• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.629-635
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• 2011

Retentions are generally considered to be intended to act as a powerful tool to incentivize contractors/subcontractors to remedy defective work in cases of non-performance. This study attempts to establish the extent to which retentions can be used for this purpose by investigating case law connected with insurance and defective work. One of the significant questions is whether retentions are sufficient to deal with construction defects or value of retentions in the rectification of defects is illusory. The cost to repair a defect may vary depending on a number of components including type, cause, magnitude and the construction stage at which the defect occurs. It is expected that a review of existing cases on defective workmanship will provide an insight on the issues and whether retentions are effective in their intended function. In order to establish their functionality, the study described in this paper investigated 6 construction insurance cases to identify the critical issues and the causes of dispute. It was found that the nature and the cause of defects were different in each case. It was also established that certain defect types not covered by insurance may be covered by retentions - potentially one of the key uses of a retention strategy. It is expected that the findings will assist in forming a view on the quantum of money that may be required paving the way for a first time understanding on a rational basis for setting up retention regime.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.519-528
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• 2007

Although science continues to be a key subject in the education of the majority of young people throughout the world, it is becoming increasingly clear that school science is failing to win the hearts and minds of many of today's younger generation. Researchers have begun to look at ways in which the learning that takes place in museums, science centres and other informal settings can add value to science learning in schools. Four case studies are used to illustrate the potential afforded by informal contexts to research aspects of science learning. The case studies involve: the European Union PENCIL (Permanent European Resource Centre for Informal Learning) project (a network of 14 museums and science centres working with schools to enhance learning in maths and science); a large natural history museum in England; the Tate Modernart gallery in London, and the Outdoor Classroom Action Research Project which involved researchers working in school grounds, field centres and farms. The range of research questions that were asked are examined as are the methodological approaches taken and the methods used to collect and analyse data. Lessons learned from the studies about research in the informal contexts are discussed critically.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.97-102
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• 2024

In this paper, we would like to share our ongoing research on global population and demographic shifts and the corresponding need for diverse responses. As population growth varies worldwide, the pressing issue is the current global housing shortage. The USA alone lacks 4 million homes, underlining the urgency for new construction and renewal of existing. Our focus is primarily on new building processes, which must also incorporate elements of renewal for future sustainability. Our research addresses several key questions: How will roles for construction professionals change? What should be the primary goal of the design process? What types of technologies are currently available, and which aspects of the process can be enhanced with AI? A significant part of our study is exploring sustainable building methods that reduce embodied carbon and increase speed of construction. Our goal is to extend the transition from smart homes to cities, analyzing the evolution towards smart communities and cities. A critical aspect of our research is the 'kit of parts concept, involving prefabrication and modular construction. This approach is essential for both rebuilding and new projects, potentially lowering costs in manufacturing and design for long term. Lastly, we present a detailed comparison of the construction industry with manufacturing.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.107-118
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• 2016

Purpose - Over 90% of Domestic logistics industry is small enterprise and they are experiencing growth stagnation due to price-based competition structure rather than constructing logistics service of high added value. In order to get over this situation and pursue the development of logistics industry, strengthening its competitiveness, through inter-enterprise cooperative network build-up, would be a key alternative. Therefore, in this study, an index for measuring inter-enterprise cooperation level of Joint logistics business will be developed as a typical collaborative business model in logistics industry. Moreover, a strengthening competitiveness method suggests a developmental step and a key management index to mature in logistics industry. Research Design, Data, Methodology - This study is an index development research for measuring inter-enterprise cooperation level of logistics industry. Such a level was measured by performing a survey by targeting enterprises that participated in Joint logistics business. The targeting enterprises are typical cooperative models in logistics industry. Measurement items were developed which were based on the presented items in existing research. Question items were composed of selection type questions as answering Yes/No. They measures implementation status of corporate activity and detailed activity items measuring qualitative level. Total samples were based on 116 enterprise samples including 90 logistics enterprises and 26 shippers. In addition, by evaluating the importance for Joint logistics business recognition with personnel working level, the weight of measuring variable was extracted. This study has built an assessment tools (LPCI) on Joint logistics business cooperation level in a situation where there are no previous studies on joint logistics business, this study is meaningful for other studies. Results - As a result of analyzing LPCI presented in this study, the score of logistics enterprise was represented as 59.9 points based on full score of 100 points and that of shippers as 47.2 points and cooperation level among enterprises participated in Joint logistics business was revealed to be very low. In particular, as a result of measuring the importance between logistics enterprise and shippers, the difference by each measurement standard was represented among those enterprises. This difference is considered to be a key factor that cooperative operational conformity between logistics enterprises and shippers is represented to be low. Conclusions - As most joint logistics business, being promoted at present, is sharing facility and information with joint logistics business, it is hard to find such a joint logistics business in reality based on cooperative business model in main cooperation agents. Therefore, competitiveness of logistics industry could be strengthened by promoting joint logistics business based on their mutual cooperation among enterprises. In other words, it is to secure sustainable competitiveness of joint logistics business together with creation of new market by inter-enterprise cooperation based on integration of basic logistics business.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.272-281
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• 2023

Ecosystem observatories are burgeoning globally in an endeavour to detect national and global scale trends in the state of biodiversity and ecosystems in an era of rapid environmental change. In this paper we highlight the additional importance of regional scale outcomes of such infrastructure, through an introduction to the Great Western Woodlands TERN (Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network) SuperSite, and key findings from three gradient plot networks that are part of this infrastructure. The SuperSite was established in 2012 in the 160,000 km² Great Western Woodlands region, in a collaboration involving 12 organisations. This region is globally significant for its largely intact, diverse landscapes, including the world's largest Mediterranean-climate woodlands and highly diverse sandplain shrublands. The dominant woodland eucalypts are fire-sensitive, requiring hundreds of years to regrow after fire. Old-growth woodlands are highly valued by Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, and managing impacts of climate change and the increasing extent of intense fires are key regional management challenges. Like other TERN SuperSites, the Great Western Woodlands TERN SuperSite includes a core eddy-covariance flux tower measuring exchanges of carbon, water and energy between the vegetation and atmosphere, along with additional environmental and biodiversity monitoring around the tower. The broader SuperSite incorporates three gradient plot networks. Two of these represent aridity gradients, in sandplains and woodlands, informing regional climate adaptation and biodiversity management by characterising biodiversity turnover along spatial climate gradients and acting as sentinels for ecosystem change over time. For example, the sandplains transect has demonstrated extremely high spatial turnover rates in plant species, that challenge traditional approaches to biodiversity conservation. The third gradient plot network represents a 400-year fire-age gradient in Eucalyptus salubris woodlands. It has enabled characterisation of post-fire recovery of vegetation, birds and invertebrates over multi-century timeframes, and provided tools that are directly informing management to reduce stand-replacing fires in eucalypt woodlands. By building regional partnerships and applying globally or nationally consistent methodologies to regional scale questions, ecological observatories have the power not only to detect national and global scale trends in biodiversity and ecosystems, but to directly inform environmental decisions that are critical at regional scales.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.58
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• pp.201-243
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• 2018

Understanding the theory of how a religion accepts the perspective on death is a prerequisite to grasp the identity and characteristics of such religion. Furthermore, contemplating the perspective on death, itself has a significant meaning as the contemplation provides an insight on how religion has, currently is and how it would influence the practical life of the human race. This current study compares and analyzes the perspective on death accepted by New Religions of Jeungsan, Confucianism and Taoism. By comparing the perspectives on death, this study seeks to conclude the similarity and discrepancy of New Religions of Jeungsan, Confucianism and Taoism. The objective of this study is to summarize the religious characteristic and identity of New Religions of Jeungsan, and the social role of New Religions of Jeungsan. How does New Religions of Jeungsan preach afterlife? This question implies varieties of questions including: In what shape or form does human exist in afterlife?; Does human maintain their original identity in afterlife?; What happens to relations with family members in afterlife?; What is one's role in afterlife, and what would one experience in afterlife? or Does soul transmigrate or are reborn? This current study compares the answers to these questions one by one with Confucianism and Taoism.In general, this current study was conducted with a non-religious methodology. Death can be explained in three different domains: the psychological domain explaining the individual psychological awareness upon encountering death; the philosophical-religious domain explaining the death through the philosophical understanding of the human concept; and the socio-cultural domain explaining death through the social ceremonies upon death.This current study focuses on the philosophical domain of the perspective on death accepted by New Religions of Jeungsan, with a comparison of the socio-cultural significance. To understand the perspective on death preached by New Religions of Jeungsan, It is indispensable to explain the five key elements of Hon(魂), Baek (魄), Shin(神), Young(靈) and Seon(仙) that construe death. The perspective on death preached by New Religions of Jeungsan imposes a multi layer of acceptance and overcoming. This current study complements the problems and limits of previous studies by comparison with Confucianism and Taoism. Throughout this process, this current study intends to highlight the key elements of the perspective on death preached by Deasunjinrihoe, and identify the aspects of each key element. With the sophisticated discussion of the perspective on death provided by New Religions of Jeungsan with clarity, this current study will provide grounds for future studies to extract, in detail, the aspects of the perspective on death preached by New Religions of Jeungsan, in further subjects including: discussions on death such as rituals for death, treatment of bodies, funerals, educating death, euthanasia, or suicide; discussions on the existence of hell; discussions on psychological aspects of ones who encounter death; or discussions on rebirth of those who died during the creation era. This current study will provide an overview on what kind of perspective on death does those who are faithful to New Religions of Jeungsan have and currently are living their life with.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.288-301
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• 2016

This paper employed typology and stratification as key elements to estimate quality evaluation of vinegar drink through Delphi and AHP(analytical hierarchical process) method to contribute the market expansion of the vinegar drink as a health drink. Through literature research and brainstorming with professionals, the first round of Delphi method was conducted with the open-ended questions including five upper concepts, i.e. 'ingredients', 'production method', 'product characteristics', 'functions' and 'packaging design'. Original study had 50 lower concepts as a result of the first round and added 'marketing' as an additional upper concept. The second and third round of Delphi method have been conducted with closed-ended questions based on the 50 lower concepts resulted from the first round. To seek concordant objectivity among the answers from the survey, the study used Kendall's W coefficient of concordance. 11 items were removed while 16 items were removed at the third round leaving 23 items through second round of Delphi method. For the final round, this study utilized the Pairwise Comparison Method to figure out the relative importance of the 23 items for the prioritization. Finally, current study formulated the final items which should be considered as an important factor in the quality evaluation of vinegar drink.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.169-183
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• 2023

This study analyzed students' polar literacy in an effort to promote polar education based on its high educational value. The polar literacy test items developed for this study consisted of questions about knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs about the polar region, as well as background variables of students. The final test items, which were revised and supplemented several times through the preliminary test, were applied to 323 eighth graders in South Korea. We analyzed the response characteristics of the polar literacy questions for all students. Students were grouped into those with a global citizenship perspective and those with a pragmatic perspective, according to the viewpoint of polar issues and their polar literacy. Analysis showed that the students had a high understanding of climate change and living things in the polar regions, but had a very low understanding of ice, which is a key component of the polar regions. Moreover, they were unable to approach the Earth system thinking when dealing with polar issues. In addition, the global citizenship group had a higher intellectual understanding and deeper sympathy of the polar problem than the pragmatic group. This study is meaningful in that the survey results present a specific direction for future polar education.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.228-240
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• 2023

Growing complexity in ecosystem structure and functions, under impacts of climate and land-use changes, requires interdisciplinary understandings of processes and the whole-system, and accurate estimates of the changing functions. In the last three decades, observation networks for biodiversity, ecosystems, and ecosystem functions under climate change, have been developed by interested scientists, research institutions and universities. In this paper we will review (1) the development and on-going activities of those observation networks, (2) some outcomes from forest carbon cycle studies at our super-site "Takayama site" in Japan, and (3) a few ideas how we connect in-situ and satellite observations as well as fill observation gaps in the Asia-Oceania region. There have been many intensive research and networking efforts to promote investigations for ecosystem change and functions (e.g., Long-Term Ecological Research Network), measurements of greenhouse gas, heat, and water fluxes (flux network), and biodiversity from genetic to ecosystem level (Biodiversity Observation Network). Combining those in-situ field research data with modeling analysis and satellite remote sensing allows the research communities to up-scale spatially from local to global, and temporally from the past to future. These observation networks oftern use different methodologies and target different scientific disciplines. However growing needs for comprehensive observations to understand the response of biodiversity and ecosystem functions to climate and societal changes at local, national, regional, and global scales are providing opportunities and expectations to network these networks. Among the challenges to produce and share integrated knowledge on climate, ecosystem functions and biodiversity, filling scale-gaps in space and time among the phenomena is crucial. To showcase such efforts, interdisciplinary research at 'Takayama super-site' was reviewed by focusing on studies on forest carbon cycle and phenology. A key approach to respond to multidisciplinary questions is to integrate in-situ field research, ecosystem modeling, and satellite remote sensing by developing cross-scale methodologies at long-term observation field sites called "super-sites". The research approach at 'Takayama site' in Japan showcases this response to the needs of multidisciplinary questions and further development of terrestrial ecosystem research to address environmental change issues from local to national, regional and global scales.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.745-753
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• 2008

Gene-manipulated mice were discovered for the first time about a quarter century ago. Since then, numerous sophisticated technologies have been developed and applied to answer key questions about the fundamental roles of the genes of interest. Functional genomics can be characterized into gain-of-function and loss-of-function, which are called transgenic and knock-out studies, respectively. To make transgenic mice, the most widely used technique is the microinjection of transgene-containing vectors into the embryonic pronucleus. However, there are critical drawbacks: namely position effects, integration of unknown copies of a foreign gene, and instability of the foreign DNA within the host genome. To overcome these problems, the ROSA26 locus was used for the knock-in site of a transgene. Usage of this locus is discussed for the gain of function study as well as for several brilliant approaches such as conditional/inducible transgenic system, reproducible/inducible knockdown system, specific cell ablation by Cre-mediated expression of DTA, Cre-ERTM mice as a useful tool for temporal gene regulation, MORE mice as a germ line delete and site specific recombinase system. Techniques to make null mutant mice include complicated steps: vector design and construction, colony selection of embryonic stem (ES) cells, production of chimera mice, confirmation of germ line transmission, and so forth. It is tedious and labor intensive work and difficult to approach. Thus, it is not readily accessible by most researchers. In order to overcome such limitations, technical breakthroughs such as reporter knock-in and gene knock-out system, production of homozygous mutant ES cells from a single targeting vector, and production of mutant mice from tetraploid embryos are developed. With these upcoming progresses, it is important to consider how we could develop these systems further and expand to other animal models such as pigs and monkeys that have more physiological similarities to humans.