• Information Systems Review
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.91-115
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• 2019

The updates in the mobile application market have been widely used as strategic marketing tools. It has been used to (i) improve the visibility of an application, (ii) enhance the value of an applicationand strengthen the loyalty of current users, and (iii) expand the market by adding additional features or functions. A number of studies and anecdotal evidence have highlighted the importance of these updates in the mobile application market. However, not all updates in the mobile application market have been successful. Snapchat, for instance, lost 3 million users in three months after it rolled out a major update in November 2017. In this study, we investigate the impact of updates on the usage patterns of users in the mobile application market using MAU (Monthly Active Users), usage frequency, and usage time that we collected from a company that provides mobile application usage statistics.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.231-238
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: Biochar (BC) has a great potential for enhancing soil fertility and carbon sequestration while facilitating beneficial waste disposition. Therefore, it is essential to assess and mitigate any inadvertent consequences associated with soil biochar amendment. Earthworm activity is very vital in the soil system, yet there are a limited number of studies that have examined their impact resulting from biochar application to soil. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, the survival, growth, reproductive tests, and oxidative DNA damage tests (measured by 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and catalase (CAT) activities) to assess the potential toxicity to earthworm Eisenia fetida in artificial soil amended with BCs were investigated. The BCs derived from perilla meal, sesame meal, and pumpkin seed were pyrolyzed at 300 and $550^{\circ}C$, and then amended with soil at a rate of 5%. All the earthworms survived, but lost weight compared to control soil after 28 day incubation period. Moreover, the BC-amended soils did not significantly affect the cocoon numbers of earthworms. Slightly higher concentrations of 8-OHdG and CAT were observed in earthworms present in BC-treated soil than those in control soil. Furthermore, the 8-OHdG concentrations in the soil amended with BC produced at $550^{\circ}C$ were greater than those at $300^{\circ}C$, and it slightly decreased as the incubation time increased. CONCLUSION: These observations could be due to higher contents of toxic metal(loid)s and also higher pH in BCs pyrolyzed at $550^{\circ}C$ than $300^{\circ}C$. While BC is efficiently being used in agricultural fields, this study suggests that it is required to assess the unintended negative impacts of BC on soil ecosystems.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.62
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• pp.347-367
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• 2020

Rapid advancement of technology in today's society has allowed for easy access and use of data, promoting the process of informationization. Along with the merits of such development, unintended consequences of security risks involving wiretapping have been increasing as well. The security threats posed by wiretapping technology must be addressed by every organization and individual, as it could be used to leak confidential information about the nation's security, military and diplomatic strategies, industrial technologies, and personal information. Despite increasing threats stemming from the surrounding nations using advanced wiretapping technology, there is a lack of awareness at the government level, and the existing security measures for detecting and counteracting the wiretapping equipment are ineffective. In this research, the authors offered technical suggestions for improving the security strategies against the threats of wiretapping and information leakage by conducting a content analysis. The authors suggested the units of an agency be assigned a security grade based on its importance, and that adequate security equipment should be operated according to the grade. For instance, around-the-clock surveillance is recommended for grade-1 facilities, and portable wiretapping equipment detectors should be used to protect conference rooms and other key sites.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.41-83
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• 2019

Recently, the establishment of the Special Act on National Research and Development(tentatively named) has been discussed with the aim of providing a legal basis for the comprehensive management of national research and development programs, which have thus far been independently implemented by government ministries. This paper analyzes the legislative process of the Framework Act on Science and Technology(hereafter, the "Framework Act") introduced for a similar purpose in 2001. By examining who had proposed various versions of the legislation prior to the enactment of the Framework Act, and which draft bill was derived ultimately through controversies, this paper will present the following two arguments: First, the obsession with a single regulation that can be applicable to all national research and development programs may lead to unintended consequences, given that the history of national research and development programs, each of which has been implemented by different government ministries, is quite long. Second, the Framework Act has an impact to date while it consistently internalizes the very unique orientations, as the concepts of "national competitiveness" and "national innovation system" postulate, even though it failed to establish an integrated rule. The case of the Framework Act will be a window through which one can glimpse how the present debate on the enactment of the Special Act on National Research and Development shall proceed, and further, reflect on the issues that were overlooked.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.14-33
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• 2022

Purpose: To examine whether the Patient Experience Assessment (PEA) has led to perceptible changes at the ground level of health care, as a way of evaluating PEA as a policy intervention for quality improvement. Methods: Four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted, each comprising six to eight participants who were employees responsible for patient experience at their respective hospitals. The primary focus of the FGDs was on questions such as: 1) How do hospitals respond to PEA? 2) What significant changes were observed after the implementation of PEA? 3) What were the unintended consequences of implementing PEA, if any? 4) What areas of improvement have been identified for maximizing the potential of PEA? Results: Two broad themes emerged out of the FGDs: changes observed post implementation of PEA, and areas for improvement of PEA. Four significant changes were reported by participants: changes in perception and attitude regarding patient experience in hospital employees, increased active involvement by the hospital leadership, enhanced efforts to improve patient experience, and increased cooperation between such activities. Furthermore, eight areas of improvement were identified, which have been grouped in three categories: improving the process of data collection for PEA, introducing additional catalysts to facilitate further changes, and paying attention to structure- and patient-level constraints that must be addressed in parallel. Conclusion: The implementation of PEA led to perceptible changes within hospitals, which implies that it can serve as an effective catalyst for improving patient experience. A number of areas of improvement that would aid in maximizing the potential of PEA were also identified.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.144-148
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• 2021

Purpose: Nonpharmaceutical measures, such as social distancing, have resulted in unintended consequences, including a decrease in the incidence of childhood diseases. This study aimed to estimate the impact of social distancing on the incidence of febrile seizure (FS) in Korea using nationally representative data. Methods: We used claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, a single-payer database capturing >95% of the Korean population. The database included any inpatient encounter with a FS diagnosis from January 2010 to September 2020 for those aged 0-5 years old. We aggregated the monthly number of cases to estimate the incidence per 100,000 patient-years in 2020 (January 1 to September 30) for the same periods in 2010-2019. Results: The incidence of FS in 2020 ranged from 113 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI], 108-118 per 100,000) in January to 27 per 100,000 (95% CI, 25-30 per 100,000) in September, whereas the average FS incidence in 2010-2019 ranged from 116 per 100,000 (95% CI, 112-121 per 100,000) in January to 101 per 100,000 (95% CI, 97-106 per 100,000) in September. Conclusions: The incidence of FS decreased by -38% in 2020, suggesting that social distancing contributed towards decreasing the incidence of FS.