• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.127-140
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• 2010

The benefit that a consumer derives from the use of a good often depends on the number of other consumers purchasing the same goods or other compatible items. This property, which is known as network externality, is significant in many IT related industries. Over the past few decades, network externalities have been recognized in the context of physical networks such as the telephone and railroad industries. Today, as many products are provided as a form of system that consists of compatible components, the appreciation of network externality is becoming increasingly important. Network externalities have been extensively studied among economists who have been seeking to explain new phenomena resulting from rapid advancements in ICT (Information and Communication Technology). As a result of these efforts, a new body of theories for 'New Economy' has been proposed. The theoretical bottom-line argument of such theories is that technologies subject to network effects exhibit multiple equilibriums and will finally lock into a monopoly with one standard cornering the entire market. They emphasize that such "tippiness" is a typical characteristic in such networked markets, describing that multiple incompatible technologies rarely coexist and that the switch to a single, leading standard occurs suddenly. Moreover, it is argued that this standardization process is path dependent, and the ultimate outcome is unpredictable. With incomplete information about other actors' preferences, there can be excess inertia, as consumers only moderately favor the change, and hence are themselves insufficiently motivated to start the bandwagon rolling, but would get on it once it did start to roll. This startup problem can prevent the adoption of any standard at all, even if it is preferred by everyone. Conversely, excess momentum is another possible outcome, for example, if a sponsoring firm uses low prices during early periods of diffusion. The aim of this paper is to analyze the dynamics of the adoption process in markets exhibiting network effects by focusing on two factors; switching and agent heterogeneity. Switching is an important factor that should be considered in analyzing the adoption process. An agent's switching invokes switching by other adopters, which brings about a positive feedback process that can significantly complicate the adoption process. Agent heterogeneity also plays a important role in shaping the early development of the adoption process, which has a significant impact on the later development of the process. The effects of these two factors are analyzed by developing an agent-based simulation model. ABM is a computer-based simulation methodology that can offer many advantages over traditional analytical approaches. The model is designed such that agents have diverse preferences regarding technology and are allowed to switch their previous choice. The simulation results showed that the adoption processes in a market exhibiting networks effects are significantly affected by the distribution of agents and the occurrence of switching. In particular, it is found that both weak heterogeneity and strong network effects cause agents to start to switch early and this plays a role of expediting the emergence of 'lock-in.' When network effects are strong, agents are easily affected by changes in early market shares. This causes agents to switch earlier and in turn speeds up the market's tipping. The same effect is found in the case of highly homogeneous agents. When agents are highly homogeneous, the market starts to tip toward one technology rapidly, and its choice is not always consistent with the populations' initial inclination. Increased volatility and faster lock-in increase the possibility that the market will reach an unexpected outcome. The primary contribution of this study is the elucidation of the role of parameters characterizing the market in the development of the lock-in process, and identification of conditions where such unexpected outcomes happen.

• Journal of Korean Living Environment System
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.89-100
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• 2009

The present study was designed to observe the thermal dynamics of core and skin temperatures during sub-maximal treadmill exercise; to investigate the effect of regional body cooling during short rest after the treadmill exercise on the thermal dynamics. Three conditions (No cooling, Head/Hand cooling, Leg cooling) were simulated in a climatic chamber at 24±1℃ and 50±5%RH. Subjects performed two bouts of treadmill exercise at a rate of 80%HR_max followed by rest. Body cooling with a hood, long gloves, and a blanket that circulated water set at 15℃ was assigned during two bouts of rest. The results showed that (1) rectal temperature (T_re) did not show significant difference between three conditions; (2) Skin temperatures had specific features, depending on body regions. In particular, the initial fall phenomena of skin temperatures at the onset of exercise were noteworthy in the chest, thigh, calf, and finger tip. Of these, the most significant initial fall was found in finger temperature (T_fing). (3) During the period of the initial fall in skin temperatures, T_re gradually increased. (4) The magnitude of the fall of T_fing at the onset of 2^nd running was on average 4.8, 5.1 and 3.4℃ for Control, HH cooling, and Leg cooling, respectively (p<0.05). The initial drop of T_fing at the onset of running was maintained for an average of 8.1, 7.9 and 6.3 minutes for Control, HH cooling, and Leg cooling, with no significant differences. In conclusion, the initial fall phenomena at the onset of treadmill exercise reflected non-thermal factors, as opposed to internal thermal status. The magnitude of the initial fall in T_fing was affected by legs cooling. Therefore, the initial fall phenomenon should be considered when interpreting the thermal status of the shell during heavy works/exercises that assigned with intermittent regional body cooling.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.209-218
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• 2007

This experiment was conducted to investigate effect of plowing frequency and sowing dates on the agronomic characteristics, feed value, weed yield and palatability of silage corn. Treatments were a basal treatment(C: May 5 seeding, plowing once, weeding control once), T1(May 12 seeding, plowing twice, weeding control 0 time), T2(May 19 seeding, plowing three times, weeding control 0 time, T3(May 26 seeding, plowing four times, weeding control 0 time) and T4(June 2 seeding, plowing five times, weeding control 0 time). The experiment was performed at the College of Life and Natural Sciences of Sangju University in Sangju in 2006. The plant height and ear height showed highly in order to C > T1 > T2 > T3 > T4 treatment, leaf length was the highest at T2 (96.0cm). Leaf width and number of dead leaf were the highest at C and T3 (11.2cm), C, C and T1 (4.6), respectively. Stem diameter was the highest at T3 as 31mm, while T2 was the lowest as 25mm (p<0.05). Ear circle showed highly in order of C > T1 > T4 > T3 > T4 (p<0.05), and tip filling degree was the highest at C treatment as 8.8, while T4 treatment was the lowest as 6.0 (p<0.05). The stem hardness and grain hardness were C < T1 < T2 < T3 < T4 (p<0.05). Stem saccharinity was T1(6.1%) was the highest, while T2(3.0%) was the lowest(P<0.05). Fresh yield of weed was the lowest at C treatment as 500 kg/ha, but T1 treatment was the highest as 44,100 kg/ha (p<0.05). Weed coverage rate showed highly in order of T1 > T2 > T3 > T4 > C treatment (p<0.05). Fresh yield of corn was the highest at C treatment as T3,550 kg/ha, but T4 treatment was the lowest as 65,500 kg/ha (p<0.05). Dry matter yield of corn showed highly in order of C(26,978 kg/ha) > T1(26,130 kg/ha) > T2(20,255 kg/ha) > T3(20,255 kg/ha) > T4(17,508 kg/ha) treatment (p<0.05). Crude protein content was T1(7.69%) > T4(7.42%) > T2(6.34%) > T3(5.99%) > C(5.91%) treatment (p<0.05), and Crude fat content showed highly in order of C (2.13%) > T1(2.04%) > T2(1.96%) > T3(1.95%) > T4(1.84%) treatment. Relative palatability of Holstein, Korean native goat and spotted deer was the highest at C treatment, but Korean native cattle was the highest at T1 treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.1-17
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• 1974

This experiment was designed to explore the specific functional interrelations between the vestibular semicircular canals and the extraocular muscles which may disclose the neural organization, connecting the vestibular canals and each ocular motor nuclei in the brain system, for vestibuloocular reflex mechanism. In urethane anesthetized rabbits, a fine wire insulated except the cut cross section of its tip was inserted into the canals closely to the ampullary receptor organs through the minute holes provided on the osseous canal wall for monopolar stimulation of each canal nerve. All extraocular muscles of both eyes were ligated and cut at their insertio, and the isometric tension and EMG responses of the extraocular muscles to the vestibular canal nerve stimulation were recorded by means of a physiographic recorder. Upon stimulation of the semicircular canal nerve, direction if the eye movement was also observed. The experimental results were as follows. 1) Single canal nerve stimulation with high frequency square waves (240 cps, 0. 1 msec) caused excitation of three extraocular muscles and inhibition of remaining three muscles in the bilateral eyes; stimulation of any canal nerve of a unilateral labyrinth caused excitation (contraction) of the superior rectus, superior oblique and medial rectus muscles and inhibition (relaxation) of the inferior rectus, inferior oblique and lateral rectos muscles in the ipsilateral eye, and it caused the opposite events in the contralateral eye. 2) By the overlapped stimulation of triple canal nerves of a unilateral labyrinth, unidirectional (excitatory or inhibitory) summation of the individual canal effects on a given extraocular muscles was demonstrated, and this indicates that three different canals of a unilateral vestibular system exert similar effect on a given extraocular muscles. 3) Based on the above experimental evidences, a simple rule by which one can define the vestibular excitatory and inhibitory input sources to all the extraocular muscles is proposed; the superior rectus, superior oblique and medial rectus muscles receive excitatory impulses from the ipsilateral vestibular canals, and the inferior rectus, inferior oblique and lateral rectus muscles from the contralateral canals; the opposite relationship applies for vestibular inhibitory impulses to the extraocular muscles. 4) According to the specific direction of the eye movements induced by the individual canal nerve stimulation, an extraocutar muscle exerting major role (a muscle of primary contraction) and two muscles of synergistic contraction could be differentiated in both eyes. 5) When these experimental results were compared to the well known observations of Cohen et al. (1964) made in the cats, extraocular muscles of primary contraction were the same but those of synergistic contraction were partially different. Moreover, the oblique muscle responses to each canal nerve excitation appeared to be all identical. However, the responnes of horizontal (medial and lateral) and vertical (superior and inferior) rectus muscles showed considerable differences. By critical analysis of these data, the author was able to locate theoretical contradictions in the observations of Cohen et al. but not in the author's results. 6) An attempt was also made to compare the functional observation of this experiment to the morphological findings of Carpenter and his associates obtained by degeneration experiments in the monkeys, and it was able to find some significant coincidence between there two works of different approach. In summary, the author has demonstrated that the well known observations of Cohen et al. on the vestibulo-ocular interrelation contain important experimental errors which can he proved by theoretical evaluation and substantiated by a series of experiments. Based on such experimental evidences, a new rule is proposed to define the interrelation between the vestibular canals and the extraocular muscles.