• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.915-921
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• 2012

Background: Previous studies investigating the association between TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and gastric cancer (GC) risk in Asian population have reported controversial results. Thus, a meta-analysis was performed. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted and 17 case-control studies were finally included, involving a total of 5,990 GC cases and 6,812 controls. Subgroup analyses were performed by the sample size. Results: Meta-analysis of all 17 studies showed variant genotypes of TP53 Arg72Pro to be associated with an elevated GC risk in three genetic comparison models ($OR_{Pro\;vs.\;Arg}$=1.13, 95%CI 1.03-1.25, $P_{OR}$=0.01; $OR_{Homozygote\;comparison\;model}$=1.33, 95%CI 1.07-1.64, $P_{OR}$=0.009; $OR_{Dominant\;genetic\;model}$=1.13, 95%CI 1.05-1.22, $P_{OR}$=0.002). Besides, a more obvious association was observed after the heterogeneity was decreased (all P values less than 0.001). This association was further identified by both subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests the Pro variant of TP53 Arg72Pro contributes to gastric cancer risk in Asians.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2017

Objectives : The contents of the literature associated with the medical records were entered into the database. We want to find the structure and search methods for efficient utilization of the database. Methods : The contents were entered into the database using the 'Access 2014 of the MS'. The Query Sentences were created and utilized for a search. Results : We could find information about the prescriptions, medical records and patients by the herbs and symptom combinations using the single table named 'Integrated Knowledge' and queries. Integrated Knowledge is a table that gathered patient information, prescription information and symptom information together. Conclusions : If you store patient, prescription and symptom information on a single table, you could search and use the results by various combinations of the various elements included in the table. These results could help curing patients on the basis of evidence-based treatment at the clinics.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.96-102
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• 2009

Objectives: Traditional Korean herbal formulae are composed of multiple medicinal plants. This situation of multiple-ingredient mixtures has been considered as a major obstacle to new drug development using herbal formulae in the world market, despite the effectiveness of such mixtures. This study reviewed Liv-52 as a representative model of successful drug development using a multiple-herb mixture. Methods: All articles for Liv-52 were collected from the PubMed database. The history, composition of Liv-52, its pharmaceutical efficacy and mechanisms, and data from clinical studies including its market size were analyzed. Results: Liv-52 is composed of seven herbal plants and it is the best known in Ayurvedic medicine for treating liver disorders. Since its 1955 introduction, forty four international papers have been published based on pre-clinical and clinical trials. The efficacy and mechanisms of Liv-52 were intensively studied. Currently, Liv-52 is one of the top-selling products, with over 10 million dollars sales annually, in the world market. Conclusions: These results indicate that Korean herbal formulae could be new global drugs if scientific evidence for efficacy and standardization are produced via literature researches.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2020

This research aims to revisit the hypothesis that bribery hurts firm performance in the context of a perceptibly corrupt country. Specifically, we use micro-data from Vietnamese small and medium firm surveys in 2013 and 2015 to examine whether bribery impedes firm revenue growth and labor productivity growth. An issue arising in this type of research is the potential endogeneity between firm bribing behaviors and firm performance. To go around the issue, we follow the literature to instrument bribery variable with the average probability of bribery in other provinces. We further employ the Analysis of Variance technique (ANOVA) to unveil if the effect of bribery is dependent on bribing purposes. The regression results show that firm performance is significantly influenced by firm size, firm age and firm bribing behavior. Larger firms are more likely to grow faster while firm performance tends to be negatively related to firm age. Particularly, we find that bribery significantly impedes firm revenue growth and labor productivity growth. The analysis of variance shows that the effect of bribery on firm performance may vary across bribing purposes. Our findings, therefore, support the sand-the-wheels hypothesis that bribery hurts firm performance even in a highly corrupt business environment.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.51-58
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• 2020

The study aims to investigate the relationship between hedging with derivatives and subsequent firm-level stock price crash risk. Our sample consists of KOSPI- and KOSDAQ-listed companies from 2004 to 2014. The total firm-year observation is 4,886. We find that hedging with derivatives is related to greater possibilities of crash risk. The results suggest that the complexity of economic and financial reporting for derivatives may aggravate the company's information opacity, ultimately increasing the crash risk. We contribute to the growing body of literature on hedging with derivatives. Academics and practitioners have debated on whether or not hedging enhances transparency or rather makes the information environment more opaque. Theoretical research on the role of corporate hedging on information environment shows that hedging enhances earnings informativeness. Meanwhile, pieces of anecdotal and empirical evidence show that the economic and financial reporting complexity of derivatives can harm information transparency. Our results shed light on the question of whether and how hedging with derivatives affects information environment by examining the relationship between hedging with derivatives and crash risk. Furthermore, our findings provide useful insights for policymakers and practitioners. Specifically, our results raise a need for a more transparent disclosure on corporate hedging activities with derivatives.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.63-74
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• 2017

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to contribute to the literature on casino services by investigating critical service failures using the critical incident technique (CIT) and provide effective recovery strategies that can be adopted in practice. Research design, data, and methodology - The data were collected from Asian casinos' HNI customers in China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. This is the first study that has investigated VIP casino customers in leading Asian countries. The research used the critical incident technique (CIT) collect and a total of 227 incidents were analyzed. Results - The results show that three main categories and eleven subcategories are deduced. The first group concerns casino service system failures. The second group relates to service providers' responses to VIP customer complaints. The last group covers employees' attitudes and behavior toward customers. Conclusions - First, the most serious service problem in casinos was the service providers' attitudes rather than the service system failures. Second, Tangible recovery strategies such as "all pay" and "additional comps" were proven to enhance a casino's image and lower customers' intentions to switch. Customers, however, preferred intangible recovery strategies such as considerate responses, reliable problem management, sincere apologies, and accurate explanations.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.67-76
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• 2019

Purpose - This research examined whether entrepreneurial proclivity of retail employees affects job engagement and satisfaction, which are job-related positive aspects; and whether job engagement affects job satisfaction. Research design, data, and methodology - To accomplish this purpose, data were collected for 224 retail employees working in the distribution industry in the Republic of Korea. Reliability, validity, and hypotheses were tested through structural equation modeling, and mediating effects of job engagement between entrepreneurial proclivity and job satisfaction were verified through the bootstrap method by using the process model. Results - The results show that innovativeness and progressiveness in entrepreneurial proclivity positively affected job engagement and job satisfaction, but risk-taking did not affect either job engagement or job satisfaction. Also, this research confirmed that job engagement positively affects job satisfaction. Conclusions - This study contributes to the retail literature by applying the concept of entrepreneurial proclivity in the retail employee context. This study puts forward empirical evidence that identifies the effect of entrepreneurial proclivity as a job resource that influences job engagement and job satisfaction in the JD-R model. Thus, this study surmounts the limitation of prior studies by examining entrepreneurial proclivity from the aspect of retail employees.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.9
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• pp.19-30
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• 2020

This paper investigates, in a single equation framework, the effect of bank-specific and macroeconomic determinants on micro-, small- and medium-sized loans by commercial banks in Indonesia. This study uses a sample of 790 observations from 79 commercial banks in Indonesia over the years 2006-2015. This study uses two estimation methods for our panel regressions: static and dynamic generalized method of moments (GMM) panel estimator. In static relationships, the literature usually uses the least square methods on fixed effects (FE) or random effects (RE). I found evidence that all banks, bank profitability and size are positively and significantly related to micro-, small- and medium-sized loans, while the coefficients of liquidity are significantly positive in all specifications, except government banks which is significantly negative. The relationship between risk and credit growth is negative for non-government banks. All estimated equations show that the effect of the capital variable on lending banks to MSMEs is not important in government banks and non-government banks. Finally, macroeconomic variables, such as inflation and gross domestic product, clearly affect the lending of the banking sector particularly non-state banks. The findings have several policy implications to Indonesia government, regulatory authority and bank managers in order to improve bank profitability through bank lending.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.9
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• pp.517-526
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• 2020

This research investigates the relationship among product quality, service quality, perceived value, customer satisfaction, and behavior intentions. Validated measurements were identified from a literature review. The measurement model and the conceptual model depicting hypothesized relationships were evaluated based on responses from 220 customers using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The testing results show that, for the direct path, product quality has a significant, positive influence on customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. Also, perceived value directly influences customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions and satisfaction is an antecedent of behavioral intentions. For the indirect path, service quality has a significant, positive influence on behavioral intentions through the customer satisfaction. The major finding of this study suggest that service quality easily attract more customers, especially the young consumers. About the sale personnel, communication skills, knowledge and ways of treatment to customers are crucial to retailers to gain competitive advantage over competitors. Therefore, it should have clear and consistent processes, procedures with criteria that create the best condition for organization and individual to open this kind of retailing store. Furthermore, product quality improvement is essential; all products must have clear originality; and diversifying products and services is also the way to appeal more consumers.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.61-67
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• 2020

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the interaction effect of customers relationship management (CRM) on the competitive advantage (CA) of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Yemen. Research design, data and methodology: This study applied a quantitative approach in dealing with the interaction effect of CRM dimensions and SMEs' competitive advantage in Yemen. The research uses a sample of 247 manufacturing SMEs surveyed in Yemen. Results: The results indicate that only three dimensions of CRM, namely (TCM), (KM) and (CRMO), have a significant effect on SMEs' competitive advantage, but not that between (KCF) and SMEs' competitive advantage. Conclusions: The findings of this study offer important insights for owners and managers of SMEs, researchers and policymakers to further understand the effects of CRM on SMEs' competitive advantage. SMEs should also be encouraged to develop their CRM to improve their competitive advantage. Lastly, this study makes several contributions to the literature, the first of which is the provision of evidence concerning the major role of CRM as a dependent variable and competitive advantage as an independent variable. The second contribution pertains to its pioneering status in examining the direct relationship between CRM dimensions and the competitive advantage of SMEs in a Middle Eastern country.