• Information Systems Review
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.97-125
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• 2021

Blockchain is a core technology to solve personal information leakage and data management issues, which are limitations of existing Genomic Sequencing services. Due to continuous cost reduction and deregulation, the market size of Genomic Sequencing has been increasing, also the potential of services is expected to increase when Blockchain's security and connectivity are combined. We created our research model by combining the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Innovation Resistance Theory also analyzed the factors affecting the acceptance intention and innovation resistance of the Blockchain Based Genomic Sequencing Information Platform. A survey was conducted on 150 potential users of Blockchain and Genomic Sequencing services. The analysis was conducted by setting the four Blockchain variables: Security, transparency, availability, and diversity). Also, we set the Perceived Usefulness, Perceived risk, and Perceived Complexity for Technology Acceptance and Innovation Resistance variables and analyzed the effect of the characteristics of the Blockchain on acceptance intention and innovation resistance through these variables. Through this analysis, key variables that need to be considered important to reduce resistance and increase acceptance intention could be identified. This study presents innovation factors that should be considered in companies preparing a new Blockchain Based Genomic Sequencing Information Platform.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.43-52
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• 2020

The mobile game industry has become the one of the fastest growing industries with its astonishing market size. Despite its industrial importance, a few studies empirically considered actual purchasing behavior in mobile games rather than the intention to purchase. Therefore, this paper investigates the key drivers of in-app purchase by analyzing the game-log dataset provided from a mobile game company in Korea. Specifically, the effects of goal-directed, habitual and social-interacted playing behavior are analyzed on in-app purchase. Furthermore, the recursive relationship with playing and purchasing behaviorsis also considered. The result shows that all suggested factors have positive impacts on in-app purchase in the current period. In addition, the effect of previous habitual playing has a positive impact, but the effect of social-interacted playing and in-app purchase in the previous period have negative impacts on in-app purchase of the current period. These findings can improve our understanding of the impact of game playing on in-app purchase in mobile games, and provide meaningful insights for researchers and practitioners.

• Journal of Ginseng Culture
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• v.6
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• pp.13-34
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• 2024

The abolishment of the red ginseng monopoly act by the Korean government in 1996 resulted in a drastic change in the Korean ginseng industry, leading to a significant increase in the market size and consumption of ginseng products. Red ginseng is most popular type, with approximately 74% of harvested fresh ginseng being processed into various red ginseng products. Since 1997, there has been a substantial increase in the cultivation of ginseng for production of red ginseng, which, in turn, has contributed to the proliferation of ginseng processing companies. To investigate the products of ginseng manufacturing businesses, we select 200 companies primarily engaged in ginseng processing or specializing solely in ginseng. Our survey on the status of ginseng industry covered 8 different categories. 1) Root ginseng: There were 66 companies involved in manufacturing red ginseng root, accounting for 33.0% of all surveyed companies. This was followed by black ginseng root with 36 companies (18.0%) and red ginseng fine roots with 22 companies (11%). 2) Red ginseng products: A total of 144 companies were involved in manufacturing red ginseng pouches, making it the most common product category. This was closely followed by 142 companies producing pure(100%) red ginseng extract concentrate. 3) Fermented red ginseng products: Companies producing fermented red ginseng extract concentrate products were the most numerous, totaling 26. Following this, companies producing fermented red ginseng stick and pouch products were next in line. 4) Ginseng products: There were 15 companies involved in the production of ginseng products, with the majority focusing on ginseng tea. 5) Black ginseng products: Companies producing black ginseng extract concentrate were the most numerous, with 31 companies, followed by 26 companies producing black ginseng extract pouches. 6) Taegeuk ginseng products: Only 5 companies were involved in the production of taegeuk ginseng products. 7) Fermented black ginseng, and 8) Ginseng berry products: These categories are manufactured by less than 5 companies each. However, the variety in ginseng berry products suggests the potential for future growth. In the 2000s, a trend emerged with the development of new processed products aimed at enhancing the functional components of red ginseng, and these products have captured the attention of consumers. However, this study primarily focuses on black ginseng, fermented red ginseng/fermented black ginseng, and ginseng berry products as they have exerted a significant influence on the overall ginseng industry.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2024

The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina), which is native to North America, started to be imported into South Korea as pets in the 1990s. The turtle was sold in supermarkets and pet shops nationwide at low prices such as 20 USD. These non-native turtles, with their large size and strong predatory nature, have been consistently discovered in the wild in South Korea beginning in 2014, and they were designated as an ecosystem-disturbing species (EDS) in October 2022. Until June 30, 2023, a collection system was implemented to reduce the abandonment problem of C. serpentina due to their designation as an EDS. In this study, we analyzed the impacts of the legal designation as an ecologically disturbing species and the collection system of C. serpentina on their abandonment and surrender. Our findings showed that designation as EDS did not affect the abandonment of C. serpentina. Meanwhile, the collection system led to cases of immediate surrender. Within 3 years of post-purchase, 41.8% of the turtles were surrendered, and 67.5% were surrendered when they reached 3kg. Determining the impact of the legal designation as an EDS may be currently limited due to the difficulty of detecting C. serpentina in the wild. On the other hand, cases of surrender through the collection system are considered to be effective as they have been shown to reduce the abandonment of this newly designated ecosystem-disturbing species.

• Journal of Web Engineering
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• v.14 no.19
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• pp.4103-4118
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• 2022

The physiological or dietary advantages of germinated grains have been the subject of numerous discussions over the past decade. Around 23 million tons of oats are consumed globally, making up a sizeable portion of the global grain market. Oat seedlings contain more protein, beta-glucan, free amino acids, and phenolic compounds than seeds. The progressive neurodegenerative disorder of Alzheimer's is accompanied by worsening memory and cognitive function. A key indicator of this disorder is the unusual buildup of amyloid-beta protein (or Aβ) in human brains. In this context, oat seedling extract (OSE) has been identified as a new therapeutic candidate for AD, due to its antioxidant activity and AD-specific mechanism of action. This study directly investigated how OSE affected AD and its impacts by examining the cognitive function and exploring the inflammatory response mechanism. The dried oat seedlings were grounded finely with a grinder, inserted with 50% fermented ethanol 10 times (w/v), and extracted by stirring for 10 h at 45 ℃. After filtering the extract by 0.22 um filter, some of it was used for UHPLC analysis. The results indicated that the treatment with OSE protects against Aβ25-35-induced cytotoxicity in BV2 cells. Tg-5Xfad AD mice had strong deposition of Aβ throughout their brains, while WT mice did not exhibit any such deposition within their brains. A drastic reduction was observed in terms of numbers, as well as the size, of Aβ plaques within Tg-5Xfad AD mice exposed to OSE. This study indicated OSE's neuroprotective impacts against neurodegeneration, synaptic dysfunction, and neuroinflammation induced by amyloid-beta. Our results suggest that OSE acts as a neuroprotective agent to combat AD-specific apoptotic cell death, neuroinflammation, amyloid-beta accumulation, as well as synaptic dysfunction in AD mice's brains. Furthermore, the study indicated that OSE treatment affects JNK/ERK/p38 MAPK signaling, with considerable inhibition in p-JNK, p-p38, and p-ERK levels seen in the brain of OSE-treated Tg-5Xfad AD mice.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.97-116
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• 2023

This study conducted a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of education for sustainable development (ESD) programs within home economics classes. Articles spanning from 2000 to April 2023 were sourced from the Korean Citation Index (KCI) using search terms such as 'environment', 'sustainable', 'ESD', 'green', 'ecology', and 'home economics' in conjunction with 'development', 'application', and 'effectiveness'. Out of the gathered articles, 41 were chosen for analysis. Using a random effects model, the overall effect size was measured at 0.51 (SE=.08), suggesting that ESD programs significantly enhance student achievement in home economics. Further analysis of the 62 effect sizes, categorized by research design, ESD area (society, environment, economy), content area, school level, and school location, revealed that the research design, content area, and school location functioned as moderating variables. The findings of this meta-analysis underscore the efficacy of ESD in home economics education. Additionally, this study paves the way for future research, highlighting the importance of integrating economic perspectives in ESD, such as sustainable production and consumption, corporate sustainability, and market economy within home economics classes.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.1-23
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• 2012

The conflict between major corporations and small and medium-sized businesses is being aggravated, the trickle down effect is not working properly, and, as the controversy surrounding the effectiveness of the business limiting system continues to swirl, the plan proposed to protect the business domain of small and medium-sized businesses, resolve polarization between these businesses and large corporations, and protect small family run stores is the suitable business type designation system for small and medium-sized businesses. The current status of carrying out this system of selecting suitable business types among small and medium-sized businesses involves receiving applications for 234 items among the suitable business types and items from small and medium-sized businesses in manufacturing, and then selecting the items of the consultative group by analyzing and investigating the actual conditions. Suitable business type designation in the service industry will involve designation with priority on business types that are experiencing social conflict. Three major classifications of the service industry, related to the livelihood of small and medium-sized businesses, will be first designated, and subsequently this will be expanded sequentially. However, there is the concern that when designated as a suitable business type or item, this will hinder the growth motive for small to medium-sized businesses, and designation all cause decrease in consumer welfare. Also it is highly likely that it will operate as a prior regulation, cause side-effects by limiting competition systematically, and also be in violation against the main regulations of the FTA system. Moreover, it is pointed out that the system does not sufficiently reflect reverse discrimination factor against large corporations. Because conflict between small to medium sized businesses and large corporations results from the expansion of corporations to the service industry, which is unrelated to their key industry, it is necessary to introduce an advanced contract method like a master franchise or local franchise system and to develop local small to medium sized businesses through a franchise system to protect these businesses and dealers. However, this method may have an effect that contributes to stronger competitiveness of small to medium sized franchise businesses by advancing their competitiveness and operational methods a step further, but also has many negative aspects. First, as revealed by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, the franchise industry is contributing to the strengthening of competitiveness through the economy of scale by organizing existing individual proprietors and increasing the success rate of new businesses. It is also revealed to be a response measure by the government to stabilize the economy of ordinary people and is emphasized as a 'useful way' to revitalize the service industry and improve the competitiveness of individual proprietors, and has been involved in contributions to creating jobs and expanding the domestic market by providing various services to consumers. From this viewpoint, franchises fit the purpose of the suitable business type system and is not something that is against it. Second, designation as a suitable business type may decrease investment for overseas expansion, R&D, and food safety, as well negatively affect the expansion of overseas corporations that have entered the domestic market, due to the contraction and low morale of large domestic franchise corporations that have competitiveness internationally. Also because domestic franchise businesses are hard pressed to secure competitiveness with multinational overseas franchise corporations that are operating in Korea, the system may cause difficulty for domestic franchise businesses in securing international competitiveness and also may result in reverse discrimination against these overseas franchise corporations. Third, the designation of suitable business type and item can limit the opportunity of selection for consumers who have up to now used those products and can cause a negative effect that reduces consumer welfare. Also, because there is the possibility that the range of consumer selection may be reduced when a few small to medium size businesses monopolize the market, by causing reverse discrimination between these businesses, the role of determining the utility of products must be left ot the consumer not the government. Lastly, it is desirable that this is carried out with the supplementation of deficient parts in the future, because fair trade is already secured with the enforcement of the franchise trade law and the best trade standard of the Fair Trade Commission. Overlapping regulations by the suitable business type designation is an excessive restriction in the franchise industry. Now, it is necessary to establish in the domestic franchise industry an environment where a global franchise corporation, which spreads Korean culture around the world, is capable of growing, and the active support by the government is needed. Therefore, systems that do not consider the process or background of the growth of franchise businesses and harm these businesses for the sole reason of them being large corporations must be removed. The inhibition of growth to franchise enterprises may decrease the sales of franchise stores, in some cases even bankrupt them, as well as cause other problems. Therefore the suitable business type system should not hinder large corporations, and as both small dealers and small to medium size businesses both aim at improving competitiveness and combined growth, large corporations, small dealers and small to medium sized businesses, based on their mutual cooperation, should not include franchise corporations that continue business relations with them in this system.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.3-36
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• 1992

"Corporate control by owners" characterizes the current structure of ownership, control and management of big business groups in Korea. It has become an ever more serious obstacle for the Korean economy to end its distinctive "personal capitalism" and to transform the current system into people's capitalism. The current issue, the deconcentration of ownership, through the course of heated debates should be treated from an integrated perspective. That is, the debate should center on the concentration of economic power and it effects on national economy, instead of sticking to the issue of ownership-control issue per se. This paper, by referring to the historical experiences and development paths which advanced countries have already traveled, analyzes the respective aspects of the concentration issue in a rather descriptive and taxonomist manner - market concentration, business diversification, ownership concentration, integrated management of conglomerates, i.e., managing in groups' unit, and the roles of financial institutions. The government policies against the concentration of economic power have so far focused on the size of big business groups and their diversification activities. The two major policy measures are restrictions on cross-ownership and excess capital investment by big business groups, and controls on their credit deals. This paper strongly suggests that the government should change its current priorities in targeting its policies against concentration. The government should reduce the regulations on size and diversification, and focus its policies on substantial dispersion of corporate ownership. The efficacy of government intervention in the management and control of business enterprises seems quite dubious and even anachronistic given the extent of maturity of Korean firms. Therefore, it should be noted that the current regulation-oriented stance taken by the government against the management style of big business groups should be suppressed, as it has assumed some a priori and typical pattern in advance in directing big business groups, such as independent and specialized management in respective firms' unit. This paper, also, raises the need for introducing new regulations on inter-sectoral diversifications between finance, industry and the press.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.303-313
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• 2020

Rice grain shape is one of the key components of grain yield and market value. An understanding of the genetic basis of the variation in grain shape could be used to improve grain shape. In this study, we developed a total of 265 F₂ individuals derived from a cross between japonica cultivars (Josaeng-jado and Langi) and used this population for quantitative trait locus (QLT) analysis. Correlation analysis was performed to identify relationships between grain traits (GL: grain length, GW: grain width, L/W: ratio of length to width, TGW: 1,000 grain weight). The grain shape was positively correlated with GL and TGW, and negatively correlated with GW. In QTL analysis associated with grain shape, one QTL for GL, qGL5, detected on chromosome 5, explained 20.3% of the phenotypic variation (PV), while two QTLs, qGW5 (PV=36.1) and qGW7 (PV=26.1), for GW were identified on chromosomes 5 and 7, respectively. Evaluation of the effects of each of the QTLs on the grain shape in the population showed a significant difference in the grain size in positive lines compared with the lines without the QTLs. According to the QTL combination of the allelic-types, the grain shape of the tested lines varied from semi-round type to long spindle-shaped type. The results of this study extend our knowledge about the genetic pool governing the diversity of grain shape in japonica cultivars and could be used to improve the grain shape of this species through marker-assisted selective breeding in Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1186-1192
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• 2010

Soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.] is an important crop, accounting for 48% of the world market in oil crops. Improvements in economic traits, such as quality and oil constituents, arethe most important objectives in soybean breeding. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control seed size and fatty acid contents in soybean. 115 $F_{2:10}$ recombinant inbred lines (RIL) developed from a cross of 'Keunolkong' and 'Iksan10' were used. Narrow-sense heritability estimates based on a plot mean on 100 seed weight, saturated fatty acid (palmitic acid + stearic acid), and oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid content were 0.72, 0.60, 0.83, 0.77 and 0.81, respectively. The 100 seeds weight was related to seven QTLs located on chromosomes 1, 3, 8, 9, 16 and 17. Two independent QTLs for saturated fatty acid content were identified on chromosomes 17 and 19. Five independent QTLs for oleic acid content wereidentified on chromosomes7, 11, 14, 16 and 19. Five QTLs for linoleic acid content were located on chromosomes 2, 11, 14, 16 and 19. Three QTLs for linolenic acid content were located on chromosomes 8, 10 and 19. Oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid had one major common QTL on chromosome 19. Thus, linoleic and linolenic acid content were identified as common QTLs.