• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.20-31
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• 2021

The spread of non-face-to-face culture due to COVID-19 led to innovation in untact services and the increase of non-face-to-face communication through video conference platforms. However, it is difficult to identify nonverbal expressions in synchronous online communication. Moreover, it is hard to interact with people by making eye contact. Despite the positive effects of eye contact, including such as sharing emotions and helping build intimacy, no research has empirically verified the effectiveness of eye contact in synchronous online communication. Thus, the study verified the effectiveness of eye contact in synchronous online communication. Depending on the context of the communication and whether(or not) there is eye contact, six video treatments were used to measure four dependent variables-Continuance Intention to Use, Performance Expectancy, Interactivity, and Personal Connection. The study shows that the communication with eye contact in all contexts was rated higher than the one without eye contact in all measurement variables. This study will help to provide a better user experience in synchronous online communication by verifying the effectiveness of eye contact in synchronous online communication and proposing the need of technology and the direction of the technological development.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.83-106
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• 2022

The current study examined the effects of the type and context of self-talk on task performance, task-post emotion, and perceived stress. Participants were 100 undergraduates in Busan. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four the experimental groups that were set by combining the narrative condition (the first-person versus non-first-person) to the content condition (self-reinforcing versus self-critic) to measure their pre and post intervention responses. For the analysis, we performed two-ways analysis of variance using the difference value of dependent variables comparing the pre and post-intervention. As a result of the analysis, we found that content condition of self-talk significantly influenced task performance, task-related confidence, emotion response, and perceived stress. That is, the self-reinforcement self-talk group showed better performance, higher task-related confidence, more positive emotion, lower negative emotion and less perceived stress than the self-critic self-talk group. The contents conditions of self-talk interacted with the narrative condition of self-talk to predict perceived stress, indicating that only non-first person/self-reinforceing self-talk group showed reduced levels of perceived stress.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.57-69
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• 2023

Early morning delivery possesses distinct characteristics that differentiate it from standard delivery services. This service typically involves delivering products to customers during the early morning hours, primarily before 7 AM. While online early morning delivery offers various advantages from a customer perspective, it also presents challenges that sellers and online shopping companies need to overcome. The early morning delivery market is experiencing significant growth in the online food retail sector, incorporating both PC-based online shopping and mobile shopping. The objective of this research is to identify the factors influencing customer satisfaction and the intention to reuse in the context of early morning delivery for online shopping. To model the online shopping environment with early morning delivery, independent factors were categorized into three types: System Properties, Product Characteristics, and Delivery Characteristics. This study examined the relationships among these three independent factors, the mediating factor of customer satisfaction, and the dependent variable of the intention to reuse. To conduct this research, empirical validation of the research hypotheses was carried out using the final dataset for analysis. Within this study, the previously explored System Properties, Product Characteristics, and Delivery Characteristics were established. Summarizing the findings of the analysis, it was discovered that System Properties and Product Characteristics played a significant role in determining the quality of early morning delivery services for online shopping. While product diversity and convenience had a positive impact, it is noteworthy that Delivery Characteristics did not influence customer satisfaction. Consequently, it can be concluded that there is no effect on the intention to reuse.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.56-75
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• 2022

Purpose - This study examines the influencing factors of China's cross-border e-commerce exports in the context of the current situation and trends of China's cross-border e-commerce development. Through an improved trade gravity model, it provides more in-depth research and constructive opinions on the development of cross-border e-commerce in China. In this paper, factors such as consumption gap, volume of trade frictions, number of tourists, Internet usage and trade openness are added to the formula of the traditional trade gravity model in the improved trade gravity model to examine the influencing factors on China's cross-border e-commerce exports. Design/methodology - According to the empirical analysis, China's cross-border e-commerce exports to ten countries are used as dependent variables, and consumption gap, trade friction volume, trade distance, trade openness and number of Internet users are taken as independent variables. Regression analysis is conducted through a modified gravity model to test whether the hypotheses hold. Findings - The analysis shows that the hypothesis that China's cross-border e-commerce exports are influenced by trade openness, trade distance, consumption gap between trade parties, and the number of Internet users in the importing country is supported by these four hypotheses, but not all independent variables have an impact on them. Specifically, the number of travelers, trade frictions do not have an impact on China's cross-border e-commerce. That is to say, trade friction between China and the United States and political issues such as China-India and China-Japan territorial disputes that emerged before do not affect the development of cross-border e-commerce in China. Originality/value - The analysis shows that the factors influencing China's cross-border e-commerce exports are the trade openness of the importing country, the trade distance, the number of Internet users in the importing country, and the consumption gap between the two sides of the trade. The trade openness and the number of Internet users positively contribute to China's cross-border e-commerce, while the consumption gap and trade distance are negatively related to them. And the analysis found that the Sino-US trade war and the Sino-Indian territorial disputes and other trade frictions to China's cross-border e-commerce exports did not have a substantial impact.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.911-922
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• 2022

To restore reclaimed land, it needs to be supplemented with organic matter; this is especially true for Korea, where organic matter constitutes only one-tenth of conventional agricultural soils. The giant Miscanthus, a perennial grass known for its extensive biomass, shows signs of being an excellent source of organic matter for restoring reclaimed land. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate the feasibility of using the giant miscanthus as an organic resource within the context of re-using reclaimed land for agricultural purposes (i.e., potato cultivation), and (ii) determine the optimum fertilization rate for the potatoes while the giant miscanthus is being used as an organic resource. Our results show that after 180 days, giant miscanthus lost 23-47% of its original dry weight, with the extent of the loss dependent on soil salinity. Nutrient concentrations (Mg2+, Na+) continued to increase until the end of the study period. In contrast, potassium (K+) and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C/N) decreased until the end of the study period. Specifically, after 180 days, low salinity topsoil treatments had the lowest C/N ratio. In the first year, 150 % of standard N rates were required for the potatoes to achieve maximum productivity; however in the 2nd year, standard rates were sufficient to achieve maximum productivity. Overall, this implies that even though the application of giant miscanthus did eventually improve soil quality, increasing crop yields, N fertilization is still necessary for the best outcomes.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.348-356
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• 2022

The article is devoted to substantiation of theoretical and methodical bases of formation of the organizational-economic mechanism of maintenance of stability of development of region on the bases of influence of potential-forming space in the conditions of formation of creative economy. It was found that the organizational-economic mechanism due to its multifaceted nature does not have a single generally accepted definition, and its acceptable scale and complexity is reflected in the structure, which is very dependent on the scope and conditions of its application, can be very different and contain different elements. In view of this, in order to highlight the characteristics that are inherent in the organizational-economic mechanism of sustainable development of the region on the basis of potential-forming space in the formation of creative economy, the article examines the properties and characteristics of direct organizational and economic mechanism. The necessity of basing the process of formation of any organizational-economic mechanism, including the organizational-economic mechanism of ensuring the sustainability of the region on the basis of the potential-forming space in the conditions of creative economy on the system of principles. In this context, the author's vision is proposed and a set of principles for the formation of organizational-economic mechanism for sustainable development of the region on the basis of the potential of the potential-forming space in the creative economy, as well as revealed the essence of each. According to the structural aspect, the organizational-economic mechanism of ensuring the sustainability of the region's development on the basis of the potential-forming space is proposed to be presented as a set of seven stages, which are implemented in a certain sequence. Within the limits of this research the sequence of realization of the stages making process of formation of the organizational-economic mechanism of maintenance of stability of development of region on the basis of influence of potential-forming space in the conditions of formation of creative economy is defined and their maintenance and essence is presented.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.767-793
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• 2011

This study aims to explore how older adults construct their life-world in their ecological and socio-cultural context of rural communities and to understand what meanings they give to the life experiences they have had within their life-world. Two rural villages in Sunchang County in North Jeolla Province, South Korea were selected for this study and ethnographic fieldwork was conducted for about 2 months to gather the data. Despite the fact that rural communities face restructuring and economic decline, older adults in this study gave positive meanings to their life experiences. Doing agricultural labor particularly in later life let them maintain independence and continuity in life, and provided them with plenty of opportunity to interact with nature. Also, they had a sense of control over their physical and social environments where they had been familiar with for a long period of time. Furthermore, older adults had various memories of contributions to families and communities have been created. This research shows older adults in rural communities are active agents of their life-world, dismantling stereotypical notions of older adults as dependent, isolated, and marginalized. Implications of the study are discussed in detail.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.33.1-33.19
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• 2021

IL-1β plays critical roles in the priming and effector phases of immune responses such as the differentiation, commitment, and memory formation of T cells. In this context, several reports have suggested that the IL-1β signal is crucial for CTL-mediated immune responses to viral infections and tumors. However, little is known regarding whether IL-1β acts directly on CD8⁺ T cells and what the molecular mechanisms underlying expression of IL-1 receptors (IL-1Rs) on CD8⁺ T cells and features of IL-1R⁺ CD8⁺ T cells are. Here, we provide evidence that the expression of IL-1R type I (IL-1RI), the functional receptor of IL-1β, is preferentially induced by IL-21 on TCR-stimulated CD8⁺ T cells. Further, IL-1β enhances the effector function of CD8⁺ T cells expressing IL-21-induced IL-1RI by increasing cytokine production and release of cytotoxic granules containing granzyme B. The IL-21-IL-1RI-IL-1β axis is involved in an augmented effector function through regulation of transcription factors BATF, Blimp-1, and IRF4. Moreover, this axis confers a unique effector function to CD8⁺ T cells compared to conventional type 1 cytotoxic T cells differentiated with IL-12. Chemical inhibitor and immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that IL-21 induces a unique pattern of STAT activation with the formation of both STAT1:STAT3 and STAT3:STAT5 heterodimers, which are critical for the induction of IL-1RI on TCR-stimulated CD8⁺ T cells. Taken together, we propose that induction of a novel subset of IL-1RI-expressing CD8⁺ T cells by IL-21 may be beneficial to the protective immune response against viral infections and is therefore important to consider for vaccine design.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.67-84
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• 2023

In some areas of the Republic of Korea, the designation and management of conservation areas do not adequately reflect regional characteristics and often impose behavioral regulations without considering the local context. One prominent example is the Busan EDC area. As a result, conflicts may arise, including large-scale civil complaints, regarding the conservation and utilization of these areas. Therefore, for the efficient designation and management of protected areas, it is necessary to consider various ecosystem factors, changes in land use, and regional characteristics. In this study, we specifically focused on the Busan EDC area and applied machine learning techniques to analyze the habitat of regional species. Additionally, we employed Explainable Artificial Intelligence techniques to interpret the results of our analysis. To analyze the regional characteristics of the waterfront area in the Busan EDC district and the habitat of migratory birds, we used bird observations as dependent variables, distinguishing between presence and absence. The independent variables were constructed using land cover, elevation, slope, bridges, and river depth data. We utilized the XGBoost (eXtreme Gradient Boosting) model, known for its excellent performance in various fields, to predict the habitat probabilities of 11 bird species. Furthermore, we employed the SHapley Additive exPlanations technique, one of the representative methodologies of XAI, to analyze the relative importance and impact of the variables used in the model. The analysis results showed that in the EDC business district, as one moves closer to the river from the waterfront, the likelihood of bird habitat increases based on the overlapping habitat probabilities of the analyzed bird species. By synthesizing the major variables influencing the habitat of each species, key variables such as rivers, rice fields, fields, pastures, inland wetlands, tidal flats, orchards, cultivated lands, cliffs & rocks, elevation, lakes, and deciduous forests were identified as areas that can serve as habitats, shelters, resting places, and feeding grounds for birds. On the other hand, artificial structures such as bridges, railways, and other public facilities were found to have a negative impact on bird habitat. The development of a management plan for conservation areas based on the objective analysis presented in this study is expected to be extensively utilized in the future. It will provide diverse evidential materials for establishing effective conservation area management strategies.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.376-386
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• 2016

Apoptosis induction has been proposed as an efficient mechanism by which malignant tumor cells can be removed following chemotherapy. The intrinsic mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway is frequently implicated in chemotherapy-induced tumor cell apoptosis. Since DNA-damaging agent (DDA)-induced apoptosis is mainly regulated by the tumor suppressor protein p53, and since more than half of clinical cancers possess inactive p53 mutants, microtubule-damaging agents (MDAs), of which apoptotic effect is mainly exerted via p53-independent routes, can be promising choice for cancer chemotherapy. Recently, we found that the apoptotic signaling pathway induced by MDAs (nocodazole, 17α-estradiol, or 2-methoxyestradiol) commonly proceeded through mitotic spindle defect-mediated prometaphase arrest, prolonged Cdk1 activation, and subsequent phosphorylation of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and Bim in human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells. These microtubule damage-mediated alterations could render the cellular context susceptible to the onset of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis by triggering Bak activation, Δψm loss, and resultant caspase cascade activation. In contrast, when the MDA-induced Bak activation was inhibited by overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins (Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL), the cells in prometaphase arrest failed to induce apoptosis, and instead underwent mitotic slippage and endoreduplication cycle, leading to formation of populations with 8N and 16N DNA content. These data indicate that cellular apoptogenic mechanism is critical for preventing polyploid formation following MDA treatment. Since the formation of polyploid cells, which are genetically unstable, may cause acquisition of therapy resistance and disease relapse, there is a growing interest in developing new combination chemotherapies to prevent polyploidization in tumors after MDA treatment.