• Title/Summary/Keyword: assessment and evaluation

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Assessment of Compensator Thickness in Proton Therapy (양성자 치료 시 사용되는 Compensator의 Thickness에 대한 적정성 평가)

  • Park, Yong Soo;Jang, Jun Yeong;Cho, Gwang Hyeon;Park, Yong Cheol;Choi, Byeong Ki
    • The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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    • v.30 no.1_2
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    • pp.35-40
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    • 2018
  • Purpose : The range of force differs from the size of proton energy used in our hospital. The compensator enables to change energy size based on distal thickness which also makes changes in dose rate. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of changing the thickness of compensator distal on dose range and beam on time. Subject and Methodology : Five low energy patients who have received proton therapy were selected as subjects for this study. Beam on was checked for the selected patients during the existing therapy. After then, the thickness of distal of compensator was increased by 2 cm up to 14 cm through proton therapy plan system(TPS) for comparative analysis. For the evaluation of dose range, the value of the target's conformity index(CI) and the maximum dose of rear side target's organ at risk(OAR) were compared. Furthermore, to evaluate the effect of therapy time, beam on time was compared by making compensator distal in each thickness. Result : The result of homogeneity index and conformity index of the increased compensator distal showed the same level in all patients. The comparison results of OAR of target rear side showed 7 cGy at spine cord of abdomen at maximum, 88 cGy at eyeball's RT lens, 391 cGy at RT lens of nasal cavity 51 cGy at trachea of the mediastinum, and 661 cGy at a small bowl of the pelvis. The comparison results of the beam on time showed a reduction from 126 seconds to 62 seconds for the abdomen, from 105 seconds to 37 seconds for the eyeball, from 187 seconds to 134 seconds for nasal cavity, from 100 seconds to 40 seconds for mediastinum, from 440 seconds to 118 seconds for the pelvis. Conclusion : The research result showed that as the distal thickness of compensator increased, the size of energy increased. In addition, beam on decreased due to the increase of dose rate. It is expected that the result would help reduce the treatment time and increase the convenience of patients if it is applied to liver patients who need respiratorygated therapy and pediatric patients. However, distal penumbra increased as the size energy increased. Therefore, in treating cases where OAR is in the vicinity of the target rear side, the influence of penumbra should be taken into account in adjusting thickness level of the compensator in proton therapy plan.

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Evaluation of waterlogging tolerance using chlorophyll fluorescence reaction in the seedlings of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) accessions (엽록소 형광반응을 이용한 인삼 유전자원의 습해 스트레스 평가)

  • Jee, Moo Geun;Hong, Young Ki;Kim, Sun Ick;Park, Yong Chan;Lee, Ka Soon;Jang, Won Suk;Kwon, A Reum;Seong, Bong Jae;Kim, Me-Sun;Cho, Yong-Gu
    • Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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    • v.49 no.3
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    • pp.240-249
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    • 2022
  • Measuring chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) is a useful tool for assessing a plant's ability to tolerate abiotic stresses such as drought, waterlogging and high temperature. Korean ginseng is highly sensitive to water stress in paddy fields. To evaluate the possibility of non-destructively diagnosing waterlogging stress using chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) imaging techniques, we screened 57 ginseng accessions for waterlogging tolerance. To evaluate waterlogging tolerance among the 2-year-old Korean ginseng accessions, we treated ginseng plants with water stress for 25 days. The physiological disorder rate was characterized through visual assessment (an assigned score of 0-5). The physiological disorder rates of Geumjin, Geumsun and GS00-58 were lower than that of other accessions. In contrast, lines GS97-62, GS97-69 and GS98-1-5 were deemed susceptible. Root traits, chlorophyll content and the reduction rates decreased in most ginseng accessions. Further, these metrics were significantly lower in susceptible genotypes compared to resistant ones. All CF parameters showed a positive or negative response to waterlogging stress, and this response continuously increased over the treatment time among the genotypes. The CF parameter Fv/Fm was used to screen the 57 accessions, and the results showed clear differences in Fv/Fm between the susceptible and resistant genotypes. Susceptible genotypes had an especially low Fv/Fm value of less than 0.8, reflecting damage to the reaction center of photosystem II. It is concluded that Fv/Fm can be used as a CF parameter index for screening waterlogging stress tolerance in ginseng genotypes.

A preliminary assessment of high-spatial-resolution satellite rainfall estimation from SAR Sentinel-1 over the central region of South Korea (한반도 중부지역에서의 SAR Sentinel-1 위성강우량 추정에 관한 예비평가)

  • Nguyen, Hoang Hai;Jung, Woosung;Lee, Dalgeun;Shin, Daeyun
    • Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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    • v.55 no.6
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    • pp.393-404
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    • 2022
  • Reliable terrestrial rainfall observations from satellites at finer spatial resolution are essential for urban hydrological and microscale agricultural demands. Although various traditional "top-down" approach-based satellite rainfall products were widely used, they are limited in spatial resolution. This study aims to assess the potential of a novel "bottom-up" approach for rainfall estimation, the parameterized SM2RAIN model, applied to the C-band SAR Sentinel-1 satellite data (SM2RAIN-S1), to generate high-spatial-resolution terrestrial rainfall estimates (0.01° grid/6-day) over Central South Korea. Its performance was evaluated for both spatial and temporal variability using the respective rainfall data from a conventional reanalysis product and rain gauge network for a 1-year period over two different sub-regions in Central South Korea-the mixed forest-dominated, middle sub-region and cropland-dominated, west coast sub-region. Evaluation results indicated that the SM2RAIN-S1 product can capture general rainfall patterns in Central South Korea, and hold potential for high-spatial-resolution rainfall measurement over the local scale with different land covers, while less biased rainfall estimates against rain gauge observations were provided. Moreover, the SM2RAIN-S1 rainfall product was better in mixed forests considering the Pearson's correlation coefficient (R = 0.69), implying the suitability of 6-day SM2RAIN-S1 data in capturing the temporal dynamics of soil moisture and rainfall in mixed forests. However, in terms of RMSE and Bias, better performance was obtained with the SM2RAIN-S1 rainfall product over croplands rather than mixed forests, indicating that larger errors induced by high evapotranspiration losses (especially in mixed forests) need to be included in further improvement of the SM2RAIN.

Molecular-epidemiologic study on outbreak of colonization by extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in neonatal intensive care unit (신생아 중환자실에서 extended spectrum β-lactamase를 생성하는 Klebsiella pneumoniae 집단 보균 발생의 분자 역학적 조사 및 추적관찰)

  • Jun, Nu-Lee;Kim, Mi-Na;Jeong, Jae-Sim;Kim, Yang-Soo;Kim, Ellen Ai-Rhan;Kim, Ki-Soo;Pi, Soo-Young
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.49 no.2
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    • pp.150-156
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    • 2006
  • Purpose : The aims of this study included assessment of molecular-epidemiologic features during an outbreak of colonization of extended spectrum ${\beta}$-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae(ESBL-KPN) and re-evaluation of their colonized status one year later. Methods : Rectal swab cultures for ESBL-KPN from all hospitalized infants and newly admitted infants were obtained during the outbreak of colonization from July to December, 2000. The pattern of XbaI-digested chromosomal DNA of isolates were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Weekly rectal swab cultures were obtained during the outbreak until patients were either discharged or decolonized. Patients discharged after being colonized had follow up stool cultures a year later. Results : A total of 80 patients(28.5 percent) were colonized. Of those, 53 whose pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) was possible only once, were ESBL-KPN grouped into six cluster clones and 10 single clones : 28 patients(52.8 percent) were colonized with type A, the most common clone, followed by type B in 11 patients(20.8 percent). Of those 12 patients in whom serial PFGE was done more than twice, type A was predominant. Narrowed-down in strains occurred from types A, B, C, D and three single clones at initiation of the study into types A and type B after three months of strict infection control. Among 75 patients(93.7 percent) who were sent home after being colonized, 30 patients were re-called for stool cultures a year later : All of them were decolonized. Conclusion : This study demonstrates the importance of infection control as the diversity of ESBL-KPN strains could be narrowed into fewer strains. Colonization of ESBL-KPN could be reversed upon return to the community.

Characteristics and Properties of Kombucha Supplemented with Herbal Ingredients (한방재 첨가 콤부차의 성상 및 특성)

  • Hye Myoung Ko;Sung Soo Park
    • Journal of Naturopathy
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    • v.13 no.1
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    • pp.42-50
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    • 2024
  • Background: Kombucha, originating from Northeast Asia, is a fermented beverage produced by fermenting black tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, renowned for its myriad health benefits. The augmentation of its health-promoting attributes, particularly antioxidant properties, through the integration of medicinal herb extracts, has gained attention in recent research. Purpose: The objective of this research was to explore the potential enhancement of the antioxidant properties of kombucha through the addition of hot water extracts from selected 7 medicinal herbs native to Jeju Island. Additionally, the study aimed to ascertain the successful transfer of active herbal ingredients into the kombucha. Methods: The methodology entailed the hot water extraction of the aforementioned medicinal herbs followed by their incorporation into the kombucha during a secondary fermentation phase. The assessment criteria included the analysis of the kombucha's physical characteristics post-fermentation, the quantification of sugar content, and the evaluation of antioxidant using DPPH, ABTS assays. The presence of specific active compounds(EGCG, 2,5-DHAP) was verified using HPLC and SDS-Gel Electrophoresis. Results: The findings indicated a successful fermentation process, as evidenced by an increase in reducing sugars. Moreover, the kombucha exhibited notable antioxidant activities post-fermentation, which implies the effective infusion of the herbal extracts' properties into the beverage. HPLC and electrophoresis analysis confirmed the assimilation of key active ingredients from the herbs into the kombucha. Conclusions: This study substantiates the premise that the enrichment of kombucha with hot water extracts from Jeju Island's medicinal herbs enhances its antioxidant properties. The successful integration of these herbal components into kombucha not only amplifies its health benefits but also contributes to the expansion of the functional beverage sector within the domains of health and alternative medicine.

The Spatial Disparity of Opportunity Potentials in Korea (한국 도시의 경제 $\cdot$ 문화 $\cdot$ 사회 복지적 기회 잠재력의 지역적 격차)

  • Choi, Yoon-Jeong;Lee, Keumsook
    • Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.91-105
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    • 2005
  • The assessment (or the evaluation) of spatial disparity is the main concern for the study of spatial disparities or spatial inequalities. In order to evaluate the spatial disparity, the regional differences have to be counted quantitatively. Several measurements have been introduced for evaluating the development potentials of each region. Most of them are the composite indices of the socio-economic variables rather than the real potentials of the region. This study attempts to investigate the spatial disparity in Korea. For the purpose, the levels of opportunity potentials of the cities have been calculated by the Potential Model redefined by Lee(1995). The opportunity potentials have been calculated for the educational, cultural, medical service, environmental sectors, income, and consumption sectors, and the spatial patterns of various opportunity potentials have been analyzed. The spatial patterns of opportunity potentials show the severe concentration on the Metropolitan Seoul area through all sectors. The next level concentration appears at the other end of the Keuyng-Bu axis. And the cities relatively high opportunity potential values are distributed along the Keuyng-Bu axis. Remain parts of the country show quietly low opportunity potential values. In particular, the southern-west and the northern-east parts show relatively very low values. This pattern appears for all sectors except for the opportunity potential of the environmental sector. It means that the spatial disparity in Korea have been promoted and enhanced by the national development policies concentrated the investment on the large cities along the Keuyng-Bu axis during the last 40 years.

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Evaluation of Magnetization Transfer Ratio Imaging by Phase Sensitive Method in Knee Joint (슬관절 부위에서 자화전이 위상감도법에 의한 자화전이율 영상 평가)

  • Yoon, Moon-Hyun;Seung, Mi-Sook;Choe, Bo-Young
    • Progress in Medical Physics
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    • v.19 no.4
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    • pp.269-275
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    • 2008
  • Although MR imaging is generally applicable to depict knee joint deterioration it, is sometimes occurred to mis-read and mis-diagnose the common knee joint diseases. In this study, we employed magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) method to improve the diagnosis of the various knee joint diseases. Spin-echo (SE) T2-weighted images (TR/TE 3,400-3,500/90-100 ms) were obtained in seven cases of knee joint deterioration, FSE T2-weighted images (TR/TE 4,500-5,000/100-108 ms) were obtained in seven cases of knee joint deterioration, gradient-echo (GRE) T2-weighted images (TR/TE 9/4.56/$50^{\circ}$ flip angle, NEX 1) were obtained in 3 cases of knee joint deterioration, In six cases of knee joint deterioration, fat suppression was performed using a T2-weighted short T1/tau inverse recovery (STIR) sequence (TR/TE =2,894-3,215 ms/70 ms, NEX 3, ETL 9). Calculation of MTR for individual pixels was performed on registration of unsaturated and saturated images. After processing to make MTR images, the images were displayed in gray color. For improving diagnosis, three-dimensional isotropic volume images, the MR tristimulus color mapping and the MTR map was employed. MTR images showed diagnostic images quality to assess the patients' pathologies. The intensity difference between MTR images and conventional MRI was seen on the color bar. The profile graph on MTR imaging effect showed a quantitative measure of the relative decrease in signal intensity due to the MT pulse. To diagnose the pathologies of the knee joint, the profile graph data was shown on the image as a small cross. The present study indicated that MTR images in the knee joint were feasible. Investigation of physical change on MTR imaging enables to provide us more insight in the physical and technical basis of MTR imaging. MTR images could be useful for rapid assessment of diseases that we examine unambiguous contrast in MT images of knee disorder patients.

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Comparison of Radiologic Parameters between Weight Bearing Affected Both Ankle and Single Ankle in Ankle Exam (체중부하 상태의 족관절 검사시 양측 족관절 동시 검사와 편측 족관절 검사의 방사선학적 비교)

  • Cha, Sangyoung;Shin, Jaehan;Choi, Namgil
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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    • v.10 no.8
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    • pp.603-610
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    • 2016
  • This study was performed to analyze the results of radiologic parameters compared both leg weight bearing position to single leg weight bearing position in ankle osteoarthritis. Between January 2016 and June 2016, 25 patients (50 ankles) who visited our Hospital to treat ankle pain. In radiographic assessment, We masured tibial anterior surface angle(TAS), tibial medial malleolar angle(TMM), talar tilting angle(TT), joint space width(JSW), tibiotalar joint space, fibulotalar joint space of ankle as radiologic parameters. On the right leg of the both leg weight bearing position, TAS was $87.24^{\circ}$, TT was $6.44^{\circ}$, TMM was $26.76^{\circ}$, fibulotalar joint space was 0.98mm. Right leg of the single leg weight bearing position, TAS was $88.93^{\circ}$, TT was $2.41^{\circ}$, TMM was $19.77^{\circ}$, fibulotalar joint space was 1.6mm. And then, on the left leg of the both leg weight bearing position, TAS was $87.25^{\circ}$, TT was $5.71^{\circ}$, TMM was $23.92^{\circ}$, fibulotalar joint space was 1.22 mm and left leg of the single weight bearing position, TAS was 88.75, TT was $3.19^{\circ}$, TMM $21.45^{\circ}$, fibulotalar joint space was 1.22 mm. There are unsimilarity between measure values of TAS and tibiotalar joint space. As the result of test of weight bearing ankle study, it would be more exact to examine to measure one side in the first time rather than both to conclude on accurate measurement.

Study on the Evaluation CO2 Emission-Absorption of Concrete in the View of Carbonation (콘크리트의 탄산화 관점에서 CO2 배출량-흡수량 평가에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Sang-Hyun;Lee, Sung-Bok;Lee, Han-Seung
    • Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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    • v.21 no.1
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    • pp.85-92
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    • 2009
  • A concrete is considered unfriendly-environmental material because it uses cement which emits much $CO_2$ during producing process. However, a concrete absorbs $CO_2$ through carbonation process during service life. In this paper how much concrete absorbs $CO_2$ through carbonation was calculated using 1) concentration of carbonatable substances in concrete, 2) carbonated volume of concrete, 3) molecular weight of $CO_2$ based on references and the method was proposed. $CO_2$ emission from producing $1m^3$ concrete was calculated based on $CO_2$ emission datum of materials used in concrete. From using these methods that calculate $CO_2$ emission and absorption of concrete, assessment of $CO_2$ emission-absorption against a real apartment was conducted by subtracting absorption $CO_2$ according to service life from $CO_2$ emission in the process of making concrete. As a result, a ratio of absorption over emission of $CO_2$ through concrete carbonation according to service life 40, 60, 80 years was assessed about 3.65, 4.47, 5.18%. An objective of this study is to propose how to calculate emission - absorption of $CO_2$ from producing and using concrete. Although the result value, emission - absorption of $CO_2$, is 5.18% very low when the service life of an apartment is 80years, the value can be improved by reducing emission from using blended cement such as blast furnace slag or increasing replacement ratio of cement and increasing carbonated volume of concrete from expanding service life of a building. This study may be useful when $CO_2$ emission - absorption of concrete is evaluated in the further study.

Electronic Word-of-Mouth in B2C Virtual Communities: An Empirical Study from CTrip.com (B2C허의사구중적전자구비(B2C虚拟社区中的电子口碑): 관우휴정려유망적실증연구(关于携程旅游网的实证研究))

  • Li, Guoxin;Elliot, Statia;Choi, Chris
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.262-268
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    • 2010
  • Virtual communities (VCs) have developed rapidly, with more and more people participating in them to exchange information and opinions. A virtual community is a group of people who may or may not meet one another face to face, and who exchange words and ideas through the mediation of computer bulletin boards and networks. A business-to-consumer virtual community (B2CVC) is a commercial group that creates a trustworthy environment intended to motivate consumers to be more willing to buy from an online store. B2CVCs create a social atmosphere through information contribution such as recommendations, reviews, and ratings of buyers and sellers. Although the importance of B2CVCs has been recognized, few studies have been conducted to examine members' word-of-mouth behavior within these communities. This study proposes a model of involvement, statistics, trust, "stickiness," and word-of-mouth in a B2CVC and explores the relationships among these elements based on empirical data. The objectives are threefold: (i) to empirically test a B2CVC model that integrates measures of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors; (ii) to better understand the nature of these relationships, specifically through word-of-mouth as a measure of revenue generation; and (iii) to better understand the role of stickiness of B2CVC in CRM marketing. The model incorporates three key elements concerning community members: (i) their beliefs, measured in terms of their involvement assessment; (ii) their attitudes, measured in terms of their satisfaction and trust; and, (iii) their behavior, measured in terms of site stickiness and their word-of-mouth. Involvement is considered the motivation for consumers to participate in a virtual community. For B2CVC members, information searching and posting have been proposed as the main purpose for their involvement. Satisfaction has been reviewed as an important indicator of a member's overall community evaluation, and conceptualized by different levels of member interactions with their VC. The formation and expansion of a VC depends on the willingness of members to share information and services. Researchers have found that trust is a core component facilitating the anonymous interaction in VCs and e-commerce, and therefore trust-building in VCs has been a common research topic. It is clear that the success of a B2CVC depends on the stickiness of its members to enhance purchasing potential. Opinions communicated and information exchanged between members may represent a type of written word-of-mouth. Therefore, word-of-mouth is one of the primary factors driving the diffusion of B2CVCs across the Internet. Figure 1 presents the research model and hypotheses. The model was tested through the implementation of an online survey of CTrip Travel VC members. A total of 243 collected questionnaires was reduced to 204 usable questionnaires through an empirical process of data cleaning. The study's hypotheses examined the extent to which involvement, satisfaction, and trust influence B2CVC stickiness and members' word-of-mouth. Structural Equation Modeling tested the hypotheses in the analysis, and the structural model fit indices were within accepted thresholds: ${\chi}^2^$/df was 2.76, NFI was .904, IFI was .931, CFI was .930, and RMSEA was .017. Results indicated that involvement has a significant influence on satisfaction (p<0.001, ${\beta}$=0.809). The proportion of variance in satisfaction explained by members' involvement was over half (adjusted $R^2$=0.654), reflecting a strong association. The effect of involvement on trust was also statistically significant (p<0.001, ${\beta}$=0.751), with 57 percent of the variance in trust explained by involvement (adjusted $R^2$=0.563). When the construct "stickiness" was treated as a dependent variable, the proportion of variance explained by the variables of trust and satisfaction was relatively low (adjusted $R^2$=0.331). Satisfaction did have a significant influence on stickiness, with ${\beta}$=0.514. However, unexpectedly, the influence of trust was not even significant (p=0.231, t=1.197), rejecting that proposed hypothesis. The importance of stickiness in the model was more significant because of its effect on e-WOM with ${\beta}$=0.920 (p<0.001). Here, the measures of Stickiness explain over eighty of the variance in e-WOM (Adjusted $R^2$=0.846). Overall, the results of the study supported the hypothesized relationships between members' involvement in a B2CVC and their satisfaction with and trust of it. However, trust, as a traditional measure in behavioral models, has no significant influence on stickiness in the B2CVC environment. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on B2CVCs, specifically addressing gaps in the academic research by integrating measures of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors in one model. The results provide additional insights to behavioral factors in a B2CVC environment, helping to sort out relationships between traditional measures and relatively new measures. For practitioners, the identification of factors, such as member involvement, that strongly influence B2CVC member satisfaction can help focus technological resources in key areas. Global e-marketers can develop marketing strategies directly targeting B2CVC members. In the global tourism business, they can target Chinese members of a B2CVC by providing special discounts for active community members or developing early adopter programs to encourage stickiness in the community. Future studies are called for, and more sophisticated modeling, to expand the measurement of B2CVC member behavior and to conduct experiments across industries, communities, and cultures.