• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.11-15
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• 2015

Purpose - Robot path planning, a constrained optimization problem, has been an active research area with many methods developed to tackle it. This study proposes the use of a Rapidly-exploring Random Tree and Particle Swarm Optimizer algorithm for path planning. Research design, data, and methodology - The grid method is built to describe the working space of the mobile robot, then the Rapidly-exploring Random Tree algorithm is applied to obtain the global navigation path and the Particle Swarm Optimizer algorithm is adopted to obtain the best path. Results - Computer experiment results demonstrate that this novel algorithm can rapidly plan an optimal path in a cluttered environment. Successful obstacle avoidance is achieved, the model is robust, and performs reliably. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through simulation studies. Conclusions - The findings could provide insights to the validity and practicability of the method. This method makes it is easy to build a model and meet real-time demand for mobile robot navigation with a simple algorithm, which results in a certain practical value for distribution environments.

• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2017

Purpose - The purpose of the study was to develop a reliable measurement tool for the evaluation of TQM application in Greek education settings and to examine the factors that determine quality of education. Research design, data, and methodology - A questionnaire commencing from the questions included in the Application Guide of Common Assessment Framework was used for research purposes. Each item was scored on a 5point Likert scale - to a sample of 112 educators (55 men, 57 women), all teachers working in public primary education schools. Factor analysis resulted in a questionnaire of 43 items consisting of five factors, teacher satisfaction, school management and operation, motivation, effectiveness of public school leadership and finance management. Results - Results revealed a positive correlation among all factors. Reliability results using Cronbach's α was high (a=.961) for all factors of the questionnaire ranging from α=.930 (for motivation) to α=.797 (for financial management). Additionally, ICC procedure revealed high values for the above mentioned factors. Conclusions - The study resulted in the construction of a reliable questionnaire focused exclusively on TQM that can be used in future studies using larger samples in different areas so as to draw useful conclusions regarding TQM application in Greek education settings and further identify the factors determining quality in education.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.12-32
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• 2013

The paper introduces the research area of interactive information retrieval (IIR) from a historical point of view. Further, the focus here is on evaluation, because much research in IR deals with IR evaluation methodology due to the core research interest in IR performance, system interaction and satisfaction with retrieved information. In order to position IIR evaluation, the Cranfield model and the series of tests that led to the Cranfield model are outlined. Three iconic user-oriented studies and projects that all have contributed to how IIR is perceived and understood today are presented: The MEDLARS test, the Book House fiction retrieval system, and the OKAPI project. On this basis the call for alternative IIR evaluation approaches motivated by the three revolutions (the cognitive, the relevance, and the interactive revolutions) put forward by Robertson & Hancock-Beaulieu (1992) is presented. As a response to this call the 'IIR evaluation model' by Borlund (e.g., 2003a) is introduced. The objective of the IIR evaluation model is to facilitate IIR evaluation as close as possible to actual information searching and IR processes, though still in a relatively controlled evaluation environment, in which the test instrument of a simulated work task situation plays a central part.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.21-30
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• 2019

Purpose - While many related prior studies have focused on the segregation by race and ethnicity, the academic interest in the separation of residence by income and social class is gradually increasing. This study aims to not only investigate spatial pattern of economic segregation and poverty rate in South Korea, but also shed light on what affect residential distribution of the poor. Research design, data, and methodology - The unit of analysis is Si-Gun-Gu municipal level entities of South Korea. Most demographic, socioeconomic, and residential variables were derived from Korean Census Data in 2015. In order to examine spatial patterns of economic segregation and poverty rate in South Korea, a series of measurements and visualization was conducted through the Geo-Segregation Analyzer and ArcGIS programs. Determinants of economic segregation and local poverty rates were investigated by regression analyses using STATA. Results - The spatial patterns of areas with high poverty rates were extremely clustered, while the distribution of areas with high economic segregation was relatively evenly distributed. Demographic, residential, and local factors appeared to affect whether the poor live in particular area or spread evenly. Conclusions - The factors that raise the poverty rate result in lower level of economic segregation, while factors that reduce the poverty rate lead to severe level of economic segregation.

• International Journal of Railway
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.139-143
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• 2012

In Korea, almost 700 industrial parks are under operation. Generally, industrial parks consist of national industrial parks and local industrial parks which are managed by a central government and by local governments respectively. The developing countries such as Korea, China and Vietnam etc. have constructed many industrial parks, which result in the change of land use pattern and also affect future trip demands. Therefore, in estimating traffic demands, it is very important to consider the industrial park development. This study aims to improve the methodology in estimating a freight trip generation rate with the data based on a nationwide commodity freight survey. The result showed that it is desirable to apply freight trip generation rate by the industry sector in estimating freight trip generations and using the production area of firm as an indicator. Specially, the reliability of the rates through a survey could be made sure because a sample rate based on firms in industrial parks was over 25% and the response rate was over 67%. The sample rate and response rate are very superior as compared to surveys conducted in many other countries. Because industrial parks have significant effects on forecasting transportation demand in pre-feasibility studies of transport and logistics projects, it is expected that the accuracy of freight trip demands would be improved through the results of this study.

• East Asian Journal of Business Economics (EAJBE)
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

Purposes - This study discusses various aspects of familiarity with the sea and how familiarity with the sea is perceived. This study also summarizes the literature on the factors of previous researches that affect the formation or decision of national image. Research design and methodology - Sea familiarity index was derived from the results of recognition of free association with the sea, friendliness with the sea, association of the sea with life, interest to the sea, Korea's representative marine regions, and sea related emotionalism. The familiarity with the sea (ocean) perceived by foreign visitors or foreigners in the future will be helpful in deriving a comparative research. Results - This study has identified the marine tourism resources, marine ecology, and the cognitive and emotional situations consumers feel that should be developed practically. If a continuous time series research is conducted in the future through these, it will be a chance to provide a basis for consumers' dynamic awareness. Conclusions - Through this study, it is pointed out that the research utilizing the sea and ocean to form national image highly suggested an opportunity to add and utilize new variables academically. This study on the perspective of the formation of national image suggests a new approach to add and utilize new variables to future research using the sea and ocean.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.104-111
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• 1991

In Korea, small-scale reclaimed areas have been suffering from many problems because of the lack of comprehensive developing strategy although considerable investments have been inputed by the public sector since 1970's. For 3 reclaimed sites in Chonnam Province choser as case study areas, the analysis, the second attempt of widely-spanned studies on areal conditions, concentrated on their farming and economic conditions. Its results were as follows ; 1. Although farming pattern has been transferred to the full4ime rice cropping type by the creation of reclaimed paddy field, farming size in the areas has not been increased more than that in existing agricultural areas. This means that agricultural planning should be included in the initial stage of reclamation projects, especially with reference to the substantial enlargement of farming size. 2. Block parcelling of severely fragmented holdings in new and old lands should be carried out, which can make farming activities efficient and farming route shortened. In large-scale reclaimed areas, new village planning could be considered in its central zone for efficent farming. 3. Because soil in the areas contains much more salt and water than that in other areas, new design methodology should be introduced for the efficient use of agricultural machines in reclaimed areas. 4. There are deep-seated economic problems in reclaimed area, which have been caused by very poor level and agriculturally dominated structure of household income. These problems should motivate farmers to give up positive action for qualitative and quantitative improvement in farming.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.35-51
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to provide information for research about residents' opinion toward the physical environments of elderly facilities, through the analysis and investigation on the research methodology of foreign academic journal articles from 1990 to 2014. The study results were as follows: Firstly, purposive sampling was a large majority of both facilities and elderly residents. In quantitative studies, many researchers have conducted simple random, cluster, or stratified sampling. Diverse facilities in area, size, location, and etc. should be considered for participation. The qualifications for residents' participation should be considered as well, so that they all could have autonomy for study participation. Secondly, questionnaire and semi-structured guide were likely to be used in independent and resident care facilities. On the other hand in assisted living and long-term care facilities, open questions and visual material were used as well. A compatible scale should be developed so that elderly having variable functional level could participate independently in the study. Thirdly, in data collection process, compliance with research ethics and well trained interviewer's skill were important for residents' active responses and minimization of response errors. Enough research period of time and mixed study in data collection will decrease the response error.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.821-841
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• 2015

This paper proposes a two-stage imaging approach for quantitative inspection of damages in metallic plates using the fundamental anti-symmetric mode of ($A_0$) Lamb wave. The proposed approach employs a number of transducers to transmit and receive $A_0$ Lamb wave pulses, and hence, to sequentially scan the plate structures before and after the presence of damage. The approach is applied to image the corrosion damages, which are simplified as a reduction of plate thickness in this study. In stage-one of the proposed approach a damage location image is reconstructed by analyzing the cross-correlation of the wavelet coefficient calculated from the excitation pulse and scattered wave signals for each transducer pairs to determine the damage location. In stage-two the Lamb wave diffraction tomography is then used to reconstruct a thickness reduction image for evaluating the size and depth of the damage. Finite element simulations are carried out to provide a comprehensive verification of the proposed imaging approach. A number of numerical case studies considering a circular transducer network with eight transducers are used to identify the damages with different locations, sizes and thicknesses. The results show that the proposed methodology is able to accurately identify the damage locations with inaccuracy of the order of few millimeters of a circular inspection area of $100mm^2$ and provide a reasonable estimation of the size and depth of the damages.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.39-48
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• 2017

National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) has proposed new methodology for estimating unit load in order to overcome the limitations of past unit load based on short-term and local area based data. In the case of agricultural land, however, the results presented by NIER are still limited because of various agricultural activities and farmland characteristics. In this study, liquid manure treated paddy field and organic farming upland were selected for considering agricultural diversity. Four different methods for evaluating unit load were used for comparing previous research results. The results of different methods presented various trends compared with those of existing studies. Paddy field treated liquid manure was 1.3 times higher for T-N load and 3.1 times for T-P load than conventional paddy field. Conventional upland was 4.4 times higher for T-N load and 1.8 times higher for T-P load than organic farming upland. In the case of non-conventional farmland, this study showed different values with the unit loads presented by NIER. This implies that it is necessary to review and apply the unit loads considering various agricultural conditions when establishing environmental policy and rural planning.