain 51.4% of the variance in reuse intention and all hypothesis are supported statistically. A theoretical implication of this study is to identify a role of PS between offline trust and reuse intention of using online transaction services. According to our result, PS can be considered as a mediation variable for bridging between two different concepts: trust that explains social aspects of customers and companies, and TAM that explains customers' reuse intention.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.32-33
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• 2006

There is compelling evidence that chronic inflammation predisposes to biliary tract cancer. Previously we found that aspirin use and variants in the PTGS2 gene, both of which are closely linked to inflammation, were associated with biliary tract cancer risk in a population-based study in China. To test the inflammation hypothesis further, we examined the associations of variants in 20 genes involved in the inflammation pathway with risk of biliary tract cancer and stones in a large population-based case-control study in Shanghai, China. We genotyped 56 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)from 20 inflammation genes in 411 biliary tract cancer cases (237 gallbladder cancers, 127 extrahepatic bile duct cancers, and 47 ampullary cancers), 895 subjects with biliary stones, and 786 population controls. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (Cls) for the association of individual SNPs and haplotypes with biliary stones and biliary tract cancer risk. Of the 56 SNPs examined, 20 showed some associations with biliary cancer and stones. Specifically, variants of the IL8, IL8RB, RNASEL, TGF-beta, and TNF-alpha genes were associated with gallstone risk, while variants in the IL1A, IL10, VEGF, and RNASEL genes were associated with gallbladder cancer risk. Adjustment for multiple comparisons did not materially change these results. Of the 10 genes with multiple SNPs, we inferred halotypes; only one haplotype in the IL8RBgene was associated with gallstones. The haplotype frequency was significantly different between bile dict cancer cases and control (p=0.007). A haplotype comprising 3 SNPs in the IL8RB gene (rs2230054, rs1126579, rs1126580) was associated with a 54% increased risk of bile duct stones (95% CI 1.14-2.07, p=0.02), relative to the most frequent haplotype. In summary, common variants in immune-related genes influencing inflammatory responeses were associated with gallstones and biliary tract cancer, lending further support to the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of biliary stones and biliary tract cancer. Future larger studies with more complete gene coverage are needed to confirm these results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.619-628
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• 2009

LiDAR has capability of rapid data acquisition and provides useful information for reconstructing surface of the Earth. However, Extracting information from LiDAR data is not easy task because LiDAR data consist of irregularly distributed point clouds of 3D coordinates and lack of semantic and visual information. This thesis proposed methods for automatic extraction of buildings and 3D detail modeling using airborne LiDAR data. As for preprocessing, noise and unnecessary data were removed by iterative surface fitting and then classification of ground and non-ground data was performed by analyzing histogram. Footprints of the buildings were extracted by tracing points on the building boundaries. The refined footprints were obtained by regularization based on the building hypothesis. The accuracy of building footprints were evaluated by comparing with 1:1,000 digital vector maps. The horizontal RMSE was 0.56m for test areas. Finally, a method of 3D modeling of roof superstructure was developed. Statistical and geometric information of the LiDAR data on building roof were analyzed to segment data and to determine roof shape. The superstructures on the roof were modeled by 3D analytical functions that were derived by least square method. The accuracy of the 3D modeling was estimated using simulation data. The RMSEs were 0.91m, 1.43m, 1.85m and 1.97m for flat, sloped, arch and dome shapes, respectively. The methods developed in study show that the automation of 3D building modeling process was effectively performed.