• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.175-191
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• 2011

With the MICE(Meeting, Incentive travel, Convention, Exhibition) industry coming into the spotlight, there has been a growing interest in the domestic exhibition industry. Accordingly, in Korea, various studies of the industry are being conducted to enhance exhibition performance as in the United States or Europe. Some studies are focusing particularly on analyzing visiting patterns of exhibition visitors using intelligent information technology in consideration of the variations in effects of watching exhibitions according to the exhibitory environment or technique, thereby understanding visitors and, furthermore, drawing the correlations between exhibiting businesses and improving exhibition performance. However, previous studies related to booth recommendation systems only discussed the accuracy of recommendation in the aspect of a system rather than determining changes in visitors' behavior or perception by recommendation. A booth recommendation system enables visitors to visit unplanned exhibition booths by recommending visitors suitable ones based on information about visitors' visits. Meanwhile, some visitors may be satisfied with their unplanned visits, while others may consider the recommending process to be cumbersome or obstructive to their free observation. In the latter case, the exhibition is likely to produce worse results compared to when visitors are allowed to freely observe the exhibition. Thus, in order to apply a booth recommendation system to exhibition halls, the factors affecting the performance of the system should be generally examined, and the effects of the system on visitors' unplanned visiting behavior should be carefully studied. As such, this study aims to determine the factors that affect the performance of a booth recommendation system by reviewing theories and literature and to examine the effects of visitors' perceived performance of the system on their satisfaction of unplanned behavior and intention to reuse the system. Toward this end, the unplanned behavior theory was adopted as the theoretical framework. Unplanned behavior can be defined as "behavior that is done by consumers without any prearranged plan". Thus far, consumers' unplanned behavior has been studied in various fields. The field of marketing, in particular, has focused on unplanned purchasing among various types of unplanned behavior, which has been often confused with impulsive purchasing. Nevertheless, the two are different from each other; while impulsive purchasing means strong, continuous urges to purchase things, unplanned purchasing is behavior with purchasing decisions that are made inside a store, not before going into one. In other words, all impulsive purchases are unplanned, but not all unplanned purchases are impulsive. Then why do consumers engage in unplanned behavior? Regarding this question, many scholars have made many suggestions, but there has been a consensus that it is because consumers have enough flexibility to change their plans in the middle instead of developing plans thoroughly. In other words, if unplanned behavior costs much, it will be difficult for consumers to change their prearranged plans. In the case of the exhibition hall examined in this study, visitors learn the programs of the hall and plan which booth to visit in advance. This is because it is practically impossible for visitors to visit all of the various booths that an exhibition operates due to their limited time. Therefore, if the booth recommendation system proposed in this study recommends visitors booths that they may like, they can change their plans and visit the recommended booths. Such visiting behavior can be regarded similarly to consumers' visit to a store or tourists' unplanned behavior in a tourist spot and can be understand in the same context as the recent increase in tourism consumers' unplanned behavior influenced by information devices. Thus, the following research model was established. This research model uses visitors' perceived performance of a booth recommendation system as the parameter, and the factors affecting the performance include trust in the system, exhibition visitors' knowledge levels, expected personalization of the system, and the system's threat to freedom. In addition, the causal relation between visitors' satisfaction of their perceived performance of the system and unplanned behavior and their intention to reuse the system was determined. While doing so, trust in the booth recommendation system consisted of 2nd order factors such as competence, benevolence, and integrity, while the other factors consisted of 1st order factors. In order to verify this model, a booth recommendation system was developed to be tested in 2011 DMC Culture Open, and 101 visitors were empirically studied and analyzed. The results are as follows. First, visitors' trust was the most important factor in the booth recommendation system, and the visitors who used the system perceived its performance as a success based on their trust. Second, visitors' knowledge levels also had significant effects on the performance of the system, which indicates that the performance of a recommendation system requires an advance understanding. In other words, visitors with higher levels of understanding of the exhibition hall learned better the usefulness of the booth recommendation system. Third, expected personalization did not have significant effects, which is a different result from previous studies' results. This is presumably because the booth recommendation system used in this study did not provide enough personalized services. Fourth, the recommendation information provided by the booth recommendation system was not considered to threaten or restrict one's freedom, which means it is valuable in terms of usefulness. Lastly, high performance of the booth recommendation system led to visitors' high satisfaction levels of unplanned behavior and intention to reuse the system. To sum up, in order to analyze the effects of a booth recommendation system on visitors' unplanned visits to a booth, empirical data were examined based on the unplanned behavior theory and, accordingly, useful suggestions for the establishment and design of future booth recommendation systems were made. In the future, further examination should be conducted through elaborate survey questions and survey objects.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.19-41
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• 2016

Recently, the proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet personal computers and the development of information communication technologies (ICT) have led to a big trend of a shift from single-channel shopping to multi-channel shopping. With the emergence of a "smart" group of consumers who want to shop in more reasonable and convenient ways, the boundaries apparently dividing online and offline shopping have collapsed and blurred more than ever before. Thus, there is now fierce competition between online and offline channels. Ever since the emergence of online shopping, a major type of multi-channel shopping has been "showrooming," where consumers visit offline stores to examine products before buying them online. However, because of the growing use of smart devices and the counterattack of offline retailers represented by omni-channel marketing strategies, one of the latest huge trends of shopping is "webrooming," where consumers visit online stores to examine products before buying them offline. This has become a threat to online retailers. In this situation, although it is very important to examine the influencing factors for switching from online shopping to webrooming, most prior studies have mainly focused on a single- or multi-channel shopping pattern. Therefore, this study thoroughly investigated the influencing factors on customers switching from online shopping to webrooming in terms of both the "search" and "purchase" processes through the application of a push-pull-mooring (PPM) framework. In order to test the research model, 280 individual samples were gathered from undergraduate and graduate students who had actual experience with webrooming. The results of the structural equation model (SEM) test revealed that the "pull" effect is strongest on the webrooming intention rather than the "push" or "mooring" effects. This proves a significant relationship between "attractiveness of webrooming" and "webrooming intention." In addition, the results showed that both the "perceived risk of online search" and "perceived risk of online purchase" significantly affect "distrust of online shopping." Similarly, both "perceived benefit of multi-channel search" and "perceived benefit of offline purchase" were found to have significant effects on "attractiveness of webrooming" were also found. Furthermore, the results indicated that "online purchase habit" is the only influencing factor that leads to "online shopping lock-in." The theoretical implications of the study are as follows. First, by examining the multi-channel shopping phenomenon from the perspective of "shopping switching" from online shopping to webrooming, this study complements the limits of the "channel switching" perspective, represented by multi-channel freeriding studies that merely focused on customers' channel switching behaviors from one to another. While extant studies with a channel switching perspective have focused on only one type of multi-channel shopping, where consumers just move from one particular channel to different channels, a study with a shopping switching perspective has the advantage of comprehensively investigating how consumers choose and navigate among diverse types of single- or multi-channel shopping alternatives. In this study, only limited shopping switching behavior from online shopping to webrooming was examined; however, the results should explain various phenomena in a more comprehensive manner from the perspective of shopping switching. Second, this study extends the scope of application of the push-pull-mooring framework, which is quite commonly used in marketing research to explain consumers' product switching behaviors. Through the application of this framework, it is hoped that more diverse shopping switching behaviors can be examined in future research. This study can serve a stepping stone for future studies. One of the most important practical implications of the study is that it may help single- and multi-channel retailers develop more specific customer strategies by revealing the influencing factors of webrooming intention from online shopping. For example, online single-channel retailers can ease the distrust of online shopping to prevent consumers from churning by reducing the perceived risk in terms of online search and purchase. On the other hand, offline retailers can develop specific strategies to increase the attractiveness of webrooming by letting customers perceive the benefits of multi-channel search or offline purchase. Although this study focused only on customers switching from online shopping to webrooming, the results can be expanded to various types of shopping switching behaviors embedded in single- and multi-channel shopping environments, such as showrooming and mobile shopping.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.23-46
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• 2017

Although there have been cases of evaluating the value of specific companies or projects which have centralized on developed countries in North America and Europe from the early 2000s, the system and methodology for estimating the economic value of individual technologies or patents has been activated on and on. Of course, there exist several online systems that qualitatively evaluate the technology's grade or the patent rating of the technology to be evaluated, as in 'KTRS' of the KIBO and 'SMART 3.1' of the Korea Invention Promotion Association. However, a web-based technology valuation system, referred to as 'STAR-Value system' that calculates the quantitative values of the subject technology for various purposes such as business feasibility analysis, investment attraction, tax/litigation, etc., has been officially opened and recently spreading. In this study, we introduce the type of methodology and evaluation model, reference information supporting these theories, and how database associated are utilized, focusing various modules and frameworks embedded in STAR-Value system. In particular, there are six valuation methods, including the discounted cash flow method (DCF), which is a representative one based on the income approach that anticipates future economic income to be valued at present, and the relief-from-royalty method, which calculates the present value of royalties' where we consider the contribution of the subject technology towards the business value created as the royalty rate. We look at how models and related support information (technology life, corporate (business) financial information, discount rate, industrial technology factors, etc.) can be used and linked in a intelligent manner. Based on the classification of information such as International Patent Classification (IPC) or Korea Standard Industry Classification (KSIC) for technology to be evaluated, the STAR-Value system automatically returns meta data such as technology cycle time (TCT), sales growth rate and profitability data of similar company or industry sector, weighted average cost of capital (WACC), indices of industrial technology factors, etc., and apply adjustment factors to them, so that the result of technology value calculation has high reliability and objectivity. Furthermore, if the information on the potential market size of the target technology and the market share of the commercialization subject refers to data-driven information, or if the estimated value range of similar technologies by industry sector is provided from the evaluation cases which are already completed and accumulated in database, the STAR-Value is anticipated that it will enable to present highly accurate value range in real time by intelligently linking various support modules. Including the explanation of the various valuation models and relevant primary variables as presented in this paper, the STAR-Value system intends to utilize more systematically and in a data-driven way by supporting the optimal model selection guideline module, intelligent technology value range reasoning module, and similar company selection based market share prediction module, etc. In addition, the research on the development and intelligence of the web-based STAR-Value system is significant in that it widely spread the web-based system that can be used in the validation and application to practices of the theoretical feasibility of the technology valuation field, and it is expected that it could be utilized in various fields of technology commercialization.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 1990

This paper is a review of our experience with radical resection for cancer of the oral cavity with particular emphasis upon the value of myocutaneous(i.e., musculocutanous) flaps employed in the surgical reconstruction in patient survival. During the past 15 years, 98 patients underwent resection of cancer arising in the oral cavity and oropharynx. Of these, 14 had composite resections in which the mandible was not sectioned, and 4 underwent en bloc resections without neck dissections in the face of post-radiation recurrence. When these excluded, 84 patients who underwent COMMANDO procedures with or without myocutaneous flaps were suitable for analysis of recurrence and survival according to the various surgical technics employed. 1) According to the surgical technic, there were 24 standard COMMANDO procedures in whom no regional or myocutanous flap was used; 12 patients who underwent reconstruction employing a forehead flap; 19 patients in whom a posterior cervical 'nape' flap was employed; 27 patients who underwent myocutaneous or osteo-myocutaneous flap repair; and two patients who had double flap repair. 2) The uncorrected two-year disease free survival was 41% for standard COMMANDOs, 17% for forehead flap COMMANDOs; 35% for nape flap COMMANDOs; and 35% for myocutaneous flap COMMANDO procedures. 3) The two-year disease-free survival by Stage was 100% in Stage I, 45% in Stage II, 41% in Stage III, and 18% in Stage IV. 4) When myocutanous flaps cases were compared with Group I, comprised of matched historical controls including both Standard COMMANDOs and those who had undergone regional flap repairs(that is, forehead and nape flap COMMANDOs)there was no difference, both groups showing a 40% 2-year disease-free survival. 5) When musculocutanous flap cases were compared with Goup II, which was composed of matched historical controis limited to patients who had undergone regional flap repairs(that is, forehead and nape flap cases only)there was no difference, both groups showing a 27% 2-year desease-free survival. 6) When musculocutanous flap cases were compared with Group III, composed of patients who had undergone classic COMMANDO procedures without any sort of flap repair, there was a striking difference; the patients undergoing MC flap repair showed 50% 2-year disease-free survival, whereas the classic COMMANDO cases showed a 25% survival free of disease. 7) Locoregional recurrence was also evaluated in the four categories; for standard COMMANDO cases it was 25%, for nape flap cases 26% ; for forehead flap cases, 33%, and for the musculocutaneous flap cases, the lowest recurrence rate, 22%. These results are of particular significance in view of the fact that the proportion of advanced cases(Stage III and IV)in each category was 67% of standard cases, 79% of nape flap patients, 100% of forehead flap cases, and 96% of musculocutaneous flap cases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.30-39
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• 1999

Objectives. This study was carried out to evaluate hearing impairment judgement and to investigate the differences in various diagnostic criteria for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among workers who required for close observation (C). Methods. Out of 731,029 workers who had taken the specific periodic health examination in 1994, we used the audiometric data on 37,999 workers (C) eliminating the employees who had previous otologic problems. Many investigators have being using different criteria for the evaluation of hearing impairment. In this study, we used the criteria of early (1989-1994), current, compensation for NIHL in Korea, 2-, 3-, 4-divided classification and hearing loss at 4,000 Hz and compared the evaluation results. Results. The prevalences of C and workers who had occupational disease $(D_1)$ diagnosed for NIHL were 11.1 % and 0.44 %. There were significant difference in the prevalences of C and $D_1$, depending on different province of Korea. Pure tone averages (PTAs) were not appropriately applied in their evaluation 97% of workers whom we studied on were below the level of mild hearing loss judged by ISO standard. However, there were wide variations in the prevalence rate of mild hearing loss by diagnostic criteria. Thus, there were different judgements in determining the degree of NIHL depending on which diagnostic criteria were utilized. PTAs were found 20.54 (Rt) and 20.74 (Lt) when the method of 3-divided classification was applied for audiometric data. The degree of hearing impairment of the left ear was more severe than that of right ear. The prevalence of normal hearing threshold below 20 dB was 75.4% and the range of difference in both ear was below 10 dB. Right sided hearing threshold levels were 21.08 dB (500 Hz), 18.44 dB (1,000 Hz), 22.09 (2,000 Hz) and 52.36 dB (4,000 Hz). There was typical high frequency loss (C5-dip at 4,000 Hz) above 30 - 40 dB in normal hearing level. The increasing trend in hearing threshold level was gradually decreased by the increase of PTAs. The difference between PTAs and threshold at 4,000 Hz was about 10 dB. Conclusions. We could found that PTAs in the previous examination were not appropriately evaluated. This study revealed that they did not use unique criteria for managing the workers of NIHL. For the prevention of NIHL, it was found that the quality control on diagnosis and comprehensive management program were required, especially for those of hearing loss (C).

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 1976

This study was carried out to exploit and utilize the exotic American Sycamore(Platanus occidentalis) grown in Korea as a veneer species for plywood manufacture. At present most parts of veneer Legs used in Korea were depended entirely upon the gonus Shorea woods(lauan logs) imported from Southeast Asia region. To decrease manufacturing cost and save imported lauan veneer logs, the effects on properties affecting to the six types of plywood made from proper veneer constructions composed by domestic American Sycamore and imported lauan veneers were compared and discussed. The study has important meanings for the promotion of plywood manufacture by domestic materials. Important items dealt with this study were dry and wet shear strength, moisture contents, specific gravties, and bending strength. By the results and discussions it may be summarized as follows: 1) In dry shear strength platanus(sycamore) core lauan plywood was shown most excellent strong results, and next orders were all lauan plywood, platanus faced lauan plywood, lauan core platanus plywood, lauan faced platanus plywood, and all platanus plywood. There was no difference between platanus core lauan plywood and all lauan plywood, but the differences between those plywoods and the other types of plywood were recognized. 2) In wet shear strength platanus core lauan plywood was shown excellent result the same as dry strength. The difference between platanus core lauan plywood and the other types of plywood was shown, but among the other types of plywood except platanus core lauan plywood were not recognized. 3) The differences among moisture contents according to the veneer construction were not recognized. 4) The plywood constructed by two or more sheets of lauan veneer was shown lower specific gravities than the plywood constructed by two or more sheets of platanus veneer. It is believed that this tendency due to the original specific gravities of veneer before construction. 5) The differences among specific gravities of lauan core platanus plywood, all platanus plywood and lauan faced platanus plywood were not recognized, and like this analyzed result among platanus core lauan plywood, all lauan plywood and platanus faced lauan plywood were not recognized. Accordingly it is believed that the differences are not shown among the plywood constructed by two or more veneers of same species. 6) In bending strength platanus core lauan plywood was shown most excellent values. Next orders were all lauan plywood, platanus faced lauan plywood and the other types of plywood. The differences among the plywood constructed by two or veneers of lauan were shown, but not shown among the plywood constructed by tow or more veneers of platanus.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.161-169
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• 1999

Purpose : The urinary mass screening program for the detection of proteinuria in school aged population has been performed in Seoul since 1981. Systematic evaluation in corporation with the Seoul School Health Center for students with proteinuria identified in the mass screening has been performed from 1987. The results of urinary mass screening up to 1994 was reported. I report here the results of urinary mass screening from 1995 to 1997 and compare them with previous results and attempt to reveal the significance of urinary mass screening. Objects and Methods : In the 3-year period between 1995 and 1997, annually about 460,000 students comprising 3 different age groups; 5th grade of elementary school, 2nd grade of middle school and 2nd grade of high school were chosen, corresponding to the approximate ages of 11, 14, and 17 years, respectively. These subjects accounted for 26% of total school aged children in Seoul. The screening program was carried out in 3 steps. The 1st test was performed with dipstick at school and the 2nd at the Seoul School Health Center. Those students who showed proteinuria in the 1st and 2nd tests were referred to the hospital. Laboratory examinations including renal biopsies were performed to those students with pathologic proteinuria to clarify the incipient renal diseases. Results : 1) The prevalence of asymptomatic proteinuria was 0.28% in the 1st test. It peaked at the group of 14 years old as 0.34%, compared with 0.26% at the group of 11 years old and 0.24% at the group of 17 years old. It reached to 0.26% in male and 0.30% in female. 2) 25 percent of those having proteinuria at the first test were positive at the second test. 3) The proportion of patients with proteinuria by 3rd test were as follows; 25% of transient proteinuria, 55% of orthostatic proteinuria, 6% of constant proteinuria, 12% of proteinuria with hematuria, and 2% of transient proteinuria with isolated hematuria. Pathologic proteinuria were totaled as 20%. The prevalence of renal diseases among the age group of 7-18 years old was estimated to be 1.4 per 10,000. 4) Renal biopsy performed on 38 children with proteinuria at the third test revealed IgA nephropathy in 17(44%), focal segmental glomerusclerosis in 5(13%), minimal change disease in 4(11%), membranoproliferative glomeronephritis in 3(8%), $Henoch-Sch\"{o}nlein$ purpura nephritis in 3(8%), and others in 6(16%). Therefore, the prevalence of IgA nephropathy among the age group of 7-18 years old was estimated to be 0.64 per 10,000. 5) The prevalence of chronic renal failure was estimated to be 5.7 per 1 million of 7 to 18 years age group. Conclusions : 1) The prevalence of proteinuria in the first screening test was 0.28% and finally only 5% of them showed the pathologic proteinuria at the third test. 2) The prevalence of IgA nephropathy and chronic renal failure were 0.63 per 10,000 and 5.7 per 1 million, respectively among school-aged children in Seoul.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.252-256
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• 2005

Purpose: Thyroglobulin (Tg) is a valuable and sensitive tool as a marker for diagnosis and follow-up for several thyroid disorders, especially, in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Often, clinical decisions rely entirely on the serum Tg concentration. But the Tg assay is one of the most challenging laboratory measurements to perform accurately owing to antithyroglobulin antibody (Anti-Tg). In this study, we have compared the degree of Anti-Tg effects on the measurement of Tg between availale Tg measuring kits. Materials and Methods: Measurement of Tg levels for standard Tg solution was performed with two different kits commercially available (A/B kits) using immunoradiometric assay technique either with absence or presence of three different concentrations of Anti-Tg. Measurement of Tg for patient's serum was also performed with the same kits. Patient's serum samples were prepared with mixtures of a serum containing high Tg levels and a serum containg high Anti-Tg concentrations. Results: In the measurements of standard Tg solution, presence of Anti-Tg resulted in falsely lower Tg level by both A and B kits. Degree of Tg underestimation by h kit was more prominent than B kit. The degree of underestimation by B kit was trivial therefore clinically insignificant, but statistically significant. Addition of Anti-Tg to patient serum resulted in falsely lower Tg levels with only A kit. Conclusion: Tg level could be underestimated in the presence of anti-Tg. Anti-Tg effect on Tg measurement was variable according to assay kit used. Therefore, accuracy test must be performed for individual Tg-assay kit.

• Atmosphere
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.303-315
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• 2014

Terrestrial ecosystem plays the important role as carbon sink in the global carbon cycle. Understanding of interactions of terrestrial carbon cycle with climate is important for better prediction of future climate change. In this paper, terrestrial carbon cycle is investigated by Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model, version 2, Carbon Cycle (HadGEM2-CC) that considers vegetation dynamics and an interactive carbon cycle with climate. The simulation for future projection is based on the three (8.5/4.5/2.6) representative concentration pathways (RCPs) from 2006 to 2100 and compared with historical land carbon uptake from 1979 to 2005. Projected changes in ecological features such as production, respiration, net ecosystem exchange and climate condition show similar pattern in three RCPs, while the response amplitude in each RCPs are different. For all RCP scenarios, temperature and precipitation increase with rising of the atmospheric $CO_2$. Such climate conditions are favorable for vegetation growth and extension, causing future increase of terrestrial carbon uptakes in all RCPs. At the end of 21st century, the global average of gross and net primary productions and respiration increase in all RCPs and terrestrial ecosystem remains as carbon sink. This enhancement of land $CO_2$ uptake is attributed by the vegetated area expansion, increasing LAI, and early onset of growing season. After mid-21st century, temperature rising leads to excessive increase of soil respiration than net primary production and thus the terrestrial carbon uptake begins to fall since that time. Regionally the NEE average value of East-Asia ($90^{\circ}E-140^{\circ}E$, $20^{\circ}N{\sim}60^{\circ}N$) area is bigger than that of the same latitude band. In the end-$21^{st}$ the NEE mean values in East-Asia area are $-2.09PgC\;yr^{-1}$, $-1.12PgC\;yr^{-1}$, $-0.47PgC\;yr^{-1}$ and zonal mean NEEs of the same latitude region are $-1.12PgC\;yr^{-1}$, $-0.55PgC\;yr^{-1}$, $-0.17PgC\;yr^{-1}$ for RCP 8.5, 4.5, 2.6.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.610-618
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• 2008

Background: There are various treatment modalities for atherosclerotic arterial obstructive disease at the lower limbs, for example, conservative physical therapy, medication, operation etc. Yet it has been established that an arterial bypass operation is the most effective treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of arterial bypass operation within our experience and to determine the indicators of treatment. Material and Method: Ninety six patients received arterial bypass operation for atherosclerotic arterial obstructive disease from June 2002 to April 2006. We evaluated the feasibility of arterial bypass operation based on the improvement of symptoms and the ankle-brachial index (ABI) and the surgical outcomes, as based on the complications, the amputation rates and the patency rates. We also assessed the possible risk factors such as gender, age, a smoking history, co-morbidities, the anastomotic sites, the graft size and the graft type. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the patients. The total mean follow-up period was $29.4{\pm}13.1$ months. Result: The mean age was $65.95{\pm}9.61$ and there were 88 male patients. The most common clinical manifestation was ischemic resting pain in the lower extremities. The underlying combined diseases were hypertension (61%), diabetes (43%), cardiac problems (35%) and smoking (91.7%). The most frequent site of arterial obstruction was the superficial femoral artery (44 cases, 40%). A femoropopliteal artery bypass operation with a Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) synthetic graft was done in 44 cases (40%) and the great saphenous vein graft was used in 11 cases. The postoperative ABI increased significantly from $0.30{\pm}0.11$ preoperatively to $0.63{\pm}0.11$ (p<0.001) postoperatively. In 8 cases, amputations above the ankle level were necessary. The graft patency rates were 86.4% and 68.0% after 1 and 3 years, respectively. There were 29 cases (30.21%) of patency failure; the male gender, smokers and hypertension were significantly more frequent in the failure group. Of these, hypertension was the most powerful risk factor (p=0.042). Conclusion: The arterial bypass operation is an effective treatment modality for controlling the symptoms such as pain and claudication, and for preventing major amputations for the patients with atherosclerotic arterial obstructive disease. This study suggests quitting smoking, strict blood pressure control, selection of an appropriate graft, regular outpatient follow up and proper medication would offer higher patency rates and more favorable outcomes.