• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.743-767
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• 2020

Due to the impressive flexural performance, enhanced compressive strength and more constrained crack propagation, Fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) have been widely employed in the construction application. Majority of experimental studies have focused on the seismic behavior of FRC columns. Based on the valid experimental data obtained from the previous studies, the current study has evaluated the seismic response and compressive strength of FRC rectangular columns while following hybrid metaheuristic techniques. Due to the non-linearity of seismic data, Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) has been incorporated with metaheuristic algorithms. 317 different datasets from FRC column tests has been applied as one database in order to determine the most influential factor on the ultimate strengths of FRC rectangular columns subjected to the simulated seismic loading. ANFIS has been used with the incorporation of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic algorithm (GA). For the analysis of the attained results, Extreme learning machine (ELM) as an authentic prediction method has been concurrently used. The variable selection procedure is to choose the most dominant parameters affecting the ultimate strengths of FRC rectangular columns subjected to simulated seismic loading. Accordingly, the results have shown that ANFIS-PSO has successfully predicted the seismic lateral load with R² = 0.857 and 0.902 for the test and train phase, respectively, nominated as the lateral load prediction estimator. On the other hand, in case of compressive strength prediction, ELM is to predict the compressive strength with R² = 0.657 and 0.862 for test and train phase, respectively. The results have shown that the seismic lateral force trend is more predictable than the compressive strength of FRC rectangular columns, in which the best results belong to the lateral force prediction. Compressive strength prediction has illustrated a significant deviation above 40 Mpa which could be related to the considerable non-linearity and possible empirical shortcomings. Finally, employing ANFIS-GA and ANFIS-PSO techniques to evaluate the seismic response of FRC are a promising reliable approach to be replaced for high cost and time-consuming experimental tests.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1834-1845
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• 2018

The lactobacilli associated with a fermented goat milk product from Tajikistan were isolated to characterize their technological properties and antibiotic resistances in order to assess their suitability for development as starter cultures. In this study, twenty three strains were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing as typical dairy-associated lactic acid bacterial strains, i.e. L. plantarum, L. pentosus, L. delbrueckii, L. helveticus and L. paracasei. These strains were generally susceptible to most antibiotics tested in this study and this allowed a selection of strains as safe starters. The draft genomes of four representative strains were sequenced and the number of contigs of the four assembled genomes ranged from 51 to 245 and the genome sizes ranged from 1.75 to 3.24 Mbp. These representative strains showed differences in their growth behavior and pH-reducing abilities in in vitro studies. The co-inoculation of these Lactobacillus spp. strains together with a yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus MBT-5698, or together with the yeast and an additional Streptococcus thermophilus MBT-2, led to a pH reduction to 3.4 after 48 h. Only in the case of fermentation inoculated with the co-culture, the viscosity of the milk increased noticeably. In contrast, fermentations with single strains did not lead to gelation of the milk or to a decrease in the pH after 24h. The results of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of the predominant lactobacilli related to Tajikistani fermented milk products.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.71-81
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• 2013

Purpose - The TOEIC test has been leading the change in the quality and the globalization of companies for about last 30 years. The TOEIC test is taken by about two million people each year and is used as a criterion to select new employees in companies or government offices, for performance ratings, and for overseas posting selections. Universities also use TOEIC test in various ways. Since the TOEIC test is used for the selection of new students for admission, transferring extra credits, scholarships, graduation certification, and admission of international students studying abroad, many universities all over the country provide students with TOEIC study lectures through their own language institutes. Despite the fact, there has been no research on the service quality or even the current situation of these institutes. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the factors that impact TOEIC lecture service quality and analyzes the effect of the expectation related to the education service quality and the result of education on intentional behavior. Research design, data, methodology - Data was collected by administering a survey to current TOEIC students from different university language institutes. The survey questionnaire comprised of a five-point Likert scale. The demographic analysis was conducted using the frequency analysis method and the factor analysis was conducted to verify the validity of questionnaire over any variable. The reliability analysis was conducted to verify the reliability of the results. Besides, multiple regression analysis, regression analysis, and mediated effect verification were also conducted. For education service quality, four different independent variables such as reliability, response, conviction, and sympathy were considered using the SERVQUAL survey model. Based on the research models, the study hypotheses below were formulated in order to recognize an effect relationship between the variables. The four hypotheses are, "the hypothesis on education service quality and TOEIC study result expectation," "the hypothesis on education service quality and behavioral intention," "the hypothesis on study result expectation and behavioral intention," and "the hypothesis on study result expectation and mediated effect." Results - The results are as follows. First, the factors like response, conviction, and sympathy have a positive influence on TOEIC study result expectations. Second, the TOEIC study result expectation has a positive influence on the factors of behavioral intention such as re-sign up, positive word-of-mouth, "loyalty towards school." Third, it was verified that the mediated effect on behavioral intention was influenced by education service quality at university foreign language institute, while the study result expectation has only a partial mediated effect. Conclusions - The implications of this study are summarized as follows: First, it suggests a new research model for the effect of the expectation related to the education service quality and the result of education in the university language institutes on the behavioral intention. Second, it has established a relationship between the education service quality and study result expectation by verifying the mediated effect on them.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2009

The selection of the support system is an important design parameter in design and construction of the tunnel using the new Australian tunnel method. It is a common practice to select the support based on the rock mass grade, in which the rock mass is classified into five rock groups. The method is applicable if the characteristics of the rock mass are uniform in the direction of tunnel excavation. However, such case is seldom encountered in practice and not applicable when the properties vary along the longitudinal direction. This study performs comprehensive three dimensional finite difference analyses to investigate the ground deformation pattern for cases in which the rock mass properties change in the direction of the tunnel axis. The numerically calculated displacements at the tunnel crown show that the displacement is highly dependent on the stiffness contrast of the rock masses. The results strongly indicate the need to select the support type $0.5{\sim}1.0D$ before the rock mass boundary. The paper proposes a new guideline for selecting the support type based the results of the analyses.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.13
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• pp.113-133
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• 2004

The present study examines the the role of subjectively perceived factors of the attitude toward job-seeking activities in forming an intention to use a web. An integrative research model is presented and tested empirically. It includes the following two aspects of belief in Davis' TAM: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use. Specially, internet job-seeking efficacy, or the belief in one's capabilities to organize and execute courses of Internet actions required to achieve given goals, is a potentially important factor in efforts to gain more favorable attitude toward Internet uses. Survey data were collected to develop a reliable operational measure of Internet job-seeking efficacy and to examine its construct validity. An four-item Internet job-seeking efficacy scale developed for the present study was found to be reliable and internally consistent. Also, many previous studies have established that perceived usefulness is an important factor influencing user acceptance and usage behavior of information technologies. However, very little research has been conducted to understand how that perception forms and changes over time. The current work presents and tests the determinants of perceived usefulness. The present study found that higher internet job-seeking efficacy is an important concept which is significantly related to job-seeking activities by positively influencing intention and performance as well as usefulness on the Internet.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.57-81
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to find out the feature of children's play according to a player number restriction rule in the free choice activities. And it is expected that the result of this study will contribute to improving the management of free choice activities. The participants of this study were a homeroom teacher, professor as a co-researcher and 25 4-year-old children of a private kindergarten. The data were collected by observation, children interview and reflective journal of the teacher from July to October in 2014. The results indicated that the children were stressed out with using name cards for presenting center selection, showed overcompetitive behaviors, and frequently violated the rules. The researchers found that the restriction rule had some dysfunctions, which were interferences of moral development, social-emotional development, self-regulation development, preventing safety-accident and free choice behavior. The researcher as a teacher abandoned the player number restriction rule, and observed the children's play. As a result, children's self-regulation abilities on physical space, play and conflicts improved and the teacher changed her strategy when managing free choice activities. Based on the results, the needs of various restriction rules and appropriate methods for applying the rules in free choice activities were further discussed.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.7-15
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• 2020

The high-temperature stability of Mg-8.0Zn-1.6Y (wt.%) alloys upon the addition of Ca has been investigated by characterizing the ignition temperature, microstructure, tensile and creep properties. The ignition temperature increases with an increase in the Ca content, indicating that an addition of Ca enhances the ignition resistance of the Mg-Zn-Y alloy. The as-cast microstructures of all tested alloys mainly consisted of the dendritic α-Mg matrix and I-phase (Mg₃Zn₆Y) at the grain boundaries. In the Ca-added Mg-8.0Zn-1.6Y alloys, the Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ phase forms, with this phase fraction increasing with an increase in the Ca contents. However, a high volume fraction of the Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ phase rather deteriorates the mechanical properties. Therefore, a moderate amount of Ca element in Mg-8.0Zn-1.6Y alloys is effective for improving the tensile and creep properties of the Mg-Zn-Y alloy. The Mg-8.0Zn-1.6Y-0.3Ca alloy exhibits the highest tensile strength and the lowest creep strain among the alloys investigated in the present study. The creep resistance of Mg-Zn-Y-Ca alloys depends on the selection of the secondary solidification phase; i.e., when Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ forms in an alloy containing a high level of Ca, the creep resistance deteriorates because Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ is less stable than the I-phase at a high temperature.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.53-77
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to review the literature on music interventions with older adults and to analyze the rationale for the type of intervention and type of music selected. A search of KCI journals for research including older adults and music-based interventions identified 33 published articles, and 23 of these studies met the criteria for inclusion in this analysis. Included studies were analyzed in terms of the contents of the interventions and the appropriateness of the rationale reported for selecting the intervention and music. Each study was analyzed in terms of the relevance of the reported rationale to target goals and the characteristics of the study participants. The results showed that many of the included studies incorporated a variety of activities but failed to include a valid rationale for using those activities to achieve the target goals. Also, many of the studies tended to select music based on participants' preferences or perceived familiarity without thorough consideration of the therapeutic function of music in the given intervention. This study presents how music therapy interventions with older adults have been conducted without sufficient attention to the selection of the intervention and presented music. There remains a need to delineate which intervention and music characteristics should be utilized to obtain particular outcomes with specific populations.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2004

In order to investigate the effect of floor condition on the fattening performance of cattle, sixteen finishing Hanwoo steers of weighting 570kg were fed for 16 weeks to slaughter on two types of sawdust bedding pen oriented to the south(SP) and the north(NP) then obtained following results. The floor condition of SP roofed by transparent material was dry and flat during overall experimental period, whereas, that of NP roofed by solid slate was muddy and rough even in summer and fall, and then frozen in winter period resulted in interfering with the locomotion and resting behavior of steers. Average daily dry matter intake of steers was not different between tow treatments, however, the average daily gain of steers in NP and SP was 0.64kg and 0.75kg, respectively, meaning that gained 14.3% less for the NP group(p<0.05), accordingly, feed requirement(feed/gain) and TDN/gain increased by 15.9% and 15.5%, respectively. No significant differences were found in slaughter weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, meat yield index and meat quality traits between two treatments. In conclusion, this study revealed that poor floor condition of feeding pen could decrease weight gain and feed efficiency of cattle by increasing energy consumption for locomotion and conductive energy loss while resting on the floor surface. These results indicates that housing orientation of cattle shed and the selection of roof material are important factors in beef cattle production.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.204-214
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• 2010

This research was intended to provide a basic data on the study of utilization of assistive technology to improve vocational ability for people with intellectual disabilities. As this study was literature review, it was analyzed the qualitative level, methodology contents, and general characteristic of a study, related assistive technology application for improvement of vocational ability in people with intellectual disabilities. The results of this study were as follows; Firstly, experimental environments mostly consisted of separated experimental conditions and design employed multiple probe design; Secondly, all of studies were involved in the standard of selection of subjects, but the proportions of study describing the contents related to subjects was low. The proportions of study describing the behavior-control and exterior-variable control method was low; Thirdly, most study evaluated independent variable and presented fidelity of treatment but, the presentation of social validity was proved to be insufficient. In order to effective application of assistive technology in vocational rehabilitation, it is need a evidence that the application of assistive technology is evidence-based practice in vocational rehabilitation. We also need a supplementation between methodology contents and qualitative level of study in more study.