• 제목/요약/키워드: Comprehensive evaluation

검색결과 1,464건 처리시간 0.029초

A Study on the Problem Analysis of Designation and Management of the Zone of Urban Nature Park (도시자연공원구역 지정 및 관리상의 문제점 분석)

  • Lee, Jeoung-Suk;Cho, Se-Hwan
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
    • /
    • 제39권3호
    • /
    • pp.98-106
    • /
    • 2011
  • This study was performed with the purpose of providing basic data for the improvement of zoning regulations of urban nature park by analyzing the present problem which occurred during last 6 years from the year of 2005 when the program was introduced for the first time. The study was processed first by the analysis of the cases of problems evoked by citizens, second the other problems was delineated by interviews of officials, at last the validity of all of the problems was verified by a group of professionals through delphi method. The results can be summarized as follows. 1. In relation to the designation and management of urban national park areas, designation criteria, designation process, maintenance, laws and regulations and 20 other items were found to be problematic. After Delphi method, 5 items were removed and 2 added. The results showed that there were 17 problematic items in total. 2. Regarding the problem of criteria for designation, which are, lack of priority(weights), lack of objectivity due to the difficulty to use quantitative evaluation method, incompatibility for contaminated land environmental impact assessment, incompatibility of land suitability assessment, lack of detailed field survey standards, lack of national park area standards, and 6 other items. 3. Regarding the problem of designation process, which are, the occurrence of civil appeals for designating a new national park, the needs of feasibility study on the urban national park areas constructed before urban national park guidelines came out, lack of a comprehensive review of the boundaries set when determining national park area management plan, poor temporal and financial conditions for an accurate field survey, and 4 other items. 4. Regarding the problem of maintenance management, which are, lack of management system in each space, lack of effectiveness of Urban Nature Park Area Management Plan among master plans for park and green areas, the occurrence of dual managers due to dual natures such as purpose area and city park, lack of professional manpower to manage park areas, and 4 other items. 5. Regarding the problems of regulation guidelines, which are, lack of separate urban park area management plan, incompatibility of the permitted facilities in the park to the park area standards, lack of feasibility study on urban park areas, and 3 other items.

A PLS Path Modeling Approach on the Cause-and-Effect Relationships among BSC Critical Success Factors for IT Organizations (PLS 경로모형을 이용한 IT 조직의 BSC 성공요인간의 인과관계 분석)

  • Lee, Jung-Hoon;Shin, Taek-Soo;Lim, Jong-Ho
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
    • /
    • 제17권4호
    • /
    • pp.207-228
    • /
    • 2007
  • Measuring Information Technology(IT) organizations' activities have been limited to mainly measure financial indicators for a long time. However, according to the multifarious functions of Information System, a number of researches have been done for the new trends on measurement methodologies that come with financial measurement as well as new measurement methods. Especially, the researches on IT Balanced Scorecard(BSC), concept from BSC measuring IT activities have been done as well in recent years. BSC provides more advantages than only integration of non-financial measures in a performance measurement system. The core of BSC rests on the cause-and-effect relationships between measures to allow prediction of value chain performance measures to allow prediction of value chain performance measures, communication, and realization of the corporate strategy and incentive controlled actions. More recently, BSC proponents have focused on the need to tie measures together into a causal chain of performance, and to test the validity of these hypothesized effects to guide the development of strategy. Kaplan and Norton[2001] argue that one of the primary benefits of the balanced scorecard is its use in gauging the success of strategy. Norreklit[2000] insist that the cause-and-effect chain is central to the balanced scorecard. The cause-and-effect chain is also central to the IT BSC. However, prior researches on relationship between information system and enterprise strategies as well as connection between various IT performance measurement indicators are not so much studied. Ittner et al.[2003] report that 77% of all surveyed companies with an implemented BSC place no or only little interest on soundly modeled cause-and-effect relationships despite of the importance of cause-and-effect chains as an integral part of BSC. This shortcoming can be explained with one theoretical and one practical reason[Blumenberg and Hinz, 2006]. From a theoretical point of view, causalities within the BSC method and their application are only vaguely described by Kaplan and Norton. From a practical consideration, modeling corporate causalities is a complex task due to tedious data acquisition and following reliability maintenance. However, cause-and effect relationships are an essential part of BSCs because they differentiate performance measurement systems like BSCs from simple key performance indicator(KPI) lists. KPI lists present an ad-hoc collection of measures to managers but do not allow for a comprehensive view on corporate performance. Instead, performance measurement system like BSCs tries to model the relationships of the underlying value chain in cause-and-effect relationships. Therefore, to overcome the deficiencies of causal modeling in IT BSC, sound and robust causal modeling approaches are required in theory as well as in practice for offering a solution. The propose of this study is to suggest critical success factors(CSFs) and KPIs for measuring performance for IT organizations and empirically validate the casual relationships between those CSFs. For this purpose, we define four perspectives of BSC for IT organizations according to Van Grembergen's study[2000] as follows. The Future Orientation perspective represents the human and technology resources needed by IT to deliver its services. The Operational Excellence perspective represents the IT processes employed to develop and deliver the applications. The User Orientation perspective represents the user evaluation of IT. The Business Contribution perspective captures the business value of the IT investments. Each of these perspectives has to be translated into corresponding metrics and measures that assess the current situations. This study suggests 12 CSFs for IT BSC based on the previous IT BSC's studies and COBIT 4.1. These CSFs consist of 51 KPIs. We defines the cause-and-effect relationships among BSC CSFs for IT Organizations as follows. The Future Orientation perspective will have positive effects on the Operational Excellence perspective. Then the Operational Excellence perspective will have positive effects on the User Orientation perspective. Finally, the User Orientation perspective will have positive effects on the Business Contribution perspective. This research tests the validity of these hypothesized casual effects and the sub-hypothesized causal relationships. For the purpose, we used the Partial Least Squares approach to Structural Equation Modeling(or PLS Path Modeling) for analyzing multiple IT BSC CSFs. The PLS path modeling has special abilities that make it more appropriate than other techniques, such as multiple regression and LISREL, when analyzing small sample sizes. Recently the use of PLS path modeling has been gaining interests and use among IS researchers in recent years because of its ability to model latent constructs under conditions of nonormality and with small to medium sample sizes(Chin et al., 2003). The empirical results of our study using PLS path modeling show that the casual effects in IT BSC significantly exist partially in our hypotheses.

Ttrosine Hydroxylase in Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes): cDNA Cloning and Molecular Monitoring of TH Gene Expression As a Biomarker (송사리 Tyrosine Hydroxylase: cDNA 클로닝 및 생물지표로서의 TH 유전자 발현의 분자생물학적 추적)

  • Shin, Sung-Woo;Kim, Jung-Sang;Chon, Tae-Soo;Lee, Sung-Kyu;Koh, Sung-Cheol
    • Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
    • /
    • 제15권4호
    • /
    • pp.131-137
    • /
    • 2000
  • The release of hazardous waste materials into the environment poses serious risks in humans and ecosystems. The risk assessment of environmental pollutants including hazardous chemicals requires a comprehensive measurement of hazard and exposure of the chemicals that can be achieved by toxicity evaluation using a biological system such as biomarkers. In this report we have tried to develop a biomarker used to elucidate a molecular basis of, and to monitor abnormal behaviors caused by diazinon in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) as a model organism. First, an attempt was made to clone tyrosine hydroxylase gene from Japanese medaka that would be a candidate for a biomarker for neuronal modulations and behaviors. For monitoring experiments at behavioral and molecular biological levels, the fish were treated under different sublethal conditions of diazinon and their behavioral responses were observed . In this study we have successfully cloned a partial TH gene from the medaka fish through PCR screening of an ovary cDNA library. DNA sequencing analysis revealed that the amplified fragment was 327 bp encoding 109 amino acids. Comparing the DNA sequence of medaka TH with other species, TH gene revealed the DNA sequence was completely identical to that of rat TH. In the RT-PCR, 330 Up of mRNA was consistently amplified in all the treated samples including control There were no significant differences in the TH expression level regardless of treating concentrations (1∼5,000 ppb) and time (0∼48 hr) The reason appeared to be that RT-PCR was not performed using through a quantitative analysis normalized against an actin gene expression. Organ or tissue - specific detection of TH activity and mRNA as biomarkers will be a useful monitoring tool for neurobehavioral changes in fish influenced by toxic chemicals. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of locomotive patterns and its correlation with the neurochemical and molecular data would be highly useful in measuring toxicity and hazard ofvarious environmental pollutants.

  • PDF

Reanalysis of 2007 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007 KNHANES) Results by CAN-Pro 3.0 Nutrient Database (2007년도 국민건강영양조사 결과 재분석 : CAN-Pro 3.0 식품영양가표의 활용)

  • Shim, Youn-Jeong;Paik, Hee-Young
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
    • /
    • 제42권6호
    • /
    • pp.577-595
    • /
    • 2009
  • This study aimed to reanalyze energy and nutrient intakes of 2007 Korean Nutrition and Health Examination Survey (KNHANES) using CAN-Pro 3.0, a commonly used nutrient analysis software in Korea. Food items and their codes were selected from 2007 KNHANES dietary intake file and converted to food codes of CAN-Pro 3.0 nutrient database (NDB). Of the 1,324 total food items, 1,155 items were converted by direct matching, 123 items were matched using other items in CAN-Pro 3.0 NDB and 42 items were matched using external sources. Consumption frequencies of items converted by direct matching contributed 94.5% of total consumption. Nutrient intakes of 4,091 participants of 2007 KNHANES, over 1 year old, were recalculated using CAN-Pro 3.0 NDB and compared with intakes in 2007 KNHANES dietary intake file. Intakes for energy and all nutrients except protein and Vitamin C calculated by two NDBs were significantly different by paired t-test (p < 0.001), but significantly correlated by Pearson' correlation coefficients (p < 0.001). Percent differences between the NDBs ranged from 0.3% to 15.1%, low for protein, energy, vitamin C, iron, vitamin B$_2$ (below 5%) but high for phosphorus, retinol, vitamin A, and $\beta$-carotene (over 10%). Age group, sex, and their interactions significantly influenced six nutrients (p < 0.05). Intake levels of zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin E, folate and cholesterol were not available in 2007 KNHANES but were calculated by CAN-Pro 3.0. Mean intake levels of zinc, vitamin B$_6$, vitamin E, and folate by age and sex groups revealed that some groups had mean levels below RI (Recommended Intake) or AI (Adequate Intake) levels. Intake level of cholesterol was higher than the recommended level (below 300 mg/day) in some groups, especially males. Results of the present study indicate the need for comparable and more comprehensive NDB to be used for dietary assessment of KNHANES and other researches. More rigorous evaluation of nutrients which have not been reported in KNHANES is needed.

Research on the Actual Condition of the radiation Safety Management(RSM) for the Educated Training of the Dental Diagnostics X-ray Generators (교육용 치과 엑스선 발생장치에 대한 방사선 안전 관리 실태 조사)

  • Lee, Mihyeon;Yu, Yunsik;Lee, Jaeseung;Im, Inchul
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
    • /
    • 제8권7호
    • /
    • pp.467-477
    • /
    • 2014
  • The purpose of this study is to offer data base for establishment of dental training x-ray generator based safety usage through surveying real radiation safety management state of radiation worker's in plan of operations that have dental training x-ray generators and use it. For it, comprehensive references were surveyed referring reports of current state of regulation technique development and domestic radiation safety evaluation and nuclear related legislation regarding radiation safety management of dental training x-ray generators. On the basis of it, questionnaires were filled in about respondent's general characteristic radiation safety manager's status current state of radiation safety management and the level of knowledge & consciousness. For the study, the survey was conducted to 224 people of radiation safety managers and university graduates training assistants and full-time professors who can treat dental training x-ray generators in education center. through this survey 95 questionnaires were used as analysis materials except the insufficient and omitted responses. As a method of analysis, the frequency and percentage were figured out with the general characteristics and safety manager's status. Chi-square test for frequency and correlation per question analysis and Pearson correlation analysis for crosslevel correlation were done with current state of radiation safety management and knowledge & consciousness level. As a result, running dental training x-ray generators was dealt with by 20's to 40's who have high education level over post undergraduate degree and major in dental hygienic. In addition, female have higher consciousness level for radiation safety management than male. It shows significal linear relation statistically(${\chi}^2$ >5, 0.1${\chi}^2$ >5, 0.3${\chi}^2$ >5, 0.3

Evaluation of Shoreline Retreat Rate due to a Sea Level Rise using Theory of Equilibrium Beach Profile (평형해빈단면이론을 이용한 해수면 상승에 따른 해안후퇴율 산정)

  • Kang, Tae Soon;Cho, Kwangwoo;Lee, Jong Sup;Park, Won Kyung
    • Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
    • /
    • 제26권4호
    • /
    • pp.197-206
    • /
    • 2014
  • The purpose of this study is to evaluate coastal erosion due to a sea-level rise. The shoreline retreat rate was calculated due to future sea-level rise. Shoreline retreat rates were quantified with the cross-sectional data of 23 sandy coasts (12 sites from east coast, 5 sites from south coast, and 6 sites of west coast) and 3 cross-sectional profiles from each side of the coasts in Korea. The theory of equilibrium beach profile was employed in this study to evaluate the applicability of the theory into the coast of Korea and was tested with 15 cross-sectional beach profiles. Four scenarios of future sea level rise such as 38 cm, 59 cm, 75 cm, and 100 cm were adopted to estimate the shoreline retreat rates. Overall shoreline retreat rates for the coasts in Korea were predicted as 43.7% for 38 cm, 60.3% for 59 cm, 69.2% for 75 cm, and 80.1% for 100 cm sea level rises, respectively. Retreat rates in the east coast (29.6% for 38 cm, 45.1% for 59 cm, 56.0% for 75 cm, and 69.9% for 100 cm) showed relatively low compared to the south coast (51.9%, 67.6%, 77.2%, 87.3%) and the west coast (53.8%, 71.0%, 78.5%, 86.4%). However, all sandy coasts in Korea were assessed to be vulnerable with increasing sea-level rise. There are uncertainties in the assessment of this study, which include the limitation of the assessment model and the lack of the spatio-temporal data of the beach profiles. Therefore, this study shows that it is very important to spend integrated efforts to respond coastal erosion including comprehensive observations(monitoring) and the development of scientific understanding on the field.

Perspective of breaking stagnation of soybean yield under monsoon climate

  • Shiraiwa, Tatsuhiko
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
    • /
    • 한국작물학회 2017년도 9th Asian Crop Science Association conference
    • /
    • pp.8-9
    • /
    • 2017
  • Soybean yield has been low and unstable in Japan and other areas in East Asia, despite long history of cultivation. This is contrasting with consistent increase of yield in North and South America. This presentation tries to describe perspective of breaking stagnation of soybean yield in East Asia, considering the factors of the different yields between regions. Large amount of rainfall with occasional dry-spell in the summer is a nature of monsoon climate and as frequently stated excess water is the factor of low and unstable soybean yield. For example, there exists a great deal of field-to-field variation in yield of 'Tanbaguro' soybean, which is reputed for high market value and thus cultivated intensively and this results in low average yield. According to our field survey, a major portion of yield variation occurs in early growth period. Soybean production on drained paddy fields is also vulnerable to drought stress after flowering. An analysis at the above study site demonstrated a substantial field-to-field variation of canopy transpiration activity in the mid-summer, but the variation of pod-set was not as large as that of early growth. As frequently mentioned by the contest winners of good practice farming, avoidance of excess water problem in the early growth period is of greatest importance. A series of technological development took place in Japan in crop management for stable crop establishment and growth, that includes seed-bed preparation with ridge and/or chisel ploughing, adjustment of seed moisture content, seed treatment with mancozeb+metalaxyl and the water table control system, FOEAS. A unique success is seen in the tidal swamp area in South Sumatra with the Saturated Soil Culture (SSC), which is for managing acidity problem of pyrite soils. In 2016, an average yield of $2.4tha^{-1}$ was recorded for a 450 ha area with SSC (Ghulamahdi 2017, personal communication). This is a sort of raised bed culture and thus the moisture condition is kept markedly stable during growth period. For genetic control, too, many attempts are on-going for better emergence and plant growth after emergence under excess water. There seems to exist two aspects of excess water resistance, one related to phytophthora resistance and the other with better growth under excess water. The improvement for the latter is particularly challenging and genomic approach is expected to be effectively utilized. The crop model simulation would estimate/evaluate the impact of environmental and genetic factors. But comprehensive crop models for soybean are mainly for cultivations on upland fields and crop response to excess water is not fully accounted for. A soybean model for production on drained paddy fields under monsoon climate is demanded to coordinate technological development under changing climate. We recently recognized that the yield potential of recent US cultivars is greater than that of Japanese cultivars and this also may be responsible for different yield trends. Cultivar comparisons proved that higher yields are associated with greater biomass production specifically during early seed filling, in which high and well sustained activity of leaf gas exchange is related. In fact, the leaf stomatal conductance is considered to have been improved during last a couple of decades in the USA through selections for high yield in several crop species. It is suspected that priority to product quality of soybean as food crop, especially large seed size in Japan, did not allow efficient improvement of productivity. We also recently found a substantial variation of yielding performance under an environment of Indonesia among divergent cultivars from tropical and temperate regions through in a part biomass productivity. Gas exchange activity again seems to be involved. Unlike in North America where transpiration adjustment is considered necessary to avoid terminal drought, under the monsoon climate with wet summer plants with higher activity of gas exchange than current level might be advantageous. In order to explore higher or better-adjusted canopy function, the methodological development is demanded for canopy-level evaluation of transpiration activity. The stagnation of soybean yield would be broken through controlling variable water environment and breeding efforts to improve the quality-oriented cultivars for stable and high yield.

  • PDF

A Study on the Strategic Use of an IMC Planning Model for the Distribution Industry (유통업 IMC 기획모델의 전략적 활용에 관한 연구)

  • Mo, Sun-Jong;Song, In-Am
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
    • /
    • 제18권2호
    • /
    • pp.113-145
    • /
    • 2008
  • Marketing for the distribution industry is making an ongoing progress in the changes of customers, the competitive environment, and the internal marketing environment. Integrated marketing communication activities are required for the enhancement of efficiency in the market.oriented activities. In this study, IMC is defined as "a notion that a market oriented business integrated marketing communication means, conducting and evaluating marketing activities with consistent messages in order to communicate with customers based on databases." In this study, an IMC planning model for the improvement of marketing efficiency in the distribution industry was derived from a pilot study. This model may be broken down into the following phases: IMC goals setting, situational analysis (customer analysis, competition analysis and company analysis), customer data analysis, contact management, budgeting, the establishment of an IMC strategy, the IMC mix and execution, an evaluation system, and feedback. In consideration of the characteristics of the distribution industry, this study was accompanied by a vocational study on IMC means employed by, in particular, department stores and other distributors such as: advertising, sales promotion, sales promotion advertising, direct marketing, public relations, personal selling, the Internet, mobile, visual merchandising, words of mouth. In addition, this study also covered the correlation among variables such as IMC activities of distributors, the process of forming customer's brand attitudes, brand loyalty and repurchase intention. This research would enhance the utilization of IMC. The analysis on customer's brand attitudes toward the IMC activities of distributors requires the simultaneous consideration of how they are linked to purchase as well as their attitudes toward both distributors and stores. The formation of brand loyalty and repurchase intention is related to the integration of marketing communication and the maintenance of consistency in contents, which requires integrated brand communication (IBC) strategies. IBC is a concept of using IMC means to manage the brand in a continuing and consistent manner and measuring their effect, which is a process to establish enterprise.level brand identity and maximize brand loyalty and repurchase intention by integrating IMC means. For an empirical analysis in this study, an online questionnaire survey was conducted among those department store customers from 20's to 50's who reside either in the Seoul and Gyeonggi areas and have made purchase at department stores. In this study, the research model consisted of four theoretical variables: IMC activities, IMC attitudes, brand loyalty, and repurchase intention, on which variables a pilot study was conducted. A number of hypotheses were constructed on the relations between IMC activities and IMC attitudes, between IMC attitudes and repurchase intention, and between brand loyalty and repurchase intention. The test of the hypotheses may be summarized as follows: Firstly, the test of the hypothesis concerning the relation between IMC attitudes and IMC activities - advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations, personal selling, the Web, mobile, visual merchandising, and word of mouth - indicates that advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations, personal selling, mobile, visual merchandising, and word of mouth have significant impact on IMC activities. In addition to the result similar to those of previous studies that such marketing communication means as word of mouth, advertising, personal selling and sales promotion, in particular, play very important roles, a notable finding of this study is that visual merchandising performed by department stores is shown to have very significant impact on IMC activities. On a separate note, it is also noteworthy that Internet marketing activities engaged by department stores are not shown to have significant impact on IMC attitudes. Secondly, the test of the hypothesis on the relation between IMC attitudes and brand loyalty attests that IMC attitudes for the distribution industry significantly affect brand loyalty. Thirdly, the test of the hypothesis concerning the relation between IMC attitudes and repurchase intention confirms that IMC attitudes for the distribution industry significantly affect repurchase intention. Fourthly, the test of the hypothesis concerning the relation between brand loyalty and repurchase intention indicates that brand loyalty significantly affect repurchase intention. A comprehensive view of these findings points to the conclusion that the IMC activities for the distribution industry do affect IMC attitudes, brand loyalty, and repurchase intention.

  • PDF

STANDARDIZATION STUDY FOR THE KOREAN VERSION OF THE LURIA-NEBRASKA NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL BATTERY FOR CHILDREN II : EVALUATION OF THE VALIDITY & CLINICAL UTILITY OF THE KOREAN VERSION OF LNNB-C (한국판 아동용 Luria-Nebraska 신경심리 검사의 표준화 연구 II : 타당도 및 임상적 유용성 검증)

  • Shin, Min-Sup;Hong, Kang-E
    • Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
    • /
    • 제5권1호
    • /
    • pp.70-82
    • /
    • 1994
  • Present study was to evaluate the validity and the clinical utility of the Korean version of Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery for Children(LNNB-C) in various groups including normal, brain damaged attention deficit hyperactivity disordered(ADHD), and psychiatrically disordered. The Korean version of LNNB-C and BGT were administered to clinical groups consisted of 51 patients(19 brain damaged, 16 ADHD. and 16 psychiatric controls), and to normal group composed of 147 children between the age of 8 and It Also KEDI-WISC was administered D clinical groups as a part of comprehensive psychological assessment There were significant differences between the brain damaged and the normals on all scales of LNNB-C, and between the normals and the ADHD on 11 clinical scales and 3 summary scales, which indicate the clinical validity for the scales of the Korean version of LNNB-C. The significant differences between the ADHD and the brain damaged on 3 summary scales were found, suggesting that the summary scales might play an important role id discriminating between two groups. Multiple discriminant analysis showed that the Korean version of LNNB-C significantly discriminates 3 groups - normals, ADHD, and brain damaged. Percentages of correct classification were ranged from 62.5% in the ADHD to 98.6Ta in the normals. For further evaluating the discriminant validity of the LNNB-C, the discriminant power of each items were calculated, and 131 of the 147 items discriminated significantly between the brain damaged and the normals. The scales of LNNB-C significantly correlated with the error scores of BGT and the most of scales of KEDI-WISC. These results put together : strongly support the concurrent and the discriminant validity of the Korean version of LNNB-C in diagnosing brain damage. The limitations of present study and several issues for the luther study were discussed.

  • PDF

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Taste Disorders (미각 장애 환자의 임상적 특성에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Eun-Jin;Park, Won-Kyu;Nam, Jin-Woo;Yun, Jong-Il;Kho, Hong-Seop
    • Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
    • /
    • 제34권4호
    • /
    • pp.341-351
    • /
    • 2009
  • There is tremendous variability in the ways patients present with taste problems. Because of complex and multifactorial etiological background, it is not simple to evaluate patients with taste disorders. Accurate assessment of patients' status by prudent, thorough history taking and symptom analysis is the most essential for exact diagnosis of taste disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with taste problems as a primary complaint. Consecutive series of 50 patients (12 males and 38 females, mean age $53.6\;{\pm}\;14.7$ years) were included for the present study. All subjects were requested to complete a comprehensive questionnaire. Clinical evaluation procedures included oral examination, interview, questionnaire analysis, panoramic radiography, blood test and measurement of salivary flow rate. The obtained results were as follows: 1. Among the patients, 36 patients (72%) complained of oral mucosal pain or burning sensation. Of these patients, 18 patients (36%) were diagnosed as burning mouth syndrome. 2. Nineteen patients (38%) complained of subjective oral dryness. The flow rate of unstimulated whole saliva was less than 0.1 mL/min in 14 patients (28%) and 17 (34%) had a stimulated whole salivary flow rate of less than 0.5 mL/min. 3. Among the types of taste disorders, hypogeusia, the most frequently reported, was found in 25 patients (50%), dysgeusia in 18 patients (36%), phantogeusia in 15 patients (30%), hypergeusia in 10 patients (20%), and ageusia in 5 patients (10%). Nineteen patients (38%) reported more than one type of taste disorder and the most frequent combination was dysgeusia + hypogeusia (n=6, 12%). 4. Based on data from the medical and dental histories and examinations, the patients were assigned to 12 probable causal categories. Taste disorders due to oral mucosal diseases and idiopathic taste disorder were the most frequent (n=9; 18%, each), followed by psychogenic taste disorder (n=8; 16%), drug-induced taste disorder (n=7; 14%), and taste disorder due to dry mouth (n=6; 12%). These 5 categories of taste disorder accounted for 78% of all cases in this study.