• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.113-145
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• 2009

Recently, due to the globalization of the IT(Information Technology) market, devices and systems designed in one country are used in other countries as well. This phenomenon is becoming the key factor for increased interest on cross-cultural, or cross-national, research within the IT area. However, as the IT market is becoming bigger and more globalized, a great number of IT practitioners are having difficulty in designing and developing devices or systems which can provide optimal experience. This is because not only tangible factors such as language and a country's economic or industrial power affect the user experience of a certain device or system but also invisible and intangible factors as well. Among such invisible and intangible factors, the cultural characteristics of users from different countries may affect the user experience of certain devices or systems because cultural characteristics affect how they understand and interpret the devices or systems. In other words, when users evaluate the quality of overall user experience, the cultural characteristics of each user act as a perceptual lens that leads the user to focus on a certain elements of experience. Therefore, there is a need within the IT field to consider cultural characteristics when designing or developing certain devices or systems and plan a strategy for localization. In such an environment, existing IS studies identify the culture with the country, emphasize the importance of culture in a national level perspective, and hypothesize that users within the same country have same cultural characteristics. Under such assumptions, these studies focus on the moderating effects of cultural characteristics on a national level within a certain theoretical framework. This has already been suggested by cross-cultural studies conducted by scholars such as Hofstede(1980) in providing numerical research results and measurement items for cultural characteristics and using such results or items as they increase the efficiency of studies. However, such national level culture has its limitations in forecasting and explaining individual-level behaviors such as voluntary device or system usage. This is because individual cultural characteristics are the outcome of not only the national culture but also the culture of a race, company, local area, family, and other groups that are formulated through interaction within the group. Therefore, national or nationally dominant cultural characteristics may have its limitations in forecasting and explaining the cultural characteristics of an individual. Moreover, past studies in psychology suggest a possibility that there exist different cultural characteristics within a single individual depending on the subject being measured or its context. For example, in relation to individual vs. collective characteristics, which is one of the major cultural characteristics, an individual may show collectivistic characteristics when he or she is with family or friends but show individualistic characteristics in his or her workplace. Therefore, this study acknowledged such limitations of past studies and conducted a research within the framework of 'theoretically integrated model of user satisfaction and emotional attachment', which was developed through a former study, on how the effects of different experience elements on emotional attachment or user satisfaction are differentiated depending on the individual cultural characteristics related to a system or device usage. In order to do this, this study hypothesized the moderating effects of four cultural dimensions (uncertainty avoidance, individualism vs, collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, and power distance) as suggested by Hofstede(1980) within the theoretically integrated model of emotional attachment and user satisfaction. Statistical tests were then implemented on these moderating effects through conducting surveys with users of four digital devices (mobile phone, MP3 player, LCD TV, and refrigerator) in three countries (US, Germany, and Russia). In order to explain and forecast the behavior of personal device or system users, individual cultural characteristics must be measured, and depending on the target device or system, measurements must be measured independently. Through this suggestion, this study hopes to provide new and useful perspectives for future IS research.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.578-592
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• 2015

To investigate characteristics and seasonal variations of carbonaceous species for $PM_{2.5}$ in Seoul metropolitan area, Korea, we measured organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) from January 2014 to December 2014 using a semi-continuous OC/EC Analyzer (Model-4, Sunset Lab.). Mean concentrations of OC and EC were estimated $4.1{\pm}2.7{\mu}g/m^3$ and $1.6{\pm}1.0{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. The annual averaged OC/EC ratio was $2.9{\pm}2.7$. Concentrations of OC and EC comprised 13% and 5% of $PM_{2.5}$ and the mass fraction of both was the highest in fall. OC and EC showed similar trend in seasonal variations. Concentrations of those showed a clear seasonal variation with the highest in winter and the lowest in summer. The correlations between the two were the best during the winter ($r^2=0.88$). As results of carbonaceous species analysis, the dominant factor in view of fine particle ($PM_{2.5}$) is primary emission source such as mobile, fossil fuel combustion during commute time(08:00~10:00 or 17:00~21:00) and winter season. Continuous monitoring of atmospheric carbonaceous species is essential to provide the science-based data to policy-maker establishing the air quality improvement policy.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.101-105
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• 2010

This study was aimed to understand conidial disperse of the pepper anthracnose fungus Colletotrichum acutatum, elapse time for the disease development, and inoculum potentials on infected fruits. Most (99.2%) conidia of the fungus disseminated from inoculum source on the rainy day, while only 0.8% conidia dispersed on the sunny day. Among the conidia 93.3% were caught under 60 cm height at 30 cm distance; however, conidia were detected at 120 cm height at the distance. Relatively susceptible pepper fruits to anthracnose showed first visible symptoms at 4 days after infection under a mimic field condition. However, it seemed that over 10 days are required for the disease to develop on moderately resistant pepper fruits under unfavorable conditions. The number of conidia formed on a lesion was positively correlated with the lesion size ($R^{2}=0.88$). Over 10 millions of conidia were formed at a normal lesion size 1.5 cm in length. In some large coalesced lesions ca. 4cm in length produced over 100 millions of the fungal conidia. Results further confirmed that the rainfall is the key factor for the inoculum disperse of the pepper anthracnose pathogen, Colletotrichum acutatum, and a long distance dissemination is plausible according to rain and wind intensity. Consequently, rain-proof structures are ideal to avoid the disease, and removal of infected fruits and timely chemical spray are indispensible to reduce the inoculum potential in the field.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.142-149
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• 2011

An isocratic high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for routine analysis of deoxynivalenol in noodles was validated and estimated the measurement uncertainty. Noodles (dried noodle and ramyeon) were analyzed by HPLC-ultraviolet detection using immunoaffinity column for clean-up. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 7.5 ${\mu}g$/kg and 18.8 ${\mu}g$/kg, respectively. The calibration curve showed a good linearity, with correlation coefficients $r^2$ of 0.9999 in the concentration range from 20 to 500 ${\mu}g$/kg. Recoveries and Repeatabilities expressed as coefficients of variation (CV) spiked with 200 and 500 ${\mu}g$/kg were $82{\pm}2.7%$ and $87{\pm}1.3%$% in dried noodle, and $97{\pm}1.6%$ and $91{\pm}12.0%$ in ramyeon, respectively. The uncertainty sources in measurement process were identified as sample weight, final volume, and sample concentration in extraction volume as well as components such as standard stock solution, working standard solution, 5 standard solutions, calibration curve, matrix, and instrument. Deoxynivalenol concentration and expanded uncertainty in two matrixes spiked with 200 ${\mu}g$/kg and 500 ${\mu}g$/kg were estimated to be $163.8{\pm}52.1$ and $435.2{\pm}91.6\;{\mu}g$/kg for dried noodle, and $194.3{\pm}33.0$ and $453.2{\pm}91.1\;{\mu}g$/kg for ramyeon using a coverage factor of two which gives a level of statistical confidence with approximately 95%. The most influential component among uncertainty sources was the recovery of matrix, followed by calibration curve.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1464-1469
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• 1998

SOS Chromotest and Ames test were carried out to evaluate the mutagenicity of three chloropropanols. In the SOS Chromotest, 3-monochloro-l,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) and 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol (2,3-DCP) except for 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) induced SOS response in Escherichia coli PQ37 with dose-response relationship and 2,3-DCP was far more genotoxic than 3-MCPD. The genotoxic activities of both compounds, however, were very lower in E. coli PQ35 (PQ37 $uvrA^+)$ as compared to them in E. coli PQ37, whereas much higher in E. coli PQ243 (PQ37 tagA alkA). These results indicate that there are at least two types of DNA lesions caused by these compounds; one is a excision-repairable and the other is 3-methyladenine or any similar lesion which is excision-unrepairable and can induce adaptive response. In Salmonella typhimurium TA100, all the compounds showed strong mutagenicities, establishing the following genotoxic order: 2,3-DCP>3-MCPD>1,3-DCP. But the mutagenic activities were very low in S. typhimurium TA98 and TA97a. These results suggest that the mutation by chloropropanols can be induced by the DNA lesions causing base-pair substitutions. From the result that the mutagenicities of 3-MCPD and 2,3-DCP in S. typhimurium TA1535 were very low as compared to those in S. typhimurium TA100, it was appeared that the mutations by both compounds necessitate error-prone SOS repair.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.7-29
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• 2012

Smartphone and its applications (i.e. apps) are increasingly penetrating consumer markets. According to a recent report from Korea Communications Commission, nearly 50% of mobile subscribers in South Korea are smartphone users that accounts for over 25 million people. In particular, the importance of smartphone has risen as a geospatially-aware device that provides various location-based services (LBS) equipped with GPS capability. The popular LBS include map and navigation, traffic and transportation updates, shopping and coupon services, and location-sensitive social network services. Overall, the emerging location-based smartphone apps (LBA) offer significant value by providing greater connectivity, personalization, and information and entertainment in a location-specific context. Conversely, the rapid growth of LBA and their benefits have been accompanied by concerns over the collection and dissemination of individual users' personal information through ongoing tracking of their location, identity, preferences, and social behaviors. The majority of LBA users tend to agree and consent to the LBA provider's terms and privacy policy on use of location data to get the immediate services. This tendency further increases the potential risks of unprotected exposure of personal information and serious invasion and breaches of individual privacy. To address the complex issues surrounding LBA particularly from the user's behavioral perspective, this study applied the privacy calculus model (PCM) to explore the factors that influence the adoption of LBA. According to PCM, consumers are engaged in a dynamic adjustment process in which privacy risks are weighted against benefits of information disclosure. Consistent with the principal notion of PCM, we investigated how individual users make a risk-benefit assessment under which personalized service and locatability act as benefit-side factors and information privacy risks act as a risk-side factor accompanying LBA adoption. In addition, we consider the moderating role of trust on the service providers in the prohibiting effects of privacy risks on user intention to adopt LBA. Further we include perceived ease of use and usefulness as additional constructs to examine whether the technology acceptance model (TAM) can be applied in the context of LBA adoption. The research model with ten (10) hypotheses was tested using data gathered from 98 respondents through a quasi-experimental survey method. During the survey, each participant was asked to navigate the website where the experimental simulation of a LBA allows the participant to purchase time-and-location sensitive discounted tickets for nearby stores. Structural equations modeling using partial least square validated the instrument and the proposed model. The results showed that six (6) out of ten (10) hypotheses were supported. On the subject of the core PCM, H2 (locatability ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) and H3 (privacy risks ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) were supported, while H1 (personalization ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) was not supported. Further, we could not any interaction effects (personalization X privacy risks, H4 & locatability X privacy risks, H5) on the intention to use LBA. In terms of privacy risks and trust, as mentioned above we found the significant negative influence from privacy risks on intention to use (H3), but positive influence from trust, which supported H6 (trust ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA). The moderating effect of trust on the negative relationship between privacy risks and intention to use LBA was tested and confirmed by supporting H7 (privacy risks X trust ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA). The two hypotheses regarding to the TAM, including H8 (perceived ease of use ${\rightarrow}$ perceived usefulness) and H9 (perceived ease of use ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) were supported; however, H10 (perceived effectiveness ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) was not supported. Results of this study offer the following key findings and implications. First the application of PCM was found to be a good analysis framework in the context of LBA adoption. Many of the hypotheses in the model were confirmed and the high value of $R^2$ (i.,e., 51%) indicated a good fit of the model. In particular, locatability and privacy risks are found to be the appropriate PCM-based antecedent variables. Second, the existence of moderating effect of trust on service provider suggests that the same marginal change in the level of privacy risks may differentially influence the intention to use LBA. That is, while the privacy risks increasingly become important social issues and will negatively influence the intention to use LBA, it is critical for LBA providers to build consumer trust and confidence to successfully mitigate this negative impact. Lastly, we could not find sufficient evidence that the intention to use LBA is influenced by perceived usefulness, which has been very well supported in most previous TAM research. This may suggest that more future research should examine the validity of applying TAM and further extend or modify it in the context of LBA or other similar smartphone apps.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.43-72
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• 2009

Recently, user-created content (UCC) have emerged as popular medium of on-line participation among users. The Internet environment has been constantly evolving, attracting active participation and information sharing among common users. This tendency is a significant deviation from the earlier Internet use as an one-way information channel through which users passively received information or contents from contents providers. Thanks to UCCs online users can now more freely generate and exchange contents; therefore, identifying the critical factors that affect content-generating activities has increasingly become an important issue. This paper proposes a set of critical factors for stimulating contents generation and sharing activities by Internet users. These factors were derived from the theories of folklores such as tales and songs. Based on some shared traits of folklores and UCC content, we found four critical elements which should be heeded in constructing UCC contents, which are: context of culture, context of situation, skill of generator, and response of audience. In addition, we selected three major UCC websites: a specialized contents portal, a general internet portal, and an official contents service site, They have different use environments, user interfaces, and service policies, To identify critical factors for generating, sharing and transferring UCC, we traced user activities, interactions and flows of content in the three UCC websites. Moreover, we conducted extensive interviews with users and operators as well as policy makers in each site. Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data, this research identifies nine critical factors that facilitate contents generation and sharing activities among users. In the context of culture, we suggest voluntary community norms, proactive use of copyrights, strong user relationships, and a fair monetary reward system as critical elements in facilitating the process of contents generation and sharing activities. Norms which were established by users themselves regulate user behavior and influence content format. Strong relationships of users stimulate content generation activities by enhancing collaborative content generation. Particularly, users generate contents through collaboration with others, based on their enhanced relationship and specialized skills. They send and receive contents by leaving messages on website or blogs, using instant messenger or SMS. It is an interesting and important phenomenon, because the quality of contents can be constantly improved and revised, depending on the specialized abilities of those engaged in a particular content. In this process, the reward system is an essential driving factor. Yet, monetary reward should be considered only after some fair criterion is established. In terms of the context of the situation, the quality of contents uploading system was proposed to have strong influence on the content generating activities. Among other influential factors on contents generation activities are generators' specialized skills and involvement of the users were proposed. In addition, the audience response, especially effective development of shared interests as well as feedback, was suggested to have significant influence on contents generation activities. Content generators usually reflect the shared interest of others. Shared interest is a distinct characteristic of UCC and observed in all the three websites, in which common interest is formed by the "threads" embedded with content. Through such threads of information and contents users discuss and share ideas while continuously extending and updating shared contents in the process. Evidently, UCC is a new paradigm representing the next generation of the Internet. In order to fully utilize this innovative paradigm, we need to understand how users take advantage of this medium in generating contents, and what affects their content generation activities. Based on these findings, UCC service providers should design their websites as common playground where users freely interact and share their common interests. As such this paper makes an important first step to gaining better understand about this new communication paradigm created by UCC.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.33-59
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• 2008

This paper aims to analyse the preference for German farm tourism among the German population. For this reason, we conducted an empirical study in Germany during summer 2007 and we applieda structural equation model based on partial leasts quares(PLS) to analyse the data. In the following chapters we will introduce the literature review and our conceptual frame work. We will then outline the procedures we adopted and the results of the empirical analysis. In the final part so me conclusions will be presented and a discussion will follow in order to draw the future directions of our research. According to our hypotheses, the possibility that agri-tourism enters in the evoked set of an individual is higher: H1: The higher the information degree about it. H2: The lower the influence of the social stimuli. H3: The higher the physical exposure to it (experience). H4: The higher the wellness image of agri-tourism. H5: The higher the traditional image of agri-tourism. H6: The higher the exciting image of agri-tourism. H7: The higher the perceived value for money. Our further hypotheses affirm that the possibility that agri-tourism enters in the evoked set of an individual is higher: H8: The lower the perceived risk. H9: The higher the motive to enjoy a holiday in the nature. H10: The higher the motive to enjoy a sport holiday. H11: The lower the motive to have an organized holiday. H12: The lower the motive to have a holiday abroad. H13: The lower the motive of action and night life. H14: The higher the motive to spend a holiday with the family. H15: The lower the motive to spend a city holiday. Finally, our model has some socio-demographics data. As we mentioned before, German agri-tourism has traditionally been the travel destination of large-size families, with low-to-middle income. For that reason, our final hypothesises are the following: the possibility that agri-tourism enters in the evoked-set of an individual is higher: H16: The higher the number of family members. H17: The lower the family income. Since in this study we use a path model with a PLS approach, we are able to state some interrelations among the exogenous latent variables: H18: The motive of sport holiday has a positive influence towards nature motives. H19: The physical exposition to agri-tourism has a positive influence toward information. H20: The motive of family holiday has a negative influence toward the motive of action and night life. H21: Social stimuli have a positive influence towards individuals risk perceptions. H22: Social stimuli have negative influence towards experience. Data for this study were gathered via administrated questionnaires during the summer 2007 within the frame of an academic "marketing research" course. The corresponding t-values are assessed using the bootstrapping method with 500 re-samples. In our model 61% of the degree of appreciation of German agri-tourism (evoked set) is explained by five independent variables: value for money ($0.335^{{\ast}{\ast}{\ast}}$) (H7) experience ($0.267^{{\ast}{\ast}}$) (H3), exciting image ($0.204^{\ast}$) (H6) organisation ($-0.162^{\ast}$) (H11) and holiday abroad ($-0.156^{\ast}$) (H12). The variance explained ($R^2$) for the other endogenous variables are the following: nature 24.3%, information 14.1%, action holiday 13.8%, risk perception 5.8% and experience 2.4%. An overview can be inferred from table 5. The results also allow us to test each of the proposed hypotheses. With exception of organization and abroad, none of the others travel style factors (H9 to H15) seem to have any significant impact towards evoked set which leads to the rejection of the respective hypotheses. As expected, social stimuli have a significant influence on individuals' risk perception (H21 accepted), however neither the former nor the latter have a valuable impact on evoked set (rejection of H2 and H8). Besides, since the influence of social stimuli towards experience is not significant, also H22 has to be rejected. Experience influences information (H19 accepted) but the latter does not affect significantly the evoked set (H1 rejected). Both H4 as well as H5, referring respectively to the perceived images of German agri-tourism as a wellness destination and the traditional image of the German farm tourism have to be rejected. Finally, none of the demographic data included in the model explains significantly the variance of the factor evoked set. Therefore neither H16 nor H17 has been accepted. As far as the interrelation between sport and nature (H18) and family and action (H20) are concerned, the stated relationship among these variables has been statistically confirmed. Our path model based on partial least squares shows the factors influencing the preference for farm tourism in Germany. Among others value for money and experience are the most significant ones. Practical implications are discussed.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 1998

The greenhouse temperature controls in general have been managed by the above-ground part environment, But the temperature of root zone was known very important factor for the 9rofth and the yield of vegetables in greenhouse. The purpose of this study is to develop a good method for cultivation using solar energy which can apply warming soil and to develop the greenhouse soil temperature automatic control system. Followings are summary of this study：1 When the greenhouse inner temperature changes were about 24$^{\circ}C$ during a day in October, the temperature of non-warmed soil was differenced 6$^{\circ}C$ in the depth 10cm and 3$^{\circ}C$ in the depth 20cm. 2. When water supply temperature was kept at 40, 50 and 6$0^{\circ}C$, the lowest soil temperature in the depth of 10cm is 2$0^{\circ}C$ and that of 20cm was 23$^{\circ}C$. and when the water supply temperature was over 4$0^{\circ}C$, the space heating temperature did not affect the temperature variation of soil. 3. In comparison with conditions of the warmed and non-warmed soil, when the water supply temperature is 28$^{\circ}C$, soil temperatures had the high temperature of 4$0^{\circ}C$~7$^{\circ}C$ in the depth of 10cm to 20 cm. 4. The line of boundary area was appeared in the depth of 15~20cm, 13~19cm and 12~17cm. when the water supply temperature was 4$0^{\circ}C$, 5$0^{\circ}C$ and 6$0^{\circ}C$. 5. When th inner greenhouse air temperature is maintained over 11$^{\circ}C$ and the water supply temperature is supported 28$^{\circ}C$, the lowest temperature is kept up over 2$0^{\circ}C$.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.191-196
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• 2005

Purpose : Short stature is one of the characteristic features of Turner syndrome. We investigated the factors affecting final adult height(FAH) in patients with Turner syndrome. Methods : The study group was comprised of 60 patients who were diagnosed with Turner syndrome by chromosomal study and clinical phenotypes and attained FAH. Data were obtained from retrospective review of the medical records. We analyzed the factors influencing FAH in growth hormone(GH) treated and GH untreated groups. Results : Sixty patients were enrolled; 48 patients received GH treatment, and 12 patients did not. Mean duration of GH treatment was 35.8 months(range 4 to 120 months), and mean dosage of GH was $0.8{\pm}0.2IU/kg/wk$ in GH treated group. Mean growth velocity was $5.6{\pm}2.0cm/yr$, which was significantly higher than that during pretreatment period. In the GH treated group, mean chronological age, bone age, mean height, and height standard deviation(SD) score at GH treatment were $12.2{\pm}2.7yr$ $10.3{\pm}2.5yr$ $127.5{\pm}10.1cm$ and $-3.1{\pm}1.1$, respectively. In the GH treated group, the mean FAH and SD score of FAH were $146.9{\pm}5.8cm$ and $-2.7{\pm}1.2$, respectively, which showed significant differences compared with those of the GH untreated group. Analyzing the factors affecting FAH in GH-treated patients, only the SD score of height at the time of treatment was significantly related to FAH. Conclusion : GH treatment leads to an increment in FAH in patients with Turner syndrome. Average FAH gain was as much as 5.8 cm. SD score of height at the time of GH treatment was the only factor influencing FAH.