• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.21-43
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• 2005

Masonry is a composite non-homogeneous structural material, whose mechanical properties depend on the properties of and the interaction between the composite components - brick and mortar, their volume ratio, the properties of their bond, and any cracking in the masonry. The mechanical properties of masonry depend on the orientation of the bed joints and the stress state of the joints, and so the values of the shear modulus, as well as the stiffness of masonry structural elements can depend on various factors. An extensive testing programme in several countries addresses the problem of measurement of the stiffness properties of masonry. These testing programs have provided sufficient data to permit a review of the influence of different testing techniques (mono and bi-axial tests), the variations caused by distinct loading conditions (monotonic and cyclic), the impact of the mortar type, as well as influence of the reinforcement. This review considers the impact of the measurement devices used for determining the shear modulus and stiffness of walls on the results. The results clearly indicate a need to re-assess the values stated in almost all national codes for the shear modulus of the masonry, especially for masonry made with lime mortar, where strong anisotropic behaviour is in the stiffness properties.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.1091-1097
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• 2021

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between employee engagement and individual performance outcomes (including growth, achievement, contribution, and customer satisfaction) in large firms in Thailand, which is rapidly growing as an international business hub. The study took place in Thai offices of multinational corporations, whose performance is both very important for Thailand's overall economy and for the firm's continued presence in Thailand. The study was conducted using a survey methodology. A convenience sample of employees of multinational corporations (n = 423) completed a survey on employee engagement and individual performance outcomes. The data were analyzed using linear regression analysis. The results showed that there was a significant, positive relationship between employee engagement and all four performance outcomes that were targeted. The strongest effect was observed for achievement (β = 0.899), followed by growth (β = 0.887), contribution (β = 0.872), and customer satisfaction (β = .867). These findings indicate that employee engagement is a significant and strong factor that determines the individual performance of employees of multinational corporations. This implies that companies do need to consider how to promote employee engagement. There were some limitations, especially social response bias and the self-reported nature of performance, that limit these findings.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2019

Collaborative research and development (R&D) has been encouraged based on the belief that knowledge spill-over is mutually beneficial for partners. Although the benefits are supported by science and technology policy research, the risk of R&D collaboration has not been extensively discussed. Two independent studies suggest that there are risks associated with the overuse of collaborative research frameworks. Two sets of R&D collaboration data were analyzed: between the national bio-technology research program and 1) Data Envelop Analysis (DEA), and 2) between Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). In the case of SFA, output measures were integrated into a single output, with weights extracted from research programme managers' responses to the questionnaire. While the DEA result demonstrated the inefficiency of collaborative research, SFA did not. Unlike previous research highlighting risks associated with disclosing proprietary R&D and potential conflict of interest, our study indicates that the transaction's social cost affects collaborative research efficiency. Therefore, governments promoting R&D collaborations should be carefully managed, and policy makers must reconsider the strict conditions governing compulsory collaborative R&D programs.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.189-195
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• 2007

Using fractal dimensionality theory proposed by Riew and Sposito (1991), we attempted to analyze quantitatively the characteristics of porous distribution for built-in soils in the mini-lysimeter and artificial seed-bed media. The 2" stainless core soil samples were taken from lysimeter soils. Artificial seed-bed media were compacted in the acrylic core filled with raw materials consisted of cocopeat, zeolite and perlite. N (Constant number of partitioned group size smaller media volumes) and r (Self-similarity ratio) parameters consisting of fractal dimension D=log(N)/log(1/r) were obtained by Excel Programme using the Riew and Sposito's fractal model. The pore distribution of tested media was screened in pore size and its occurring frequency. The results reveal that the distribution range of pores is wider in the lysimeter soils than in the seed-bed media, while average size of pores in the media is smaller in lysimeter core soils than in seed-bed media.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.155-171
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• 2020

Fermented products, including sausages, provide several health benefits, particularly when probiotics are used in the fermentation process. This study aimed to examine the cytotoxicity (against Caco-2 and MCF-7 cell lines), antihypertensive activity via angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, antioxidant capacity, antidiabetic activity via α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, proteolysis rate, and oxidative degradation of fermented camel and beef sausages in vitro by the novel probiotic Lactococcus lactis KX881782 isolated from camel milk. Moreover, camel and beef sausages fermented with commercial starter culture alone were compared to those fermented with commercial starter culture combined with L. lactis. The degree of hydrolysis, antioxidant capacity, cytotoxicity against Caco-2 and MCF-7, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and ACE inhibitory activities were higher (p<0.05) in fermented camel sausages than beef sausages. In contrast, the water and lipid peroxidation activity were lower (p<0.05) in camel sausages than beef sausages. L. lactis enhanced the health benefits of the fermented camel sausages. These results suggest that camel sausage fermented with the novel probiotic L. lactis KX881782 could be a promising functional food that relatively provides several health benefits to consumers compared with fermented beef sausage.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.896-907
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• 2020

Imaging technique or computer vision (CV) technology has received huge attention as a rapid and non-destructive technique throughout the world for measuring quality attributes of agricultural products including meat and meat products. This study was conducted to test the ability of CV technology to predict the quality attributes of beef. Images were captured from longissimus dorsi muscle in beef at 24 h post-mortem. Traits evaluated were color value (L*, a*, b*), pH, drip loss, cooking loss, dry matter, moisture, crude protein, fat, ash, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), peroxide value (POV), free fatty acid (FFA), total coliform count (TCC), total viable count (TVC) and total yeast-mould count (TYMC). Images were analyzed using the Matlab software (R2015a). Different reference values were determined by physicochemical, proximate, biochemical and microbiological test. All determination were done in triplicate and the mean value was reported. Data analysis was carried out using the programme Statgraphics Centurion XVI. Calibration and validation model were fitted using the software Unscrambler X version 9.7. A higher correlation found in a* (r=0.65) and moisture (r=0.56) with 'a*' value obtained from image analysis and the highest calibration and prediction accuracy was found in lightness (r²_c=0.73, r²_p=0.69) in beef. Results of this work show that CV technology may be a useful tool for predicting meat quality traits in the laboratory and meat processing industries.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.88-96
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• 2021

Background: Sika deer, Cervus nippon, were originally introduced to South Korea from Japan and Taiwan for commercial farming purposes. Unfortunately, they were released into the wild during religious events and have since begun to impact the native ecosystem and species endemic to South Korea. The study of activity patterns can improve our understanding of the environmental impact of non-native species and their association with sympatric species. Using camera traps, we studied the diel and seasonal activity patterns of non-native sika deer and quantified the temporal overlap with sympatric mammalian species in the Muljangori-oreum wetlands of Hallasan National Park, South Korea. Results: A total of 970 trap events were recorded for five mammalian species from nine locations during the camera-trap survey. Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus tianschanicus) had the highest number of recorded events (72.0%), followed by sika deer (Cervus nippon) (16.2%), wild boar (Sus scrofa) (5.0%), Asian badger (Meles leucurus) (4.5%), and the Jeju weasel (Mustela sibirica quelpartis) (2.0%). Sika deer had bimodal activity patterns throughout the year, with peaks throughout the spring-autumn twilight, and day and night time throughout the winter. Relating the daily activity of sika deer with other mammalian species, roe deer expressed the highest degree of overlap (Δ₄ = 0.80) while the Asian badger demonstrated the lowest overlap (Δ₄ = 0.37). Conclusions: Our data show that sika deer are a crepuscular species with seasonal variations in daily activity patterns. Additionally, we identified the temporal differences in activity peaks between different mammals in the Muljangori-oreum wetlands and found higher degree of overlap between sika deer and roe deer during twilight hours.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.57-67
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• 2022

This study aims to understand human resource management in the Library of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This institution had to change its work procedures, including its management of human resources. The research uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. Data was collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis, carried out from October to December 2020. The findings show that working from home practices had the following impacts: reduced ability to concentrate while working; many forced changes to the work programme; and problems of miscommunication due to work instructions being conveyed through a WhatsApp group. In response to the situation, the planning function of management was used to suspend the recruitment of interns; the organizing function was divided up tasks into two or three working days a week; the actuating function was seen in the willingness of leadership to motivate staff and to optimize resources by providing training; and the controlling function was realized in an online presence and online reporting mechanisms. It was concluded that the implementation of human resource management in the library was achieved through flexibility and staff empowerment. This involved carrying out initiatives and controlling their effectiveness in response to whatever changes were required by the latest pronouncements from government. Obstacles were still encountered in the implementation of these changes, especially in relation to the organizing function of management, where some conflict was seen between the DPR RI librarians.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.335-340
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• 2010

The paper describes the objectives of Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) project, focusing on procedural and practical aspects. YSLME is a highly productive sea yet possibly one of the most impacted large marine ecosystems, in terms of anthropogenic stressors, due the enormous coastal population. The aim of the YSLME project is the reduction of ecosystem stress through identification of the environmental problems in the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) that are then addressed in the Strategic Action Programme (SAP). One of the major problems found to be affecting biological diversity is habitat modification through wetland reclamation, conversion and degradation. Since the early 1900's more than 40% of intertidal wetlands have been reclaimed in Korea, and 60% of Chinese coastal wetlands have been converted or reclaimed. Damaging fishing practices, pollution and coastal eutrophication have further degraded the coastal environment reducing the biological diversity. To combat this loss, the YSLME project has mounted a public awareness campaign to raise environmental consciousness targeted at all different levels of society, from politicians at parliamentary workshops, local government officer training events, scientific conferences and involvement of scientists in the project research and reporting, to university and high school students in our visiting internship programmes and environmental camps. We have also built networks through the Yellow Sea Partnership and by liaising and working with other environmental organizations and NGOs. NGO's are recognised as important partners in the environmental conservation as they already have extensive local networks that can be lacking in international organisations. Effective links have been built with many of these NGOs through the small grants programme. Working with WWF's YSESP project and other academic and research institutions we have conducted our own biodiversity assessments that have contributed to the science-based development of the SAP for the YSLME. Our regional targets for biodiversity outlined in the SAP include: Improvements in the densities, distributions and genetic diversity of current populations of all living organisms including endangered and endemic species; Maintenance of habitats according to standards and regulations of 2007; and a reduction in the risk of introduced species. Endorsement of the SAP and its successful implementation, during the proposed second phase of the YSLEM project, will ensure that biological diversity is here to benefit future generations.

• Atmosphere
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.159-169
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• 2007

A comparison of the three land cover data sets (United States Geological Survey: USGS, International Geosphere Biosphere Programme: IGBP, and University of Maryland: UMd), derived from 1992-1993 Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer(AVHRR) data sets, was performed over the Asian continent. Preprocesses such as the unification of map projection and land cover definition, were applied for the comparison of the three different land cover data sets. Overall, the agreement among the three land cover data sets was relatively high for the land covers which have a distinct phenology, such as urban, open shrubland, mixed forest, and bare ground (>45%). The ratios of triple agreement (TA), couple agreement (CA) and total disagreement (TD) among the three land cover data sets are 30.99%, 57.89% and 8.91%, respectively. The agreement ratio between USGS and IGBP is much greater (about 80%) than that (about 32%) between USGS and UMd (or IGBP and UMd). The main reasons for the relatively low agreement among the three land cover data sets are differences in 1) the number of land cover categories, 2) the basic input data sets used for the classification, 3) classification (or clustering) methodologies, and 4) level of preprocessing. The number of categories for the USGS, IGBP and UMd are 24, 17 and 14, respectively. USGS and IGBP used only the 12 monthly normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), whereas UMd used the 12 monthly NDVI and other 29 auxiliary data derived from AVHRR 5 channels. USGS and IGBP used unsupervised clustering method, whereas UMd used the supervised technique, decision tree using the ground truth data derived from the high resolution Landsat data. The insufficient preprocessing in USGS and IGBP compared to the UMd resulted in the spatial discontinuity and misclassification.