• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.61-101
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• 2014

This study investigates when and how disagreements in online customer ratings prompt more favorable product evaluations. Among the three metrics of volume, valence, and variance that feature in the research on online customer ratings, volume and valence have exhibited consistently positive patterns in their effects on product sales or evaluations (e.g., Dellarocas, Zhang, and Awad 2007; Liu 2006). Ratings variance, or the degree of disagreement among reviewers, however, has shown rather mixed results, with some studies reporting positive effects on product sales (e.g., Clement, Proppe, and Rott 2007) while others finding negative effects on product evaluations (e.g., Zhu and Zhang 2010). This study aims to resolve these contradictory findings by introducing preference heterogeneity as a possible moderator and causal attribution as a mediator to account for the moderating effect. The main proposition of this study is that when preference heterogeneity is perceived as high, a disagreement in ratings is attributed more to reviewers' different preferences than to unreliable product quality, which in turn prompts better quality evaluations of a product. Because disagreements mostly result from differences in reviewers' tastes or the low reliability of a product's quality (Mizerski 1982; Sen and Lerman 2007), a greater level of attribution to reviewer tastes can mitigate the negative effect of disagreement on product evaluations. Specifically, if consumers infer that reviewers' heterogeneous preferences result in subjectively different experiences and thereby highly diverse ratings, they would not disregard the overall quality of a product. However, if consumers infer that reviewers' preferences are quite homogeneous and thus the low reliability of the product quality contributes to such disagreements, they would discount the overall product quality. Therefore, consumers would respond more favorably to disagreements in ratings when preference heterogeneity is perceived as high rather than low. This study furthermore extends this prediction to the various levels of average ratings. The heuristicsystematic processing model so far indicates that the engagement in effortful systematic processing occurs only when sufficient motivation is present (Hann et al. 2007; Maheswaran and Chaiken 1991; Martin and Davies 1998). One of the key factors affecting this motivation is the aspiration level of the decision maker. Only under conditions that meet or exceed his aspiration level does he tend to engage in systematic processing (Patzelt and Shepherd 2008; Stephanous and Sage 1987). Therefore, systematic causal attribution processing regarding ratings variance is likely more activated when the average rating is high enough to meet the aspiration level than when it is too low to meet it. Considering that the interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity occurs through the mediation of causal attribution, this greater activation of causal attribution in high versus low average ratings would lead to more pronounced interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity in high versus low average ratings. Overall, this study proposes that the interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity is more pronounced when the average rating is high as compared to when it is low. Two laboratory studies lend support to these predictions. Study 1 reveals that participants exposed to a high-preference heterogeneity book title (i.e., a novel) attributed disagreement in ratings more to reviewers' tastes, and thereby more favorably evaluated books with such ratings, compared to those exposed to a low-preference heterogeneity title (i.e., an English listening practice book). Study 2 then extended these findings to the various levels of average ratings and found that this greater preference for disagreement options under high preference heterogeneity is more pronounced when the average rating is high compared to when it is low. This study makes an important theoretical contribution to the online customer ratings literature by showing that preference heterogeneity serves as a key moderator of the effect of ratings variance on product evaluations and that causal attribution acts as a mediator of this moderation effect. A more comprehensive picture of the interplay among ratings variance, preference heterogeneity, and average ratings is also provided by revealing that the interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity varies as a function of the average rating. In addition, this work provides some significant managerial implications for marketers in terms of how they manage word of mouth. Because a lack of consensus creates some uncertainty and anxiety over the given information, consumers experience a psychological burden regarding their choice of a product when ratings show disagreement. The results of this study offer a way to address this problem. By explicitly clarifying that there are many more differences in tastes among reviewers than expected, marketers can allow consumers to speculate that differing tastes of reviewers rather than an uncertain or poor product quality contribute to such conflicts in ratings. Thus, when fierce disagreements are observed in the WOM arena, marketers are advised to communicate to consumers that diverse, rather than uniform, tastes govern reviews and evaluations of products.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.159-189
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• 2012

What attracts consumers to bloggers' reviews? Consumers would be attracted both by the Bloggers' expertise (i.e., knowledge and experience) and by his/her unbiased manner of delivering information. Expertise and trustworthiness are both virtues of information sources, particularly when there is uncertainty in decision-making. Noting this point, we postulate that consumers' motives determine the relative weights they place on expertise and trustworthiness. In addition, our hypotheses assume that tie strength moderates consumers' expectation on bloggers' expertise and trustworthiness: with expectation on expertise enhanced for power-blog user-group (weak-ties), and an expectation on trustworthiness elevated for personal-blog user-group (strong-ties). Finally, we theorize that the effect of credibility on willingness to accept a review is moderated by tie strength; the predictive power of credibility is more prominent for the personal-blog user-groups than for the power-blog user groups. To support these assumptions, we conducted a field survey with blog users, collecting retrospective self-report data. The "gourmet shop" was chosen as a target product category, and obtained data analyzed by structural equations modeling. Findings from these data provide empirical support for our theoretical predictions. First, we found that the purposive motive aimed at satisfying instrumental information needs increases reliance on bloggers' expertise, but interpersonal connectivity value for alleviating loneliness elevates reliance on bloggers' trustworthiness. Second, expertise-based credibility is more prominent for power-blog user-groups than for personal-blog user-groups. While strong ties attract consumers with trustworthiness based on close emotional bonds, weak ties gain consumers' attention with new, non-redundant information (Levin & Cross, 2004). Thus, when the existing knowledge system, used in strong ties, does not work as smoothly for addressing an impending problem, the weak-tie source can be utilized as a handy reference. Thus, we can anticipate that power bloggers secure credibility by virtue of their expertise while personal bloggers trade off on their trustworthiness. Our analysis demonstrates that power bloggers appeal more strongly to consumers than do personal bloggers in the area of expertise-based credibility. Finally, the effect of review credibility on willingness to accept a review is higher for the personal-blog user-group than for the power-blog user-group. Actually, the inference that review credibility is a potent predictor of assessing willingness to accept a review is grounded on the analogy that attitude is an effective indicator of purchase intention. However, if memory about established attitudes is blocked, the predictive power of attitude on purchase intention is considerably diminished. Likewise, the effect of credibility on willingness to accept a review can be affected by certain moderators. Inspired by this analogy, we introduced tie strength as a possible moderator and demonstrated that tie strength moderated the effect of credibility on willingness to accept a review. Previously, Levin and Cross (2004) showed that credibility mediates strong-ties through receipt of knowledge, but this credibility mediation is not observed for weak-ties, where a direct path to it is activated. Thus, the predictive power of credibility on behavioral intention - that is, willingness to accept a review - is expected to be higher for strong-ties.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.103-134
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• 2011

The recent economic recession and price rise reduces excessive consumption as a whole. So companies take more interest in and use discount coupons as a means of sales promotion to reinforce their competitiveness. The combination of Internet and mobile communication technology leads to an explosive increase in the use of mobile Internet service, which promotes commercialization of mobile coupons. Nevertheless, there are absolutely insufficient researches on mobile coupons than those on paper ones. In this context, this study tries to consider intention of accepting and using mobile coupons. The innovated Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to see factors of using mobile coupons considered important by customers. Through the combination of characteristics of mobile coupon service and values obtained from mobile coupons, effects of variables to enhance intention of using mobile coupons were empirically analyzed. In particular, this study suggested importance of psychological as well as economic values of mobile coupons and emphasized good considerations of the psychological aspect, such as shame, stinginess, and reputation sensitivity, in using mobile coupons as an important factor for intention of using the coupons. Another empirical analysis was made of what moderating roles consumers' self-construalplayed in the effects of mobile coupon values perceived by consumers on intention of using coupons. As a result, immediate connectivity and situational provision among characteristics of mobile coupon service were found to affect ease and usability. It was also shown that perceived ease and usability had significant effects on both economic and psychological values, which then had significant effects on intention of using a mobile system. After testing moderating effects of self-construal, the degree of effects of perceived mobile coupon values on intention of using mobile coupons was greater among inter-dependent self-construal users than among independent ones. This study considered various schemes of improving intention to use mobile coupons and provided a foundation to help companies make a strategy for mobile coupons to be activated in the future.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.71-97
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• 2011

Over the last twenty years, sponsorship has been used very widely as an important marketing tool that enhances corporate image. Since it has proven to be effective in creating positive perceptions of the company, many marketers have sponsored a variety of consumer-related activities. However, sponsorship has also been criticized as it can be related to ambush marketing and excessive commercialism which trigger negative consumer responses. Unlike the existing study on the sponsorship marketing, this study intends to investigate its negative effects. The study was conducted based on the persuasion knowledge model which was proposed by Fristed and Wright (1994) and investigated consumer responses to ulterior motive of sponsorship marketing. According to the persuasion knowledge model, consumers activate their persuasion knowledge to see the agent's commercial motive; there are several antecedents to the persuasion knowledge activation such as the source familiarity, the marketer's effort and the appropriateness of persuasion. Also, existing studies have pointed out the sponsor-event fit and the sponsor's integrity as crucial factors which influence consumer attitude. By taking a survey of people who watched the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, we tried to examine how the sponsor familiarity and the sponsor-event fit as pre-existing variables which have been formed based on the prior consumer knowledges/memories as well as the sponsor effort and the sponsor integrity as situational variables activated based on the specific persuasion episode influenced persuasion knowledge. We also tried to test the potential moderating role of sponsorship type (i.e., official sponsorship versus marketing focused) on the causal path from the persuasion knowledge and the consumer attitude from the perspective of the appropriateness of persuasion. The results show that the sponsor familiarity, the sponsor-event fit, and the marketer's effort have significant effects on the persuasion knowledge activation, and the sponsorship type has moderating role in the sponsorship effectiveness. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.602-614
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• 2023

Purpose: The balance between synthesis and degradation of proteins plays a critical role in the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been closely associated with skeletal muscle atrophy caused by aging, cancer, and chemotherapy. Polygalacin D is a saponin derivative isolated from Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC. This study aimed to investigate the effects of polygalacin D on myoblast differentiation and muscle atrophy in association with mitochondrial function in in vitro and in zebrafish models in vivo. Methods: C2C12 myoblasts were cultured in differentiation media containing different concentrations of polygalacin D, followed by the immunostaining of the myotubes with myosin heavy chain (MHC). The mRNA expression of markers related to myogenesis, muscle atrophy, and mitochondrial function was determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Wild type AB^* zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were treated with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) with or without polygalacin D, and immunostained to detect slow and fast types of muscle fibers. The Tg(Xla.Eef1a1:mitoEGFP) zebrafish expressing mitochondria-targeted green fluorescent protein was used to monitor mitochondrial morphology. Results: The exposure of C2C12 myotubes to 0.1 ng/mL of polygalacin D increased the formation of MHC-positive multinucleated myotubes (≥ 8 nuclei) compared with the control. Polygalacin D significantly increased the expression of MHC isoforms (Myh1, Myh2, Myh4, and Myh7) involved in myoblast differentiation while it decreased the expression of atrophic markers including muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF1), mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (Smad)2, and Smad3. In addition, polygalacin D promoted peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator (Pgc1α) expression and reduced the level of mitochondrial fission regulators such as dynamin-1-like protein (Drp1) and mitochondrial fission 1 (Fis1). In a zebrafish model of FOLFIRI-induced muscle atrophy, polygalacin D improved not only mitochondrial dysfunction but also slow and fast muscle fiber atrophy. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that polygalacin D promotes myogenesis and alleviates chemotherapy-induced muscle atrophy by improving mitochondrial function. Thus, polygalacin D could be useful as nutrition support to prevent and ameliorate muscle wasting and weakness.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 2022

Untact marketing is being activated due to COVID-19. As a result, live commerce, an untact seller, is also active in the e-commerce market. Therefore, in this study, we tried to find out what factors influence consumers when they purchase through live commerce. In particular, since consumers' trust and flow in live commerce platforms and products is important, their mediating effects were analyzed. The research model was established by deriving common variables among the characteristics of live commerce based on previous studies. An online survey was conducted for empirical analysis. 200 users who made at least one purchase in live commerce were analyzed. The study results are as follows. Among the characteristics of live commerce, entertainment, economics, professionality were found to have a positive (+) effect on purchase intention. On the other hand, ease of use did not significantly affect purchase intention. The influence was shown in the order of entertainment, professionality and economics. The mediating effect of trust was found to play a mediating role in that entertainment, economics, and professionality affect purchase intention. On the other hand, a significant mediating effect was not tested between ease of use and purchase intention. As for the mediating effect of flow, it was found that flow plays a mediating role in that entertainment and economics affect purchase intention. On the other hand, the mediating effect of flow in terms of ease of use and economics affecting purchase intention was not tested. As for the multiple mediating effect of flow and trust, the mediating effect of flow was stronger than the mediating effect of trust when entertainment had an effect on purchase intention. In terms of professionality affecting purchase intention, the mediating effect of flow was also stronger than the mediating effect of trust. On the other hand, it was analyzed that only trust had a mediating effect when economics had an effect on purchase intention. The results of this study empirically tested that entertainment, which is a fun and interesting factor of live commerce content, is the most important factor when consumers use live commerce. In addition, various results were derived, such as cases where trust and flow act as mediators at the same time or not at all. Practical implications can be found in that it provided a clue about what to prioritize in order to reach consumers for live commerce platform.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.75-93
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• 2023

As non-face-to-face contact was activated due to the progress of the 4th Industrial Revolution and COVID-19, the government's civil service was also rapidly reflecting this phenomenon. However, there were cases in which it was quite burdensome and rather uncomfortable for the elderly who were relatively alienated from the digital culture. Therefore, in this study, we tried to empirically analyze the factors that affect the use of government 24(a government civil integration service) by the elderly. For this purpose, the characteristics of the elderly and the characteristics of services were paid attention. As the characteristic factors of the elderly, cognitive characteristics, psychological characteristics, and physical characteristics were derived, and as service characteristics, usefulness, ease of use, security, and government support were derived when using government 24. The effect of these factors on the intention to use Government 24 was empirically analyzed. For empirical analysis, a survey was conducted targeting the elderly in their 60s and older, and 250 valid sample were used for analysis. The analysis results were as follows. Among the characteristics of the elderly, cognitive characteristics, psychological characteristics, and physical characteristics were all found to had a significant negative (-) effect on the intention to use Government 24. On the other hand, usefulness, ease of use, and government support were found to had a significant positive (+) effect on the intention to use government 24. On the other hand, security was not tested for a significant relationship with government 24 use intention. Among the variables that have a significant impact, the psychological characteristics of the elderly had the greatest impact on the intention to use Government 24. Usefulness, cognitive characteristics, physical characteristics, ease of use, and government support were in order. The fact that this study conducted an empirical analysis by combining the characteristics of the elderly and the characteristics of services was meaningful at the academic level. In addition, considering that psychological characteristics appeared to be the most important factor, it seemed necessary to consider these points to promote the use of Government 24 by the elderly.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.923-933
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• 2009

In this study, analysis was carried out on science experiment in high school textbooks, illustrating 'the effect of pH on enzyme activity.' Five of the total 16 science textbooks introduced in this experiment, and the experimental conditions therein were analyzed. Textbook analysis revealed that pH of below 3 was used for 'acidic condition' and that of over 11 was used for 'basic' condition. Using the experimental conditions described in the textbooks, review experiments were performed. Buffering effect with the addition of saliva was found in the pH region around 7 when buffer solution was not used to control pH as was in the textbooks. The enzyme activity experiments were performed controlling pH from pH 2 to 13 with buffer. The color of the sample was blue from pH 2 to 4, and then disappeared from pH 5 to 8, reflecting that starch was digested owing to enzyme activity. In pH 9 light blue color appeared, indicating de-activation of enzyme under this basic condition. However, the blue color of the sample became lighter at pH 10 and disappeared from pH 11, which was different from the expected behavior anticipating dark blue color due to de-activation of enzyme under strong basic condition. These results can wrongly influence students to interpret that enzyme can be activated in this pH condition. So, we analyzed the reason for the color of the sample turning light blue in pH 10 and disappeared from pH 11. The analysis resulted that ${I_3}^-$ and/or ${I_5}^-$ subunits of polyiodides within the starch helix in starch-iodine complex, showing blue, decreases above pH 10 due to disproportionation to HOI, ${IO_3}^-$, and $I^-$ by the reaction with $OH^-$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.443-452
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• 2024

This study aimed to examine the influence of 3,6-anhydroxygalactose (L-AHG) on the pro-inflammatory M1 polarization and pro-inflammatory responses observed in the RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cell line following stimulation with lipopolysaccharides (LPS). L-AHG exhibited a significant and dose-dependent inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, a hallmark of M1 polarization, and subsequent NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, the LPS-induced upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which drives the production of prostaglandin E2, an inflammatory mediator, was also inhibited by L-AHG. L-AHG did not affect the LPS-triggered Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated pro-inflammatory signaling pathway, which culminated in the activation of transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1). However, it was observed to inhibit the generation of reactive oxugen species (ROS) in a dose-dependent manner, as well as the TAK1-driven activation of JNK and p38 MAPK. Given that the active p38 MAPK is known to contribute to the assembly of active nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, which catalyzes the intracellular generation of pro-inflammatory ROS in LPS-stimulated macrophages, the dose-dependent reduction in the LPS-induced ROS generation by L-AHG may be mainly due to the prevention of TAK1-driven activation of p38 MAPK. Together, these results demonstrate that the L-AHG-mediated inhibition of the TAK1-JNK/p38 MAPK activation phase of the pro-inflammatory signaling pathway in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells by L-AHG represents a promising mechanism for suppressing M1 polarization and pro-inflammatory responses in macrophages.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.674-684
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute listening to music on the cardiovascular reactivity to sympathoexcitation. In this crossover design study, 15 healthy adults(23.1±1.94(yrs) were randomized to either (1)acute listen to the subject's preferred music for 30 minutes and (2)sat as a time control by an experiment coordinator. After completing each trial, the cold pressor test(CPT) was conducted. Heart rate(HR) and blood pressure(BP) were measured for 4 times at baseline, during and after the CPT. Heart rate variability(HRV) were measured for 3 times at baseline, prior and after the CPT. HR and BP increased during the CPT in both trial and returned to baseline after CPT(time effect, p < .001). After CPT, brachial systolic BP reactivity to the CPT was attenuated in listening to music trial compared to control trial(p = . 008). As a result of heart rate variability(HRV), the difference values between the baseline and prior to the CPT showed a significant increase in standard deviation of the NN intervals(SDNN), total power(TP) and high frequency(HF) only in the music trial (p = .001, p = .002, p = .011). The difference value between prior to and after the CPT did not show significance. But compared with the control trial, the music trial was confirmed that SDNN, TP and HF were more activated. Therefore, listening to music alleviated anxiety and tension before the CPT, and it is estimated that it had a favorable effect on stability after the CPT. This findings showed that listening to music may have a positive effect on brachial systolic BP and HRV to sympathoexcitation.