• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.41-72
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is the investigation of the effects of user participation, network effect, social influence, and usefulness on stickiness and continued use on Internet communities. In this research, stickiness refers to repeat visit and visit duration to an Internet community. Continued use means the willingness to continue to use an Internet community in the future. Internet community-based companies can earn money through selling the digital contents such as game, music, and avatar, advertizing on internet site, or offering an affiliate marketing. For such money making, stickiness and continued use of Internet users is much more important than the number of Internet users. We tried to answer following three questions. Fist, what is the effects of user participation on stickiness and continued use on Internet communities? Second, by what is user participation formed? Third, are network effect, social influence, and usefulness that was significant at prior research about technology acceptance model(TAM) still significant on internet communities? In this study, user participation, network effect, social influence, and usefulness are independent variables, stickiness is mediating variable, and continued use is dependent variable. Among independent variables, we are focused on user participation. User participation means that Internet user participates in the development of Internet community site (called mini-hompy or blog in Korea). User participation was studied from 1970 to 1997 at the research area of information system. But since 1997 when Internet started to spread to the public, user participation has hardly been studied. Given the importance of user participation at the success of Internet-based companies, it is very meaningful to study the research topic of user participation. To test the proposed model, we used a data set generated from the survey. The survey instrument was designed on the basis of a comprehensive literature review and interviews of experts, and was refined through several rounds of pretests, revisions, and pilot tests. The respondents of survey were the undergraduates and the graduate students who mainly used Internet communities. Data analysis was conducted using 217 respondents(response rate, 97.7 percent). We used structural equation modeling(SEM) implemented in partial least square(PLS). We chose PLS for two reason. First, our model has formative constructs. PLS uses components-based algorithm and can estimated formative constructs. Second, PLS is more appropriate when the research model is in an early stage of development. A review of the literature suggests that empirical tests of user participation is still sparse. The test of model was executed in the order of three research questions. First user participation had the direct effects on stickiness(${\beta}$=0.150, p<0.01) and continued use (${\beta}$=0.119, p<0.05). And user participation, as a partial mediation model, had a indirect effect on continued use mediated through stickiness (${\beta}$=0.007, p<0.05). Second, optional participation and prosuming participation significantly formed user participation. Optional participation, with a path magnitude as high as 0.986 (p<0.001), is a key determinant for the strength of user participation. Third, Network effect (${\beta}$=0.236, p<0.001). social influence (${\beta}$=0.135, p<0.05), and usefulness (${\beta}$=0.343, p<0.001) had directly significant impacts on stickiness. But network effect and social influence, as a full mediation model, had both indirectly significant impacts on continued use mediated through stickiness (${\beta}$=0.11, p<0.001, and ${\beta}$=0.063, p<0.05, respectively). Compared with this result, usefulness, as a partial mediation model, had a direct impact on continued use and a indirect impact on continued use mediated through stickiness. This study has three contributions. First this is the first empirical study showing that user participation is the significant driver of continued use. The researchers of information system have hardly studies user participation since late 1990s. And the researchers of marketing have studied a few lately. Second, this study enhanced the understanding of user participation. Up to recently, user participation has been studied from the bipolar viewpoint of participation v.s non-participation. Also, even the study on participation has been studied from the point of limited optional participation. But, this study proved the existence of prosuming participation to design and produce products or services, besides optional participation. And this study empirically proved that optional participation and prosuming participation were the key determinant for user participation. Third, our study compliments traditional studies of TAM. According prior literature about of TAM, the constructs of network effect, social influence, and usefulness had effects on the technology adoption. This study proved that these constructs still are significant on Internet communities.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.71-96
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• 2011

Within the traditional medical delivery system, patients residing in medically vulnerable areas, those with body movement difficulties, and nursing facility residents have had limited access to good healthcare services. However, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provides us with a convenient and useful means of overcoming distance and time constraints. ICT is integrated with biomedical science and technology in a way that offers a new high-quality medical service. As a result, rapid technological advancement is expected to play a pivotal role bringing about innovation in a wide range of medical service areas, such as medical management, testing, diagnosis, and treatment; offering new and improved healthcare services; and effecting dramatic changes in current medical services. The increase in aging population and chronic diseases has caused an increase in medical expenses. In response to the increasing demand for efficient healthcare services, a telehealth service based on ICT is being emphasized on a global level. Telehealth services have been implemented especially in pilot projects and system development and technological research. With the service about to be implemented in earnest, it is necessary to study its overall acceptance by consumers, which is expected to contribute to the development and activation of a variety of services. In this sense, the study aims at positively examining the structural relationship among the acceptance factors for telehealth services based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Data were collected by showing audiovisual material on telehealth services to online panels and requesting them to respond to a structured questionnaire sheet, which is known as the information acceleration method. Among the 1,165 adult respondents, 608 valid samples were finally chosen, while the remaining were excluded because of incomplete answers or allotted time overrun. In order to test the reliability and validity of the assessment scale items, we carried out reliability and factor analyses, and in order to explore the causal relation among potential variables, we conducted a structural equation modeling analysis using AMOS 7.0 and SPSS 17.0. The research outcomes are as follows. First, service quality, innovativeness of medical technology, and social influence were shown to affect perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of the telehealth service, which was statistically significant, and the two factors had a positive impact on willingness to accept the telehealth service. In addition, social influence had a direct, significant effect on intention to use, which is paralleled by the TAM used in previous research on technology acceptance. This shows that the research model proposed in the study effectively explains the acceptance of the telehealth service. Second, the research model reveals that information privacy concerns had a insignificant impact on perceived ease of use of the telehealth service. From this, it can be gathered that the concerns over information protection and security are reduced further due to advancements in information technology compared to the initial period in the information technology industry, and thus the improvement in quality of medical services appeared to ensure that information privacy concerns did not act as a prohibiting factor in the acceptance of the telehealth service. Thus, if other factors have an enormous impact on ease of use and usefulness, concerns over these results in the initial period of technology acceptance may become irrelevant. However, it is clear that users' information privacy concerns, as other studies have revealed, is a major factor affecting technology acceptance. Thus, caution must be exercised while interpreting the result, and further study is required on the issue. Numerous information technologies with outstanding performance and innovativeness often attract few consumers. A revised bill for those urgently in need of telehealth services is about to be approved in the national assembly. As telemedicine is implemented between doctors and patients, a wide range of systems that will improve the quality of healthcare services will be designed. In this sense, the study on the consumer acceptance of telehealth services is meaningful and offers strong academic evidence. Based on the implications, it can be expected to contribute to the activation of telehealth services. Further study is needed to assess the acceptance factors for telehealth services, such as motivation to remain healthy, health care involvement, knowledge on health, and control of health-related behavior, in order to develop unique services according to the categorization of customers based on health factors. In addition, further study may focus on various theoretical cognitive behavior models other than the TAM, such as the health belief model.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.363-370
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• 2007

Objectives: The principal objective of this study was to determine the relationship between maternal exposure to air pollution and low birth weight and to propose a possible environmental health surveillance system for low birth weight. Methods: We acquired air monitoring data for Seoul from the Ministry of Environment, the meteorological data from the Korean Meteorological Administration, the exposure assessments from the National Institute of Environmental Research, and the birth data from the Korean National Statistical Office between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2003. The final birth data were limited to singletons within $37{\sim}44$ weeks of gestational age. We defined the Low Birth Weight (LBW) group as infants with birth weights of less than 2500g and calculated the annual LBW rate by district. The air monitoring data were measured for $CO,\;SO_2,\;NO_2,\;and\;PM_{10}$ concentrations at 27 monitoring stations in Seoul. We utilized two models to evaluate the effects of air pollution on low birth weight: the first was the relationship between the annual concentration of air pollution and low birth weight (LBW) by individual and district, and the second involved a GIS exposure model constructed by Arc View 3.1. Results: LBW risk (by Gu, or district) was significantly increased to $1.113(95%\;CI=1.111{\sim}1.116)\;for\;CO,\;1.004(95%\;CI=1.003{\sim}1.005)\;for\;NO_2,\;1.202(95%\;CI=1.199{\sim}1.206\;for\;SO_2,\;and\;1.077(95%\;CI=1.075{\sim}1.078)\;\;for\;PM_{10}$ with each interquartile range change. Personal LBW risk was significantly increased to $1.081(95%\;CI=1.002{\sim}1.166)\;for\;CO,\;1.145(95%\;CI=1.036{\sim}1.267)\;for\;SO_2,\;and\;1.053(95%\;CI=1.002{\sim}1.108)\;for\;PM_{10}$ with each interquartile range change. Personal LBW risk was increased to $1.003(95%\;CI=0.954{\sim}1.055)\;for\;NO_2$, but this was not statistically significant. The air pollution concentrations predicted by GIS positively correlated with the numbers of low birth weights, particularly in highly polluted regions. Conclusions: Environmental health surveillance is a systemic, ongoing collection effort including the analysis of data correlated with environmentally-associated diseases and exposures. In addition. environmental health surveillance allows for a timely dissemination of information to those who require that information in order to take effective action. GIS modeling is crucially important for this purpose, and thus we attempted to develop a GIS-based environmental surveillance system for low birth weight.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.35 no.6_1
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• pp.919-932
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• 2019

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is not only affected by anthropogenic emissions, but also intensifies, migrates, decreases by hydrometeorological factors. Therefore, it is essential to understand relationships between the hydrometeorological factors and PM2.5 concentration. In Korea, PM2.5 concentration is measured at the ground observatories and estimated data are given to locations where observatories are not present. In this way, the data is not suitable to represent an area, hence it is impossible to know accurate concentration at such locations. In addition, it is hard to trace migration, intensification, reduction of PM2.5. In this study, we analyzed the relationships between hydrometeorological factors, acquired from Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), and PM2.5 by means of Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA). By BMA, we also selected factors that have meaningful relationship with the variation of PM2.5 concentration. 4 PM2.5 concentration models for different seasons were developed using those selected factors, with Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Finally, we mapped the result of the model, to show spatial distribution of PM2.5. The model correlated well with the observed PM2.5 concentration (R ~0.7; IOA ~0.78; RMSE ~7.66 ㎍/㎥). When the models were compared with the observed PM2.5 concentrations at different locations, the correlation coefficients differed (R: 0.32-0.82), although there were similarities in data distribution. The developed concentration map using the models showed its capability in representing temporal, spatial variation of PM2.5 concentration. The result of this study is expected to be able to facilitate researches that aim to analyze sources and movements of PM2.5, if the study area is extended to East Asia.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.61-69
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• 2003

Surface energy and $CO_2$ fluxes have been measured over a farmland in Haenam, Korea since July 2002. Eddy covariance technique, which is the only direct flux measurement method, was employed to quantitatively understand the interaction between the farmland ecosystem and the atmospheric boundary layer. Maintenance of eddy covariance system was the main concern during the early stage of measurement to minimize gaps and uncertainties in the dataset. Half-hourly averaged $CO_2$ concentration showed distinct diurnal and seasonal variations, which were closely related to changes in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of $CO_2$. Daytime maximum $CO_2$ uptake was about -1.0 mg $CO_2$ m$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ in August whereas nighttime $CO_2$ release was up to 0.3 mg $CO_2$ m$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ during the summer. Both daytime $CO_2$ uptake and nighttime release decreased gradually with season. During the winter season, NEE was from near zero to 0.05 mg $CO_2$ m$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ . FK site was a moderate sink of atmospheric $CO_2$ until September with daily NEE of 22 g $CO_2$ m$^{-2}$ d$^{-1}$ . In October, it became a weak source of $CO_2$ with an emission rate of 2 g $CO_2$ m$^{-2}$ d$^{-1}$ . Long-term flux measurements will continue at FK site to further investigate inter-annual variability in NEE. to better understand these exchange mechanism and in-depth analysis, process-level field experiments and intensive short-term intercomparisons are also expected to be followed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.463-471
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• 2006

Electrical resistivity surveys were conducted at areas of abandoned landfills in Cheonan and Wonju. Geology and extent of leachate migration around the landfills were evaluated with collected resistivity data by 2-D and 3-D resistivity inverse modeling. The Cheonan landfill is located above the paddy fields and the resistivity survey lines were crossed to examine possible pollution at the paddy fields by leakage of the landfill leachate. In Wonju, the landfill and the downgradient paddy fields are divided by a concrete barrier wall. At the bottom of the landfill, there is a leachate settlement system, which has not been in operation. To evaluate leachate leakage into the paddy fields, a total of 4 survey lines were used. According to the resistivity survey results, the landfill leachate in Cheonan appeared to be restricted only within the interior of the landfill, not to migrate into the subsurface of the paddy fields. These results are well consistent with electrical conductivity values of groundwaters obtained from a periodic analysis of water qualities. In Wonju, however, it was inferred that the leachate emanating from the landfill migrated beneath the abandoned leachate settlement system and the leachate would reach the downgradient paddy fields. Low resistivity area was observed in the old reservoir area and it appeared to be derived from convergence of groundwater flows from the surrounding valley and the moist wet land. In addition, groundwater flow into the paddy fields occurs beneath the old reservoir embankment at depths of $7{\sim}8m$. This paper reports details of the resistivity surveys for the uncontrolled landfills.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2018

In this research, a biofilter system equipped with a biofilter process and a humidifier composed of a fluidized aerobic and an anoxic reactor, was constructed to treat odorous waste air containing hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and VOC, frequently generated from pig and poultry housing facilities, compost manufacturing factories and publicly owned facilities. Its optimum operating condition was revealed and discussed. In the experiment of complex feed, the ammonia of fed-waste air was removed by ca. 75% and more than 20% at the stage of the humidifier and the biofilter, respectively. The toluene of the fed-waste air was removed by ca. 20% and more than 70% at the stage of the humidifier and the biofilter, respectively. Therefore the water-soluble ammonia and the water-insoluble toluene were treated mainly at the stage of the humidifier and the biofilter, respectively. In addition, hydrogen sulfide was almost absorbed at the stage of the humidifier so that it was not detected at the biofilter process. In the experiment of ammonia-containing feed, the ammonia of fed-waste air was removed by ca. 65% and 35% at the stage of the humidifier and the biofilter, respectively. Its removal efficiency of ammonia at the stage of the humidifier was 10% less than that in the experiment of complex feed, due to no supply of such carbon source as toluene required in the process of denitrification. In the experiments of complex feed, ammonia-containing feed with and without (instead, glucose) the addition of yeast extract, the absorption rates of ammonia-nitrogen were ca. 0.28 mg/min, 0.23 mg/min and 0.27 mg/min, respectively. The corresponding denitrification rates in the anoxic reactor were 0.42 mg/min, 0.55 mg/min and 0.27 mg/min, respectively. In addition, in the modeling of bubble column(the fluidized aerobic reactor of the humidifier) process, the value of specific surface area(a) of bubbles multiplied by enhanced mass transfer coefficient (E $K_y$) was evaluated to be 0.12/hr.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.421-428
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• 2014

For the analysis of water supply network, demand-driven and pressure-driven analysis methods have been proposed. Of the two methods, demand-driven analysis (DDA) can only be used in a normal operation condition to evaluate hydraulic status of a pipe network. Under abnormal conditions, i.e., unexpected pipe destruction, or abnormal low pressure conditions, pressure-driven analysis (PDA) method should be used to estimate the suppliable flowrate at each node in a network. In order to carry out the pressure-driven analysis, head-outflow relationship (HOR), which estimates flowrate at a certain pressure at each node, should be first determined. Most previous studies empirically suggested that each node possesses its own characteristic head-outflow relationship, which, therefore, requires verification by using actual field data for proper application in PDA modeling. In this study, a model pipe network was constructed, and various operation scenarios of normal and abnormal conditions, which cannot be realized in real pipe networks, were established. Using the model network, data on pressure and flowrate at each node were obtained at each operation condition. Using the data obtained, previously proposed HOR equations were evaluated. In addition, head-outflow relationship at each node was analyzed especially under multiple pipe destruction events. By analyzing the experimental data obtained from the model network, it was found that flowrate reduction corresponding to a certain pressure drop (by pipe destruction at one or multiple points on the network) followed intrinsic head-outflow relationship of each node. By comparing the experimentally obtained head-outflow relationship with various HOR equations proposed by previous studies, the one proposed by Wagner et al. showed the best agreement with the exponential parameter, m of 3.0.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.401-409
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• 2021

This study aimed to estimate the photosynthetic capacity of tomato plants grown in a semi-closed greenhouse using temperature response models of plant photosynthesis by calculating the ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase maximum carboxylation rate (V_cmax), maximum electron transport rate (J_max), thermal breakdown (high-temperature inhibition), and leaf respiration to predict the optimal conditions of the CO₂-controlled greenhouse, for maximizing the photosynthetic rate. Gas exchange measurements for the A-C_i curve response to CO₂ level with different light intensities {PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) 200µmol·m^-2·s^-1 to 1500µmol·m^-2·s^-1} and leaf temperatures (20℃ to 35℃) were conducted with a portable infrared gas analyzer system. Arrhenius function, net CO₂ assimilation (A_n), thermal breakdown, and daylight leaf respiration (R_d) were also calculated using the modeling equation. Estimated J_max, A_n, Arrhenius function value, and thermal breakdown decreased in response to increased leaf temperature (> 30℃), and the optimum leaf temperature for the estimated J_max was 30℃. The CO₂ saturation point of the fifth leaf from the apical region was reached at 600ppm for 200 and 400µmol·m^-2·s^-1 of PAR, at 800ppm for 600 and 800µmol·m^-2·s^-1 of PAR, at 1000ppm for 1000µmol of PAR, and at 1500ppm for 1200 and 1500µmol·m^-2·s^-1 of PAR levels. The results suggest that the optimal conditions of CO₂ concentration can be determined, using the photosynthetic model equation, to improve the photosynthetic rates of fruit vegetables grown in greenhouses.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.21-36
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• 2019

Dead fuel moisture content is a key variable in fire danger rating as it affects fire ignition and behavior. This study evaluates simple regression models estimating the moisture content of standardized 10-h fuel stick (10-h FMC) at three sites with different characteristics(urban and outside/inside the forest). Equilibrium moisture content (EMC) was used as an independent variable, and in-situ measured 10-h FMC was used as a dependent variable and validation data. 10-h FMC spatial distribution maps were created for dates with the most frequent fire occurrence during 2013-2018. Also, 10-h FMC values of the dates were analyzed to investigate under which 10-h FMC condition forest fire is likely to occur. As the results, fitted equations could explain considerable part of the variance in 10-h FMC (62~78%). Compared to the validation data, the models performed well with R2 ranged from 0.53 to 0.68, root mean squared error (RMSE) ranged from 2.52% to 3.43%, and bias ranged from -0.41% to 1.10%. When the 10-h FMC model fitted for one site was applied to the other sites, $R^2$ was maintained as the same while RMSE and bias increased up to 5.13% and 3.68%, respectively. The major deficiency of the 10-h FMC model was that it poorly caught the difference in the drying process after rainfall between 10-h FMC and EMC. From the analysis of 10-h FMC during the dates fire occurred, more than 70% of the fires occurred under a 10-h FMC condition of less than 10.5%. Overall, the present study suggested a simple model estimating 10-h FMC with acceptable performance. Applying the 10-h FMC model to the automatic mountain weather observation system was successfully tested to produce a national-scale 10-h FMC spatial distribution map. This data will be fundamental information for forest fire research, and will support the policy maker.