• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.39-69
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• 2012

With the advent of communication technologies including electronic collaborative tools and conferencing systems provided over the Internet, virtual collaboration is becoming increasingly common in organizations. Virtual collaboration refers to an environment in which the people working together are interdependent in their tasks, share responsibility for outcomes, are geographically dispersed, and rely on mediated rather than face-to face, communication to produce an outcome. Research suggests that new sets of individual skill, knowledge, and ability (SKAs) are required to perform effectively in today's virtualized workplace, which is labeled as individual virtual competence. It is also argued that use of online social networking sites may influence not only individuals' daily lives but also their capability to manage their work-related relationships in organizations, which in turn leads to better performance. The existing research regarding (1) the relationship between virtual competence and task performance and (2) the relationship between online networking and task performance has been conducted based on different theoretical perspectives so that little is known about how online social networking and virtual competence interplay to predict individuals' task performance. To fill this gap, this study raises the following research questions: (1) What is the individual virtual competence required for better adjustment to the virtual collaboration environment? (2) How does online networking via diverse social network service sites influence individuals' task performance in organizations? (3) How do the joint effects of individual virtual competence and online networking influence task performance? To address these research questions, we first draw on the prior literature and derive four dimensions of individual virtual competence that are related with an individual's self-concept, knowledge and ability. Computer self-efficacy is defined as the extent to which an individual beliefs in his or her ability to use computer technology broadly. Remotework self-efficacy is defined as the extent to which an individual beliefs in his or her ability to work and perform joint tasks with others in virtual settings. Virtual media skill is defined as the degree of confidence of individuals to function in their work role without face-to-face interactions. Virtual social skill is an individual's skill level in using technologies to communicate in virtual settings to their full potential. It should be noted that the concept of virtual social skill is different from the self-efficacy and captures an individual's cognition-based ability to build social relationships with others in virtual settings. Next, we discuss how online networking influences both individual virtual competence and task performance based on the social network theory and the social learning theory. We argue that online networking may enhance individuals' capability in expanding their social networks with low costs. We also argue that online networking may enable individuals to learn the necessary skills regarding how they use technological functions, communicate with others, and share information and make social relations using the technical functions provided by electronic media, consequently increasing individual virtual competence. To examine the relationships among online networking, virtual competence, and task performance, we developed research models (the mediation, interaction, and additive models, respectively) by integrating the social network theory and the social learning theory. Using data from 112 employees of a virtualized company, we tested the proposed research models. The results of analysis partly support the mediation model in that online social networking positively influences individuals' computer self-efficacy, virtual social skill, and virtual media skill, which are key predictors of individuals' task performance. Furthermore, the results of the analysis partly support the interaction model in that the level of remotework self-efficacy moderates the relationship between online social networking and task performance. The results paint a picture of people adjusting to virtual collaboration that constrains and enables their task performance. This study contributes to research and practice. First, we suggest a shift of research focus to the individual level when examining virtual phenomena and theorize that online social networking can enhance individual virtual competence in some aspects. Second, we replicate and advance the prior competence literature by linking each component of virtual competence and objective task performance. The results of this study provide useful insights into how human resource responsibilities assess employees' weakness and strength when they organize virtualized groups or projects. Furthermore, it provides managers with insights into the kinds of development or training programs that they can engage in with their employees to advance their ability to undertake virtual work.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.700-708
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• 2012

In order to optimize a method to determine the firmness of Chinese cabbage, hardness of midrib tissues was examined based on their chronological order of emergence. Texture measurement using volodkevich bite jaws gave a consistent and highest regression ($r^2=0.85$) between firmness and the order of leaf emergence, while blade set, cylinder probe, and crisp fracture support rig showed a lower coefficient of determination. Thickness of midrib tissue within an individual head from 16 cultivars of Chinese cabbage was positively correlated with the order of emergence, becoming thinner toward inner leaves. Mean thickness of midrib tissue from the head ranged from 7.74 mm for 'CR-shingshing' and 9.28 mm for 'Norangyeorum'. The covariance of leaf thickness within a head was highly cultivar-dependent, ranging from 23.6% for 'Chihili' and 5.8% for 'Bulam'. Firmness of the midrib tissue, defined as maximum peak height per tissue thickness, became higher from outer to inner leaves, showing $2^{nd}$ order of regression. Mean firmness of the midrib tissue from individual head varied from 1.58 N for 'Rangno' to 3.46 N for 'CR-shingshing'. The $10^{th}$ or $11^{th}$ leaf brought the best correlation coefficient (r = 0.81) between firmness of an individual leaf and the mean firmness of the entire leaves in a head, suggesting a reliable and rapid method to estimate the firmness of a head in lieu of examining all leaves in the head. The relationship between firmness of midrib tissue and dry mass ($r=0.70^{**}$) as well as cell wall content ($r=0.58^*$) of the head were positively correlated. Results obtained from the present study suggested that a new method to determine midrib firmness would enable to clarify the relationship between textural quality of fresh Chinese cabbage and their processed product, 'Kimchi'. It will also be important to apply this method to screen textural quality of various genotypes under breeding programs.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.780-783
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• 2012

A new strawberry cultivar (Fragaria ${\times}$ ananassa Duch.) 'Okmae' was developed from a cross between 'Toyonoka' and 'Maehyang'. This cultivar has a good fruit quality and suitable number of flowers per cluster for labor saving in fruit thinning. 'Gyoengnam No. 1' was selected as an elite line with vigorous plant growth, higher soluble solids content and fruit firmness after examining its characteristics and productivity in forcing cultures from 2007 to 2009. Farmer's field trial of 'Gyoengnam No. 1' was conducted in 2010 and it was registered as 'Okmae' thereafter. The general characteristics of 'Okmae' are vigorous growth habit, erect plant type, less number of leaf and elliptic leaf shape. 'Okmae' has long peduncle and 9-10 flowers per flower cluster which need less labor for fruit thinning. Fruits of 'Okmae' are conical having a bright red and glossy skin color. Although 'Okmae' has a smaller average fruit number per plant of 21.9 than that of the control cultivars, it's possible to produce high yield because of greater fruit weight of 26.0 g. 'Okmae' showed a high soluble solids content of $11.6^{\circ}Brix$, low acidity of 0.37%, and high firmness of $14.5g{\cdot}mm^{-2}$. It is sensitive to anthracnose and powery mildews, but high-quality strawberry can be harvested by using effective control measure.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1025-1038
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• 2010

Carrot ($Daucus$ $carota$ L. var. $sativa$) is one of the most widely used crops in the world. Moreover it is an important crop because of its high content of ${\beta}$-carotene, well-known as the precursor of vitamin A carotenoid. However, seed-hair which is generated in epidermal cell of seeds inhibits absorption and germination. For that reason, carrot seeds are commercialized after mechanical hair removal process. To overcome such cumbersome weaknesses, new breeding program for developing hairless-seed carrot cultivar has been needed. Therefore, in this study, cDNA libraries from seeds of short-hair seed phenotype CT-ATR615 OP 666-13line and hairy seed CT-ATR615 OP-CK1-9 line were constructed and expression patterns related to generation of seed-hair were analyzed by comparison of EST sequences. Differential EST sequence results between two lines were classified into FunCat functional categories based on the results of BlastX search. Higher expression quantities belonging to metabolic category were shown on short-hair seed line than hairy-seed one. Differential expression quantities between those two lines in the protein folding and stabilization, subcellular localization categories were supposed to contribute variously on the generation of seed-hair. We confirmed 50 and 59 SSR sites, and 2 SNP sites by analyzing EST sequences in two lines; thereafter, we designed SNP and SSR primer sets from these EST sequence information as a molecular marker. These markers are thought to be used in research of molecular markers for classification of carrot family and related to various traits, as well as seed-hair characteristic.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.171-177
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• 2007

This study suggested a new method to stabilize molten salt wastes generated from the pyre-process for the spent fuel treatment. Using conventional sol-gel process, $SiO_2-Al_2O_3-P_2O_5$ (SAP) inorganic material that is reactive to metal chlorides were prepared. In this paper, the reactivity of SAP with the metal chlorides at $650{\sim}850$, the thermal stability of reaction products and their leach-resistance under the PCT-A test method were investigated. Alkali metal chlorides were converted into metal aluminosilicate($LixAlxSi1-_xO_{2-x}$) and metal phosphate($Li_3PO_4\;and\;Cs_2AlP_3O_{10}$) While alkali earth and rare earth chlorides were changed into only metal phosphates ($Sr_5(PO_4)_3Cl\;and\;CePO_4$). The conversion rate was about $96{\sim}99%$ at a salt waste/SAP weight ratio of 0.5 and a weight loss up to $1100^{\circ}C$ measured by thermogravimetric analysis were below 1wt%. The leach rates of Cs and Sr under the PCT-A test condition were about $10^{-2}g/m^2\;day\;and\;10^{-4}g/m^2\;day$. From these results, it could be concluded that SAP can be considered as an effective stabilizer for metal chlorides and the method using SAP will give a chance to reduce the volume of salt wasteform for the final disposal through further researches.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2017

This study was conducted to develop an agent-based computing platform enabling simulation of on-farm produce contamination by enteric foodborne pathogens, which is herein called PPMCS (Preharvest Produce Microbial Contamination Simulator). Also, fecal contamination of preharvest produce was simulated using PPMCS. Although Agent-based Modeling and Simulation, the tool applied in this study, is rather popular in where socio-economical human behaviors or ecological fate of animals in their niche are to be predicted, the incidence of on-farm produce contamination which are thought to be sporadic has never been simulated using this tool. The agents in PPMCS including crop, animal as a source of fecal contamination, and fly as a vector spreading the fecal contamination are given their intrinsic behaviors that are set to be executed at certain probability. Once all these agents are on-set following the intrinsic behavioral rules, consequences as the sum of all the behaviors in the system can be monitored real-time. When fecal contamination of preharvest produce was simulated in PPMCS as numbers of animals, flies, and initially contaminated plants change, the number of animals intruding cropping area affected most on the number of contaminated plants at harvest. For further application, the behaviors and variables of the agents are adjustable depending on user's own scenario of interest. This feature allows PPMCS to be utilized in where different simulating conditions are tested.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 2010

Research was initiated to investigate the early establishment characteristics and germination patterns of perennial ryegrass (PR, Lolium perenne L.). Eight cultivars of PR were evaluated in the study. Experiment was conducted under a room temperature condition of $6^{\circ}C$ to $23^{\circ}C$ (natural conditions). Daily and cumulative germination patterns were measured and analyzed on a daily basis. Significant differences were observed in germination pattern, days to the first germination, days to 50% germination, days to 75% germination, and germination percentage with different environments and cultivars. Germination percentage was variable with cultivars at the end of study. It was 66.25 to 93.50% under natural conditions. There were considerable variations in the early germination characteristics and germination pattern among the entries according to different conditions. The first germination was initiated between 3 and 5 DAS (days after seeding) under ISTA (International Seed Testing Association) conditions. But it started between 6 and 8 DAS under natural conditions, being 2 to 4 days later as compared with that under ISTA conditions. It was 8 to 12 DAS that reached to days to the 50% germination, which was 2 to 5 days after the first germination. Days to the 75% germination were 10.08 to 13.70 DAS under natural conditions, being 2.07 to 5.70 days slower as compared with ISTA conditions. 'Pennant II' was the fastest cultivar. But the slowest was 'Catalina II' that was 3.62 days later than 'Pennant II' under natural conditions. Considering days to the first germination, days to 75% germination, and germination pattern etc, 'Pennant II' and 'Brightstar II' were regarded as excellent cultivars under both conditions. From this study, information on differences in germination characteristics and patterns would be usefully applied for golf course design and construction, when established with PR.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.150-157
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• 2011

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of the molds of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. They are highly carcinogenic compounds and can affect a wide range of vegetable commodities such as cereals (especially corn), nuts, peanuts, fruits and oil seeds, in the field and during storage. In fact, oilseeds are often stored for weeks in conditions that promote the mould growth, and the possible consequent presence of aflatoxins in oilseeds can lead to their transfer in oil. In addition, aflatoxins can be found as a natural contaminant in multi-cereals and beans making baby food for infants and young-children. The objective of this study was to validate the liquid extraction method or develop an analytical method for edible oil and infant-children foods. Therefore, this study developed condition of extract for aflatoxins ($B_1$, $B_2$, $G_1$ and $G_2$) in edible oil using a high performance liquid chromatography with florescence detector (HPLC/FLD). Aflatoxins were extracted from edible oil samples by means of MSPD (Matrix solid phased dispersion), utilizing $C_{18}$ as dispersing material and purified by using immunoaffinity column. The gression line coefficients were above 0.999. The recoveries for aflatoxins ranged from 85.9 to 93.0%, and relative standard deviations were below 5.7%. The new developed method of aflatoxins effectively enhanced recoveries by using MSPD-Immunoaffinity column compared with liquid extraction. The analytical method for liquid extraction of aflatoxin was appropriate for infant-children food. Reviewing the current method, the recoveries of aflatoxins ($B_1$, $B_2$, $G_1$ and $G_2$) were 89.5~92.3%.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.287-297
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• 2013

The optimization of analytical method for the thermal desorption of seven VOCs (volatile organic compounds) by TD-GC/MS (thermal desorption-gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer) with solid phase sorbent tube, and comparative analysis for the determination of VOCs plotted by standard sorbent tubes prepared using both gas phase and liquid phase materials were investigated. The result of paired t-test showed that a liquid phase standard sorbent tube method was in agreement with a gas phase standard sorbent tube method for six species of VOCs including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-, m-, and p-xylene except for styrene at the significance level (${\alpha}=0.01$), while the 15.6% of difference in response factor between both of gas phase and liquid phase standard plotting for the determination of styrene showed that both methods were significantly different at the significance level. Therefore, the liquid phase standard plotting method was employed to reduce erroneous data for the determination of styrene including BTEX. Under the optimized analytical method by liquid phase standard sorbent tube, recovery was between $100{\pm}5%$ for 7 species of VOCs, reproducibility ranged from 0.3 to 7.7%, and method detection limit (MDL) ranged from $0.01{\mu}g/m^3$ for o-xylene to $0.27{\mu}g/m^3$ for toluene. The optimized standard method was applied to determine VOCs VOCs from indoor air of of dormitory, one bedroom apartment, and a new car.

• Journal of KIISE:Information Networking
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2008

In recent years, the needs for WLANs(Wireless Local Area Networks) technology which can access to Internet anywhere have been dramatically increased particularly in SOHO(Small Office Home Office) and Hot Spot. However, unlike wired networks, there are some unique characteristics of wireless networks. These characteristics include the burst packet losses due to unreliable wireless channel. Note that burst packet losses, which occur when the distance between the wireless station and the AP(Access Point) increase or when obstacles move temporarily between the station and AP, are very frequent in 802.11 networks. Conversely, due to burst packet losses, the performance of 802.11 networks are not always as sufficient as the current application require, particularly when they use TCP at the transport layer. The high packet loss rate over wireless links can trigger unnecessary execution of TCP congestion control algorithm, resulting in performance degradation. In order to overcome the limitations of WLANs environment, MAC-layer LDA(Loss Differentiation Algorithm)has been proposed. MAC-layer LDA prevents TCP's timeout by increasing CRD(Consecutive Retry Duration) higher than burst packet loss duration. However, in the wireless channel with high packet loss rate, MAC-layer LDA does not work well because of two reason: (a) If the CRD is lower than burst packet loss duration due to the limited increase of retry limit, end-to-end performance is degraded. (b) energy of mobile device and bandwidth utilization in the wireless link are wasted unnecessarily by Reducing the drainage speed of the network buffer due to the increase of CRD. In this paper, we propose a new retransmission module based on Cross-layer approach, called BLD(Burst Loss Detection) module, to solve the limitation of previous link layer retransmission schemes. BLD module's algorithm is retransmission mechanism at IEEE 802.11 networks and performs retransmission based on the interaction between retransmission mechanisms of the MAC layer and TCP. From the simulation by using ns-2(Network Simulator), we could see more improved TCP throughput and energy efficiency with the proposed scheme than previous mechanisms.