• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.149-176
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• 2009

In the recent e-learning environment, avatars are often used to help learners get familiar with the contents, which is ultimately to motivate them to study more. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether avatars have actually the desirable effect on users of e-learning materials. Surprisingly, however, no extensive study has been conducted on this crucial issue Accordingly, main objectives this study are summarized as follows. First, we need to gain better understanding of how much learners' trust towards avatars (termed as "avatar trust") is transferred to learners' trust towards e-learning contents (termed as "contents trust"). Second, we need to investigate how much learners' personal relationships with avatars as well as learning behaviors change depending on avatar types (attractive vs. professional) and contents complexity (easy vs. difficult). As described in the study objectives, in order for us to analyze empirical data more systematically, we classified avatar types into two: "attractive" and "professional;" the contents are categorized as either "easy" or "difficult." Therefore, it is essential for this study to build a prototype e-learning website on which our research purpose can be realized and tested effectively with proper avatar types and e-learning contents. For this purpose, we built a prototype e-learning website, in which avatars are invited from currently working avatar instructors used in real-world e-learning websites, and e-learning contents are adapted from real-world contents about Java programming topic, which have been proved to have shown high quality and reliability. Our research method includes questionnaire survey by inviting a number of valid respondents comprised of office workers who are believed to have high demands for the e-learning contents as well as those who have previous experience with avatar instructors. Respondents were given one of the four e-learning experiment conditions (2 avatar types x 2 contents types) on a random basis. Each experimental e-learning condition is framed to have the same quality but different avatar type and content complexity. Then the respondents are asked to fill out the survey form which has questions about avatar trust, contents trust, personal relationships with avatar, and learning behavior, among others. Regarding the constructs used in research model, we based them rigorously on previous studies. For example, we used six constructs such as behavior to give information (BGI), behavior to obtain information (BOI), need for inclusion wanted, need for control wanted, contents trust, and avatar trust. To measure them, 7-Likert scales were used in the questionnaire. E-learning performance was measured indirectly through two constructs such as BGI and BOI. Six constructs used in the research model were adopted and revised from the FIRO-B model suggested by Schutz. Empirical results are as follows: First, professional avatars are more effective for difficult contents, while attractive avatars were not as effective for easy contents. Second, our study results ascertained that avatar trust transfers to contents trust regardless of avatar types and contents complexity.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.72-78
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• 2018

Purpose: Physicians' attitudes may have a strong influence on women's decision regarding prenatal screening options. The aim of this study is to assess the physicians' attitudes toward prenatal screening for fetal aneuploidy including non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in South Korea. Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were distributed and collected at several obstetrics-gynecological conferences and meetings. The questionnaire included 31 multiple choice and 5 fill-in-the-blank questions. Seven questions requested physicians' demographic information, 17 questions requested information about the NIPT with cell-free fetal DNA, and 12 questions requested information about general prenatal screening practices. Results: Of the 203 obstetricians that completed the survey. In contrast with professional guidelines recommending the universal offering of aneuploidy screening, only 53.7% answered that prenatal aneuploidy testing (screening and/or invasive diagnostic testing) should be offered to all pregnant women. Physicians tended to have positive attitudes toward the clinical application of NIPT as both primary and secondary screening methods for patients at high-risk for fetal trisomy. However, for patients at average-risk for fetal trisomy, physicians tended to have positive attitudes only as a secondary screening method. Physicians with more knowledge about NIPT were found to tend to inform their patients that the detection rate of NIPT is higher. Conclusion: This is the first study to investigate expert opinion on prenatal screening in South Korea. Education of physicians is essential to ensure responsible patient counseling, informed consent, and appropriate management after NIPT.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2019

Purpose: This study evaluated the usability of and satisfaction with two types of computer-aided design (CAD) software among users who had experience with dental implant CAD software and those who did not. Materials and Methods: Dental technicians (n = 20) who had previous experience with dental implant CAD Software and students from the College of Dentistry (n = 12) who had never designed implant custom abutments were asked to evaluate two types of CAD Software, Exocad and Deltanine. In addition, the participants were asked to fill out a structured questionnaire (Section 1: Entering basic information and retrieving files; Section 2: Setting conditions before abutment design; Section 3: Setting abutment design; and Section 4: Overall satisfaction). For the statistical analysis of the collected data, Mann-Whitney U test was used (${\alpha}=.05$). Results: The ease of design and satisfaction with the implant CAD Software, evaluated with respect to 21 statements divided into four Stages, were significantly higher for Exocad in both groups for Secion 1. For Sections 2 and 3, participants with experience evaluated Deltanine to be significantly better. For Section 4, both groups evaluated Exocad Software to be better. Conclusion: Overall, the Exocad Software was evaluated as having better usability and offering greater satisfaction. However, in terms of performance in the core of the design process, i.e. Sections 2 and 3, Deltanine was rated higher by the experienced users. Thus, if the user interface design parts are supplemented, Deltanine CAD Software could be put to a wider use in clinics.

• (The) Research of the performance art and culture
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• no.25
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• pp.31-56
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• 2012

This paper were reviewed on some problems in the early history of Chinese dance written by scholars of contemporary China. Results of the review, were found the following problems; First, In describe to the early history of Chinese dance, contemporary Chinese scholars do not distinguish myths, legends and historical materials, so the history of ancient Chinese dance makes to mystery, thus, eventually will cause a lack of truthfulness. Second, In order to fill the lack in the early history of Chinese dance, the Chinese scholar often use a drawing of earthenware or mural. However, in certain cases, the same drawing by the other observer to be interpreted differently. In this case, if use as evidentiary material, there is a problem. Third, Most contemporary Chinese scholars usually say that the origins of dance is labor. It is to have originated from materialistic historical view can be said. However, in ancient China, but rather about the origin and function of dance there were diverse views. Therefore, this aspect should be cautious.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.263-278
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• 2022

This paper contains experimental study for the development and performance of TBM backfill material with thixotropic properties. The LW backfill material is widely applied to fill the cavity on the back side of the shield TBM excavation, but has disadvantages such as settlement caused by strength reduction, material separation by groundwater, and reduced plasticity. In this paper, laboratory tests and a model test were conducted to assess the performance of inorganic thixotropic backfill material proposed to improve these problems. The results of laboratory tests show that 1 hr-uniaxial compressive strength of ITB was 12 times higher than LW, and the rate of bleeding of 20 hr was 8.3 times lower, and the result of flow table test was more than 27 times higher. This result indicated that the inorganic thixotropic backfill material has superior properties to LW backfill in terms of strength reduction, material separation, and thixotropy. In the model experiment, a model injection device tester was manufactured and the injection performance and filling rate were verified. When material was injected in the water, it was visually checked whether material separation occurred, and it was confirmed that the filling rate was 96% or more. Comparison results with the test of LW and ITB materials was concluded that ITB can reduce the material separation by groundwater and the occurrence of tunnel cavity.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2023

This study aims to develop CLSM fill material for emergency restoration using landfill coal ash. As a result of examining physical properties such as particle size distribution and fines content of landfill coal ash, bottom ash, fly ash, and general soil were mixed, and SP was found to have a density of 2.03 and a residual particle pass rate of 7.8 %. CLSM materials that secure fluidity in unit quantities without using chemical admixtures such as glidants and water reducing agents have a high risk of material separation due to bleeding. As a result of this experiment, it was found that the bleeding ratio did not satisfy the standard in the case of the specimen with a large amount of fly ash and a lot of addition of mixing water. As a result of the compressive strength test, the strength development of 0.5 MPa or more for 4 hours was found to be satisfactory for the specimens using hemihydrate gypsum with a unit binder amount of 200 or more, and the remaining gypsum showed poor strength development. Although it is judged that landfill coal ash can be used as a CLSM material, it is necessary to identify and apply the physical and chemical characteristics of coal ash buried in the ash treatment plant of each power generation company.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.57-67
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• 2009

Along with the advanced construction technologies, the maximum size of coarse aggregate used for dam construction ranges from several cm to 1m. Testing the original gradation samples is not only expensive but also causes many technical difficulties. Generally, indoor tests are performed on the samples with the parallel grading method after which the results are applied to the design and interpretation of the actual geotechnical structure. In order to anticipate the exact behavior characteristics for the geotechnical structure, it is necessary to understand the changes in the shear behavior. In this study, the Large Triaxial Test was performed on the parallel grading method samples that were restructured with river bed sand-gravel, with a different maximum size, which is the material that was used to construct Dam B in Korea. And the Stress - Strain characteristics of the parallel grading method samples and the characteristics of the shear strength were compared and analyzed. In the test results, the coarse-grained showed strain softening and expansion behavior of the volume, which became more obvious as the maximum size increased. The internal angle of friction and the shear strength appeared to increase as the maximum size of the parallel grading method sample increased.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.5-17
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• 2010

Coarse granular material is used as important fill material in most of large embankments such as railway, road, dam and so on. Therefore, the accurate design parameters of the coarse granular material are necessarily required in design and construction. The behavior of the coarse granular material was not well understood because of the lack of large testing equipment capable of coarse granular material. A large triaxial testing system was developed in this research, capable of large specimens of 500 mm, 300 mm and 150 mm in diameter. In the new large triaxial testing system, the load cell is installed inside the triaxial cell and axial displacement is measured locally on a specimen in order to improve control and measurement in small strain level. Urethane specimens of 300 mm and 50 mm in diameter were prepared. The large triaxial tests were performed on the 300 mm diameter urethane specimens while RC/TS and impact echo tests on the 50 mm diameter urethane specimens to verify this testing system. In this verification test results, we could ascertain the reasonable test results of the KRRI large triaxial testing system.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.5A
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• pp.519-529
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• 2009

Fiber reinforced composite materials have various advantages in mechanical and chemical aspects. Not only high fatigue and chemical resistance, but also high specific strength and stiffness are attained, and therefore, damping characteristics are beneficial to marine piles. Since piles used for marine structures are subjected to compression and bending as well, detailed research is necessary. Current study examine the mechanical behavior under flexural and/or compressive loads using concrete filled fiber reinforced plastic composite piles, which include large size diameter. 25 pile specimens which have various size of diameters and lengths were fabricated using hand lay-up or filament winding method to see the effect of fabrication method. The inner diameters of test specimens ranged from 165 mm to 600 mm, and the lengths of test specimens ranged from 1,350 mm to 8,000 mm. The strengths of the fill-in concrete were 27 and 40 MPa. Fiber volumes used in circumferential and axial directions are varied in order to see the difference. For some tubes, spiral inner grooves were fabricated to reduce shear deformation between concrete and tube. It was observed that the piles made using filament winding method showed higher flexural stiffness than those made using hand lay-up. The flexural stiffness of piles decreases from the early loading stage, and this phenomenon does not disappear even when the inner spiral grooves were introduced. It means that the relative shear deformation between the concrete and tube wasn't able to be removed.

• Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2023

Purpose: Since late 2019, the novel coronavirus disease has been a global concern, and alongside preventive strategies, including social distancing and personal hygiene, vaccination is now the primary hope for controlling the pandemic. Sputnik V is an adenovirus vector vaccine used against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among Iranian health care providers, and there is a lack of information regarding the Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) by Sputnik V among the Iranian population. The present study aimed to evaluate AEFI by Sputnik V vaccine among Iranian population. Materials and Methods: Every member of the Islamic Republic of Iran Medical Council received their first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine in Mashhad (Iran) and was referred to receive their second dose enrolled in the present study and asked to fill an English language checklist asking about development of any AEFI following immunization with the first dose of Sputnik V vaccine. Results: A total number of 1,347 with a mean±standard deviation age of 56.2±9.6 years filled the checklist. Most of the participants were male (838 [62.2%]). The present study demonstrated that immunization with the first dose of Sputnik V results in at least one AEFI in 32.8% of the Iranian medical council members. Most of the AEFI was related to musculoskeletal symptoms, including myalgia. By considering the age of 55 years as a cut-off point, individuals younger than 55 had a higher rate of AEFI (41.3% vs. 22.5%, p=0.0001). Male gender, use of analgesics, beta-blockers, and previous COVID-19 infection have a lower chance of developing AEFI (p<0.05). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that most of the AEFI was related to musculoskeletal symptoms, including myalgia, and older individuals, male gender and those receiving analgesics and beta-blockers were less likely to develop AEFI following immunization with the first dose of Sputnik V.