• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.5-16
• /
• 2009

Against the backdrop of the increasing trend towards economic globalisation, many international firms are indicating that decisions on how to enter foreign markets remains one of the key strategic challenges confronting them. Despite the rich body of literature on the topic, the fact that these challenges have continued to dominate global marketing strategy discourses point to someevident lacunae. Accordingly, this paper considers the variables, categorised in terms of firm contexts (standardisation, market research, competition, structure, competitive advantage) and host country-contexts (economic development, cultural differences, regulation and political risk), which influence the degree of involvement of UK companies in overseas markets. Following hypotheses were drawn from literature review: H1: The greater the level of competition, the higher the degree of involvement in the overseas market. H2: The more centralised the firm's organisation structure, the higher the degree of involvement in the overseas market. H3a: The adoption of a low cost-approach to competitive advantage will lead to a higher degree of involvement. H3b: The adoption of an innovation-approach to competitive advantage will lead to a higher degree of involvement. H3c: The adoption of a market research approach to competitive advantages will lead to a higher degree of involvement. H3d: The adoption of a breadth of strategic target-approach to competitive advantage will lead to a lower degree of involvement. H4: The higher the degree of standardisation of the international marketing mix the higher the degree of involvement. H5: The greater the degree of economic development in the host market, the higher the degree of involvement. H6: The greater the cultural differences between home and host countries, the lower the degree of involvement. H7: The greater the difference in regulations between the home country and the host country, the lower the degree of involvement. H8: The higher the political risk in the host country, the lower the degree of involvement. A questionnaire instrument was constructed using, wherever possible, validated measures of the concepts to serve the aims of this study. Following two sets of mailings, 112 usable completed questionnaires were returned. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze data. Statistically, the paper suggests that factors relating to the level of competition, competitive advantages and economic development are strong in influencing foreign market involvements. On the other hand, unexpectedly, cultural factors (especially individualism/collectivism and low and high power distance dimensions) proved to have weak moderating effects. The reason for this, in part, is due to the pervading forces of globalisation and the attendant effect on global marketing. This paper has contributed to the general literature in a way that point to two mainimplications. First, with respect to research on national systems, the study may hold out some important lessons especially for developing nations. Most of these nations are known to be actively seeking to understand what it takes to attract foreign direct investment, expand domestic market and move their economies from the margin to the mainstream global economy. Second, it should be realised that competitive conditions remain in constant flux (even in mature industries and mature economies). This implies that a range of home country factors may be as important as host country factors in explaining firms' strategic moves and the degree of foreign market involvement. Further research can consider the impact of the home country environment on foreign market involvement decisions. Such an investigation will potentially provide further perspectives not only on the influence of national origin but also how home country effects are confounded with industry effects.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.105-111
• /
• 2007

Correlation between occlusal contact pattern and TMD have been hypothesized and partially investigated but results are controversial and not conclusive. The purposes of this study were to compare right-to-left difference of occlusal contact pattern, through contact points, contact force and occlusal balance, in the patients with unilateral TMD and also to evaluate its change related with TMD treatment. 36 patients with unilateral TMD from Department of Oral Medicine in Dankook University Dental Hospital were selected in this study (M:F=7:29, mean age of $29.2{\pm}14.8$ years). A computerized T-Scan II system (Tekscan, INC., USA) was employed for occlusal analysis and the simultaneity and occlusal balance through the number of tooth contact and magnitude of contact force were determined before and after TMD treatment. The number of contact points and contact force was more on the unaffected side than the affected side before treatment (p=0.056 and p=0.060, respectively) while significant difference between both sides was not found after treatment. The number of contact points and contact force on the affected sides significantly increased after treatment (p=0.038 and p=0.052), but the unaffected sides exhibited no significant difference between before and after treatment. In addition, sides difference in relative contact force decreased from about 27% to about 12% after TMD treatment (p=0.001). According to the results of this study, it is likely that unilateral TMD impairs right-to-left occlusal balance and that conservative TMD treatment alleviates the imbalance, subsequently leading to more symmetrical occlusal condition with increased contact points and force.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.178-187
• /
• 2008

Purpose : To evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of MRI and ultrasound(US) for estimation of invasion depth of gastric carcinoma by correlation with histopathologic findings in vitro and to find out the best MR pulse sequence for detection and accurate delineation of tumor. Materials and Methods : Resected specimen of total or subtotal gastrectomy from 53 patients with gastric carcinoma were done of imaging studies of MRI and US. And US was examined by using high frequency linear transducer for tumor invasion depth by a radiologist. In each case, both imaging findings of MRI and US were evaluated independently for tumor detection and invasion depth by consensus of two radiologists and were compared the diagnostic accuracy between two imaging modalities according to the histopathologic findings. MR imaging with five MR pulse sequences, spin echo T1 and in- and out-of phase gradient echo T1 weighted images, FSE and SSFSE T2 weighted images, were performed. Five MR pulse sequences were evaluated and compared on the point of detection and accurate distinction of tumor from surrounding normal tissue. Results : In EGC, diagnostic accuracy of US(77%) was superior than that of MRI(59%) but no statistically significant difference was noted between two imaging modalities(p=0.096). In AGC, both imaging modalities of MRI and US showed relatively high diagnostic accuracy as 97% and 84% respectively. Diagnostic accuracy of MRI was statistically better than that of US at the significant level(p<0.001). The best MR pulse sequence among five in each specimen was FSE T2WI(75.5%, 40/53) in both EGC and AGC. In AGC, FSE T2WI showed excellent imaging quality by showing very high ratio (93.5%, 29/31) of accurate delineation of tumor. Conclusion : MRI and US show relatively high diagnostic accuracy in the evaluation of tumor invasion depth of resected specimen in AGC. The most excellent pulse sequence of MRI for the evaluation of tumor invasion depth is FSE T2WI on the point of detection and accurate delineation of tumor in both EGC and AGC.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.320-328
• /
• 2016

This study was conducted to provide important basic information about effective management of the marine environment at major inflow streams in Lake Andong and Lake Imha. The investigation was conducted 8 times from May, 2015 (AD1, AD2, IH1, IH2) to September, 2016 (AD3, AD4, IH3, IH4), and 8 surveyed sites were selected at Lake Andong (4 sites) and Lake Imha (4 sites). The inquiry identified 114 species, $59,913.7inds.\;m^{-2}$ in Lake Andong and 112 species, $39,038.4inds.\;m^{-2}$ in Lake Imha. The results indicate that the number of species and individuals in Lake Andong is more than that in Lake Imha, because Lake Andong has a variety of riparian vegetation and a richness of organic materials. Community analysis at Lake Imha revealed a dominant index of 0.57 (${\pm}0.18$), a diversity index of 2.87 (${\pm}0.31$), an evenness index of 0.73 (${\pm}0.04$), and a richness index of 4.17 (${\pm}0.71$). The results of functional feeding group analysis showed that a high proportion of species and individuals are gathering collectors. The results of functional habitat group analysis showed that a high proportion of species and individuals are clingers. The result of a physico-chemical water assay and dissolved oxygen and electric conductivity tests revealed that these measures increased when the water temperature decreased. The result of Pearson's correlation analysis by biological factors and physico-chemical factors showed that species and electric conductivity are highly correlated with one another. Major inflow streams of Lake Andong and Lake Imha were exposed to various point pollution sources and non-point pollution sources. This implies a necessity for continuous monitoring of the aquatic ecosystems in order to effect systematic water quality management of Lake Andong and Lake Imha.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.65 no.6
• /
• pp.471-475
• /
• 2008

Background: In order to achieve a maintenance level and to prevent hemorrhagic complications, regular monitoring of the INR is mandatory for patients on oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT). A point-of-care instrument for INR monitoring is convenient for users, but the accuracy of the results has been controversial, and so this calls for exact evaluation of the point-of-care instrument that is used for INR monitoring. Methods: From Aug 2007 through Feb 2008, 85 patients on OAT among the all the patients who were admitted to Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital were involved in this study. Parallel measurements of the PT INR were performed using a CoaguChek-XS and, a CA-7000 laboratory reference instrument and the results were analyzed. In addition, the patients' clinical data, including the diagnosis and the frequency and interval of the INR measurements, were also analyzed. Results: Of the 85 patients, 25 were admitted more than once to undergo INR testing and the mean interval between testing was 8.6 weeks with 39% and 38% of the tests being less than INR 2 units with using the CoaguChek-XS and the reference method, respectively. The coefficients of variation of CoaguChek-XS were 4.50 and 2.45 for the high and low INR patients, respectively. An excellent correlation was found between the two methods with a $R^2$ of 0.966 (p<0.001). Through Bland-Altman analysis, the mean INR difference between the two methods was 0.13 with the limit of agreement being -0.47~+0.72 with a 95% confidence interval. CoaguChek-XS was shown to overestimate the INR value for patients with an increasing INR, as compared to the reference method. Conclusion: CoaguChek-XS demonstrated great precision and accuracy for patients on OAT when compared to the laboratory INR results. Accordingly, the instrument should help to monitor the INR in the patients on OAT.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.89-103
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate to relation of necessity and practice of contents of clothing and textiles education(classify them into four units, choice and dressing of clothes, textile and management of clothes, design and sewing of clothes, knitting and embroidery). Method of posing a questionnaire is adopted to obtain stochastic data required for pertinent analysis. This is the investigation of which 400 (high school students 204, university students 196) girl students located in Choongnam and Junrabookdo province. In this statistical analysis, SPSS 10.0 for Windows Program was utilized to calculate percentage, mean and standard deviation. Also, these materials were verified by t-test, One-way Anova, Pearson's correlation coefficient. The results of this research were as follows. First, girl students' necessity mean point were higher than practice mean point about the contents of clothing and textiles education. And necessity had a positive relationship with practices of contents of clothing and textiles education. Second, there was a significant difference in necessity and practice of contents of clothing and textiles education according to demographic variables. These results should be provide fundamental information for improving students' critical practice in their real life. Since this study has touched only limited research on the topic of clothing and textiles education, it is essential that further research covering a wider array of themes be done in the future. this study has touched only limited research on the topic of clothing and textiles education, it is essential that further research covering a wider array of themes be done in the future.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.659-674
• /
• 1998

This Study was to investigate elaborated research themes and direction through specifying the problems of clinical practice education and looking for the direction of improvement. It was in the basis of the viewpoint of the educators that professors and therapists who were the subjects of this study. Perform this study, the 15 colleges' professors and the 55 hospitals' therapists was made up questionnaire, and the data was analysing by Chi-square test and percentage. The results were as follow : ${\cdot}$ In a personal history among the general qualities, professors have little clinical practice history(l-5 years, 53.3%), and therapists have little lecture career(1-5 years, 43.6%, have no 49.0%), ${\cdot}$ The 78.6% subjects were unsatisfied of clinical practice systems. ${\cdot}$ The correlation between clinical history, school career and lecture career and the satisfaction level of clinical practice systems has no(P<.005), ${\cdot}$ The subjects were agreed to that clinical practice curriculum should be changed(67.1%), reinforced(82.9%), and specified(90.0%). ${\cdot}$ The clinical practice credits are 11 points averagely. ${\cdot}$ In the clinical practice curriculum, it made no difference in the practicum of diseases, modality, and the therapeutic techniques between professors and therapists. ${\cdot}$ The 100% professors said that the practicum of the patients' assessment is necessary, and the 63.6% therapists were training for that. ${\cdot}$ The 66.7% professors said that the practicum of the clinical psychology is necessary, and only the 20.0% therapists were training for that. ${\cdot}$ The 93.3% professors said that the practicum of the patients' management is necessary, and the 50.9% therapists were training for that. ${\cdot}$ The 66.7% professors said that the practicum of the medical ethics is necessary, and the 34.5% therapists were training for that. ${\cdot}$ The 46.7% professors said that the practicum of the hospital administration is necessary, but the 54.5% therapists have not training. ${\cdot}$ The 33.3% professors said that the practicum of the pharmacology is necessary, but the 81.8% therapists have not training. ${\cdot}$ The 86.7% professors said that the practicum of the patient's education is necessary, and the 43.6% therapists have training. ${\cdot}$ The 66.7% professors said that the practicum of the prosthesis and brace is necessary, but the 14.5% therapists have not training. ${\cdot}$ The 60.0% professors said that the practicum of the exercise prescription is necessary, but the 25.5% therapists have not training. ${\cdot}$ The 53.5% professors said that the practicum of the emergency treatment is necessary, but the 52.7% therapists have not training. ${\cdot}$ Drawing up the plan about the curriculum of clinical practice, the professors (46.7%) were agreed to national master plan framing by an expert advisor, but the therapists (58.2%) said that the plan that make the most of hospitals' characteristics should be specified. ${\cdot}$ It was found that a clinical special therapists(54.5%) was good as a person in charge of clinical practice education, in that each therapist's own good time (34.5%) was. ${\cdot}$ It made use of the form framing by college(40.0%) as the clinical practice textbook, the form framing by hospital (42.9%) and each therapist(22.9%) as the plan, and the form framing by college (74.3%) as the measurement. ${\cdot}$ The most difficult point in clinical practice education was the lacks of the theory-praciticum linkage(78.2%). ${\cdot}$ It was found that the period of clinical practice was in the second semester-third grade (40.0%) and the desirable period was in the first semester-third grade(50.0%). ${\cdot}$ Professors (53.3%) were agreed that the desirable clinical practice duration was from four months to six months(60.0%), and the therapists (60.0%) were agreed that from one month to three months. ${\cdot}$ This study presented the lacks of rearing the experts, the lacks of cultural education, and the lacks of the theory-clinical practice linkage. There were need to develop the systematic programs, clinical practice textbooks, the measurements and the special hospital for clinical practice. And it was need to reduce the gab between of the hospitals for clinical practice, to cut down the costs. and to improve the labour conditions of leaders. In view of this findings, it takes notice of that both professor and therapist were dissatisfied at the present clinical practice systems. These results point out the problems of clinical practice systems, and do not make expect to us the successive and positive clinical practice. The general, specific and intensive plan about the problems and the direction of improvement that establishing the level of hospital for clinical practice and physiotherapy can be elaborated.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.396-404
• /
• 2002

Purpose : Many papers support a correlation between rectal complications and rectal doses in uterine cervical cancer patients treated with radical radiotherapy. In vivo dosimetry in the rectum following the ICRU report 38 contributes to the quality assurance in HDR brachytherapy, especially in minimizing side effects. This study compares the rectal doses calculated in the radiation treatment planning system to that measured with a silicon diode the in vivo dosimetry system. Methods : Nine patients, with a uterine cervical carcinoma, treated with Iridium-192 high dose rate brachytherapy between June 2001 and Feb. 2002, were retrospectively analysed. Six to eight-fractions of high dose rate (HDR)-intracavitary radiotherapy (ICR) were delivered two times per week, with a total dose of $28\~32\;Gy$ to point A. In 44 applications, to the 9 patients, the measured rectal doses were analyzed and compared with the calculated rectal doses using the radiation treatment planning system. Using graphic approximation methods, in conjunction with localization radiographs, the expected dose values at the detector points of an intrarectal semiconductor dosimeter, were calculated. Results : There were significant differences between the calculated rectal doses, based on the simulation radiographs, and the calculated rectal doses, based on the radiographs in each fraction of the HDR ICR. Also, there were significant differences between the calculated and measured rectal doses based on the in-vivo diode dosimetry system. The rectal reference point on the anteroposterior line drawn through the lower end of the uterine sources, according to ICRU 38 report, received the maximum rectal doses in only 2 out of the nine patients $(22.2\%)$. Conclusion : In HDR ICR planning for conical cancer, optimization of the dose to the rectum by the computer-assisted planning system, using radiographs in simulation, is improper. This study showed that in vivo rectal dosimetry, using a diode detector during the HDR ICR, could have a useful role in quality control for HDR brachytherapy in cervical carcinomas. The importance of individual dosimeters for each HDR ICR is clear. In some departments that do not have the in vivo dosimetry system, the radiation oncologist has to find, from lateral fluoroscopic findings, the location of the rectal marker before each fractionated HDR brachytherapy, which is a necessary and important step of HDR brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.369-376
• /
• 1993

226 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix treated with curative radiation therapy at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Dongsan hospital, Keimyung university, School of medicine, from July,1988 to May,1991 were evaluated. The patients with all stages of the disease were included in this study. The maximum and mean follow up durations were 60 and 43 months. The radiation therapy consisted of external irradiation to the whole pelvis (2700~4500 cGy) and boost parametrial doses (for a total of 4500~6300 cGy)with midline shild $(4{\times}10\;cm),$ and combined with intracavitary irradiation (5700~7500 cGy to point A). The distribution of patients according to the stage was as follows: stage IB 37 $(16.4\%),$ stage IIA 91 $(40.3\%),$ stage IIB 58 $(25.7\%),$ stage III 32 $(13.8\%),$ stage IV 8 $(3.5\%).$ The overall failure rate was $23.9\%$ (54 patients). The failure rate increased as a function of stage from $13.5\%$ in stage IB to $15.4\%$ in stage IIA, $25.9\%$ in stage IIB, $46.9\%$ in stage III, and $62.5\%$ in stage UV. The pelvic failure alone were 32 patients and 11 patients were as a components of other failure, and remaining 11 patients had distant metastasis only. Among the 43 patients of locoregional failure,28 patients were not controlled initially and in other words nearly half of total failures were due to residual tumor. The mean medial paracervical (point A) doses were 6700 cGy in stage IIB,7200 cGy in stage IIA,7450 cGy in stage IIB,7600 cGy in stage III and 8100 cGy in stage IV. The medial paracervical doses showed some correlation with tumor control rate in early stage of disease (stage Ib, IIA), but there were higher central failure rate in advanced stage in spite of higher paracervical doses. In advanced stage, failure were not reduced by simple increment of paracervical doses. To improve a locoregional control rate in advanced stages, it is necessary to give additional treatment such as concomitant chemoradiation.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.579-596
• /
• 1997

A simulation study was carried out to delineate potential effects of the lake-induced climate change on crop productivity around Lake Imha which was formed after a multi-purpose dam construction in Andong, Korea. Twenty seven cropping zones were identified within the 30 km by 25 km study area. Five automated weather stations were installed within the study area and operated for five years after the lake formation. A geostatistical method was used to calculate the monthly climatological normals of daily maximum and minimum temperature, solar radiation and precipitation for each cropping zone before and after the dam construction. Daily weather data sets for 30 years were generated for each cropping zone from the monthly normals data representing "No lake" and "After lake" climatic scenarios, respectively. They were fed into crop models (ORYZA1 for rice, SOYGRO for soybean, CERES-maize for corn) to simulate the yield potential of each cropping zone. Calculated daily maximum temperature was higher after the dam construction for the period of October through March and lower for the remaining months except June and July. Decrease in daily minimum temperature was predicted for the period of April through August. Monthly total radiation was predicted to decrease after the lake formation in all the months except February, June, and September and the largest drop was found in winter. But there was no consistent pattern in precipitation change. According to the model calculation, the number of cropping zones which showed a decreased yield potential was 2 for soybean and 6 for corn out of 27 zones with a 10 to 17% yield drop. Little change in yield potential was found at most cropping zones in the case of paddy rice, but interannual variation was predicted to increase after the lake formation. the lake formation.