• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.41-52
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• 2015

Purpose - Given globalization, the new niche market of medical tourism is likely to experience sustainable growth for various reasons, such as aging populations and a shift in the medical consumerism paradigm toward prevention. Importantly, understanding medical customers' behavior is necessary to benefit from a competitive advantage in this industry. The existing research primarily accessed the key factors of medical quality and costs to explain health customers' behavior but is limited in terms of enabling an understanding of the decision process. This limitation exists because, given the intangibility and greater associated risks in the highly professional industry of international medical tourism, most customers lack the knowledge and experience needed to evaluate the central factors-such as the medical competence of health care countries-before purchases. Therefore, they actively search for useful information through various distributions to reduce uncertainty and to make better choices. Interestingly, most of these information channels are associated with word-of-mouth (WOM). However, no evidence is found in the literature to estimate the effect of WOM in the medical tourism field. Thus, this study focuses on WOM to explore its interaction with key medical characteristic factors and the attractiveness of destinations referred to by sources. This study also affects customers' evaluations and, in turn, influences their intention to seek health care services abroad. Research design, data, and methodology - The literature review addressed an interesting research model for estimating the relations among WOM, medical characteristics, attractiveness, and customers' choice intention regarding international health care. In the key economic regions in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Guangdong, 2,500 survey questionnaires were distributed to potential customers of different ages, education, and income levels. A resulting 1,717 (68.68 percent of the original 2,500) usable surveys were obtained for analysis. Moderated regression analysis was used to determine the effects of WOM in the decision process regarding international health care destinations. Results - The results indicate that WOM is a good moderator of the relationships between the factors evaluated by sources and customers. More importantly, the WOM effects reflect the factors of tie strength, credibility, and vividness. The results also reveal that, given the moderating role of WOM, the intention of potential Chinese customers to seek the referred health care country varies according to the medical characteristics of medical competency and reputation as evaluated by customers. In contrast, the travel attractiveness of the attractions, facilities, accessibility, and social environment are critical determinants of destination choice intention. Conclusions - The moderating role of WOM has been confirmed through the international healthcare destination selection process. Medical tourism managers should user WOM as an effective marketing tool for industry development. Specially, marketers should consider the effects of WOM determinants, such as tie strength, credibility, and vividness, to develop an effective strategy. Furthermore, this study estimates the factors that affect customers' selection of medical tourism destinations. Health care managers or policy makers should consider a broad variety of variables that may attract more Chinese customers to international health care.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.493-504
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• 2020

The objectives of this study was to examine the effect of Interactive Video Game on cognitive information processing the elderly. Sixty elderly were attended in this study. Their ages ranged from 65 to 70, with a mean age of 67.60 years. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: (1) interactive video game group (n=20), (2) aerobic exercise group (n=20), (3) control group (n=20). The experimental design of this study was analyzed using two-way ANOVAs with repeated measures of groups and time. Cognitive function was assessed by neuroelectrical response, and ERP analysis. The results of the study showed that the interactive video game group and aerobic exercise group showed no significant statistical differences in the response time, response accuracy, amplitude and potential of the performance of the exercise in cognitive function and ERP analysis, but improved the interaction video game group and aerobic exercise (walking) group over the control group. It was concluded that long-term aerobic exercise like interactive video game is associated with attenuation of cognitive decline in the elderly.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.63-71
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• 2002

This paper examines the ASCE first generation benchmark problem for a seismically excited cable-stayed bridge, and proposes a new semi-active control strategy focusing on inclusion of effects of control-structure interaction. This benchmark problem focuses on a cable-stayed bridge in Cope Girardeau, Missouri, USA, for which construction is expected to be completed in 2003. Seismic considerations were strongly considered in the design of this bridge due to the location of the bridge in the New Madrid seismic zone and its critical role as a principal crossing of the Mississippi River. In this paper, magnetorheological(MR) fluid dampers are proposed as the supplemental damping devices, and a clipped-optimal control algorithm is employed. Several types of dynamic models for MR fluid dampers, such as a Bingham model, a Bouc-Wen model, and a modified Bouc-Wen model, are considered, which are obtained from data based on experimental results for full-scale dampers. Because the MR fluid damper is a controllable energy-dissipation device that cannot add mechanical energy to the structural system, the proposed control strategy is fail-safe in that bounded-input, bounded-output stability of the controlled structure is guaranteed. Numerical simulation results show that the performance of the proposed semi-active control strategy using MR fluid dampers is quite effective.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.44
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• pp.223-247
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to explore the anti-smoking message effects and smoking status on smoking belief attributes. Based on the health behavior theories such as theory of reasoned action, health belief model, and social cognitive theory, three factors are selected to investigate the effects of anti-smoking campaign messages. The balance of benefits and barriers, self-efficacy, and social pressure are selected as independent variables. Three two-way ANOVA were conducted. Results showed that the main effect of social pressure were found with the social smoking attributes. Interaction effects were found on the nonsmoker-social pressure group and the non-smoker-two sided message group. It is found that nonsmokers accepted these two anti-smoking messages easily as compared to smoker groups. No main smoking status was found in this study; it is believed that smoking is a habitual that is not changed easily because attitude formation takes time. Results revealed that the two-sided message video releases and the social pressure video releases were favored by both smokers and nonsmokers. This study contributes the theoretical framework that can be transferred to the practices of anti-smoking campaign. Also, the researcher produced the televised stimuli which is not common in health message studies. By using the televised message material, the research tried to solve the validity problem which is common in experimental design.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea CI
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.27-36
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• 2004

Detection and recognition of human faces in images can be considered as an important aspect for applications that involve interaction between human and computer. In this paper, we propose a face recognition method using eigenfaces and fuzzy neural networks. The Principal Components Analysis (PCA) is one of the most successful technique that have been used to recognize faces in images. In this technique the eigenvectors (eigenfaces) and eigenvalues of an image is extracted from a covariance matrix which is constructed form image database. Face recognition is Performed by projecting an unknown image into the subspace spanned by the eigenfaces and by comparing its position in the face space with the positions of known indivisuals. Based on this technique, we propose a new algorithm for face recognition consisting of 5 steps including preprocessing, eigenfaces generation, design of fuzzy membership function, training of neural network, and recognition. First, each face image in the face database is preprocessed and eigenfaces are created. Fuzzy membership degrees are assigned to 135 eigenface weights, and these membership degrees are then inputted to a neural network to be trained. After training, the output value of the neural network is intupreted as the degree of face closeness to each face in the training database.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.209-217
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• 2010

Recently, some mathematical models for the prediction on progress of carbonation of concrete were reported. These models take account for $CO_2$ diffusion and chemical reaction between $Ca(OH)_2$ and $CO_2$. Based on the assumption that $CO_2$ diffuses in the carbonation zone and reacts with $Ca(OH)_2$ at the outer face of carbonation zone and non-carbonation zone. In this study, a mathematical model to predict the progress of carbonation of concrete has been established based on the reducing concentration of $Ca(OH)_2$ in the carbonation progress zone, where $Ca(OH)_2$ reacts with $CO_2$ and $Ca(OH)_2$ and $CaCO_3$ coexist. Also, the prediction model of carbonation progress rate of concrete using the air permeability coefficient regarding to $CO_2$ diffusion is developed. As a result of this study, an expression, the model equation is obtained for the prediction of carbonation based on the time and interaction velocity between $CO_2$ and Ca(OH)$_2$ dependent air permeability coefficient. The prediction by the model satisfied the experimental data of the accelerated carbonation for painted concrete. Consequently, the model can predict the rate of carbonation and the potential service life of concrete structure exposed to atmosphere.

• CRM연구
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.1-17
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• 2011

In the study of transaction coupling and consumer behavior it is argued that the satisfaction after consumption and consumer self-confidence would affect the degree of transaction coupling. Based on Kivetz(1999), this study expand transaction coupling which is a mental accounting process. Satisfaction after consumption and consumer self-confidence have been frequently cited as a key construct for predicting various consumer-related behaviors. The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of satisfaction after consumption and consumer self-confidence for hedonic products on transaction coupling. In order to explain the impact of consumer self-confidence clearly, the authors used a five-factor(i.e., information acquisition, consideration-set formation, personal and social outcomes, persuasion knowledge and marketplace interfaces). Using the scenario about baseball game, the authors manipulated the consumer satisfaction after consumption (satisfaction vs. dissatisfaction) between-subjects design. And consumer self-confidence was measured based on Bearden et al.(2001). The results of experimental study showed that the main effects of satisfaction after consumption is significant. The larger consumer satisfaction after consumption reflected a higher degree of transaction coupling. The 2-way interaction between satisfaction after consumption and consumer self-confidence is also significant. Specifically, the transaction coupling differentiation from satisfaction after consumption tends to be larger at high consumer-self confidence than at low one.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.57-74
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• 2013

In this study, the virtual fixed point analysis and 3D full-modeling analysis for pile bent structures are conducted by considering various influencing factors and the applicability of the virtual fixed point theory is discussed. Also, a discrete analysis calculating separately both the superstructure and substructure of pile bent structures is performed on the basis of an equivalent base spring model by taking into account the major influencing parameters such as soil conditions, combined loading and pile diameter. The results show that the settlement and lateral deflection of the virtual fixed point theory are smaller than those of 3D full-modeling analysis. On the other hand, the virtual fixed point analysis overestimates the axial force and bending moment compared with 3D full-modeling analysis. It is shown that the virtual fixed point analysis cannot adequately predict the real behavior of pile bent structures. It is also found that discrete analysis gives similar results of lateral deflection and bending moment to those of unified analysis. Based on this study, it is found that discrete analysis considering column-pile interaction conditions is capable of predicting reasonably well the behavior of pile bent structures. It can be effectively used to perform a more economical design of pile bent structures.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.67-81
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• 2006

While the existing Web focuses on the interface with human users based on HTML, the next generation Web will focus on the interaction among software agents by using XML and XML-based standards and technologies. The inference engine, which will serve as brains of software agents in the next generation Web, should thoroughly understand the Semantic Web, the standard language of the next generation Web. As abasis for the service, the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) has recommended SWRL (Semantic Web Rule Language) which had been made by compounding OWL (Web Ontology Language) and RuleML (Rule Markup Language). In this research, we develop a backward chaining inference engine SMART-B (SeMantic web Agent Reasoning Tools -Backward chaining inference engine), which uses SWRL and OWL to represent rules and facts respectively. We analyze the requirements for the SWRL-based backward chaining inference and design analgorithm for the backward chaining inference which reflects the traditional backward chaining inference algorithm and the requirements of the next generation Semantic Web. We also implement the backward chaining inference engine and the administrative tools for fact and rule bases into Java components to insure the independence and portability among different platforms under the environment of Ubiquitous Computing.

• 대한공업교육학회지
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.89-118
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• 2016

In this study, the model of Turtle Ship, which is evaluated as one of the world's first ironclad ship in battle as well as the traditional scientific and technological heritage in Korea, was combined with the Physical Computing Platform(Arduino and App Inventor) that enables students to learn the basic concepts of IT in an easy and fun way. Thus, this study contrived the Physical Computing Platform-based Turtle Ship model which will make the students of Industrial Specialized High School develop the technological literacy and humanities-based knowledge through flexible education out of stereotype and single subject as well as enhance the potential of creative convergence education. The following is a summary of the main results obtained through this study: First, Arduino-based Main-controller design and making is helpful to learn of the hardware and software knowledge about EEC(Electron Electronics Control) and to confirm the basic characteristics and performance of interaction of Arduino and actuators. Second, The fundamental Instructional environments of abilities such as implementing EEC systems, thinking logically, and problem-solving skills were provided by designing of pattern diagram, designing an actuator circuit and making, the creation of sketches as technical programming and developing of mobile app. Thirdly, This is physical computing platform based Turtle ship model that will enable students to bring up their technological literacy and interest in the cultural heritage.