• 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.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 1988

Cytolysin produced by Vibrio vulnificus ATCC 27562 was partially purified by sequential ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration with Sephadex G-200, and ion exchange chromatography with DEAE-Sephadex. The partially purified cytolysin was inactivated by cholesterol. More than one molecule of the cytolysin was required to lyse a single erythrocyts. The antiserum against cytolysin enhanced the survival ratio of mice infected with low dose of V. vulnificus.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.966-967
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• 2005

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.203-208
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• 2020

The involvement of antifreeze proteins (AFPs; type I and III) in the germination of low temperature-treated petunia seeds (cv. 'Mirage Rose') was investigated. The addition of AFPs (300 or 500 ㎍/l) in low-temperature treatment significantly promoted the germination of seeds compared with that in which AFPs were not added. Among all treatments, treatment with AFP I added at 300 ㎍/l showed the highest germination percentage and improved plant growth. The expression levels of antioxidant-related genes such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and proline synthesis were associated with the germination of low temperature-treated seeds. Overall, this study demonstrated that AFP I may potentially function as a cold-protective agent for the germination of low temperature-treated seeds.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2017

Purpose: To investigate differences in clinical features, blood/urinary findings, and prognosis in different age groups of patients with Henoch-$Sch{\ddot{o}}nlein$ purpura (HSP). Methods: A total of 469 patients with HSP were analyzed retrospectively from June 2003 to February 2016. We classified patients into child or adult groups based on their age. Results: The adult group had more patients with anemia (child vs. adult; 7.5% vs. 16.4%), and higher immunoglobulin A (IgA) (30.0% vs. 50.0%) levels, C-reactive protein (34.2% vs. 54.0%) and uric acid (3.1% vs. 12.1%) levels than the child group. The child group was highly positive for Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin M (IgM) (34.4%). More patients in the child group presented with high levels of antistreptolysin O (24.7% vs. 2.9%) and high C4 (11.5% vs. 4.2%). Low C3 (1.1% vs. 10.2%) levels, and renal involvement with gross hematuria (8.6% vs. 21.5 %), nonnephrotic proteinuria (1.1% vs. 11.2%), and nephrotic syndrome (1.1% vs. 6.0%) were common in the adult group. Adults also had poorer renal outcomes [persistent hematuria/proteinuria (10.5% vs. 32.8%), and chronic kidney disease (0% vs. 11.2%)] than the child group. Risk factors for renal involvement such as older age and higher level of uric acid were only found in the child group. The risk factors for poor renal outcome were nephrotic syndrome in the child group and gross hematuria in the adult group. Conclusion: In this study, child and adult groups presented with different clinical manifestations of HSP. We found that risk factors for renal involvement included age and high uric acid level in the child group. Moreover, nephrotic syndrome in the child group and gross hematuria in the adult group increased the risk of poor renal outcome.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.81-91
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• 2018

A counterfeit product is a product that pretends to be a genuine product by pretending to be false. It can also be called a counterfeit product. This study attempts to investigate how such illegal floods of counterfeit goods affect online shopping consumers. In addition, the accessibility of various product reviews on the internet is increasing, and the product reviews are divided into positive and negative reviews, affecting the information that the customer has already, and the influence of the information acceptance on the purchase intention depending on the product involvement Respectively. Therefore, the focus of this study was to examine whether the information presentation about counterfeit products affects consumers' purchase intention, review direction (positive / negative), and involvement (high / low) control the information about counterfeit products. Therefore, this study has shown that it provides a marketing strategy to increase the intention to purchase products and products in online companies and stores in a situation where information about counterfeits is exposed to online consumers in China market.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.62-75
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• 2014

The importance of VMD operation strategies in fashion business is growing, and this study analyzed the difference in consumers' VMD cognition of the two VMD operation systems: VMD specialist employment system and VMD outsourcing system. Two SPA brands were selected as the representative cases of the two VMD operation systems. A statistical analysis was performed using data collected from a total of 206 university and graduate students from an experimental study. Paired t-test and independent t-test were used for the analysis. The results are as follow: First, consumers' VMD cognition of the two VMD operating systems were different, and the VMD specialist employment system was valued higher than the VMD outsourcing system in all cognition dimensions. Second, the VMD specialist employment system was valued generally higher than the VMD outsourcing system regardless of gender, clothing involvement, and VMD interest of consumers. Third, the VMD specialist employment system was valued higher than the VMD outsourcing system in the following aesthetic aspects: harmony, attractiveness, and fashionable dimensions by the male, low involvement, and the VMD interested consumers. Fourth, the VMD outsourcing system was valued higher than the VMD specialist employment system in the appropriateness and the functionality dimensions by females and the high-involvement consumers, It also scored higher in the fashionable and attractive dimensions by the VMD interested consumers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3551-3557
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• 2015

Background: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a heterogeneous type of neoplasm of the lymphatic system. To have a more accurate and early diagnosis we need to know signs, symptoms and complications of lymphoma in early stages besides pathology and immunohistochemistry. Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 110 cases of NHL that were followed since February 2012 till November 2013. Biopsies were taken from all the patients besides bone marrow study. Signs and symptoms were categorized into "B" symptoms, general, lymphadenopathy and extranodal involvement and we compared the frequencies by stage and grade. Results: Of 110 cases, 88.9% had B-cell and 11.1% T-cell type with mean age $48.5{\pm}18.6$ years. "B" symptoms and lymphadenopathy were more common in men. Cervical lymphadenopathy was the most common sign (44.8%). and hematologic, bone marrow, bone and neurologic lesions were the most common complications. All complications were more common in males. "B" symptoms were seen mostly in stage III, general signs and symptoms in stage IV, and lymphadenopathy in stage II. Intermediate grade was also the most common in all signs and symptoms. In this study 12 (10.9%) patients had relapse, with neurologic and bone marrow as the most common sites of tumor recurrence. Conclusions: There is a meaningful relationship between male gender for NHL and anemia that can be due in part to higher incidence of bone marrow involvement and stage IV disease in male cases. We also found a strong relationship between low grade NHL and age. On the other hand extranodal involvement is more common in female groups.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.32-35
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• 1993

During the period from September 1989 through December 1992, 118 cases of coronary arterial bypass graft were performed at Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Asan Medical Center. Twenty-one of these had history of recent or remote percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. They consisted of 13 males[age,58.7 + 5.4 years] and 8 females[age, 63.6 + 2.8years] with the mean age of 60.6. History of old myocardial infarction was noted in 24%[5/21] of the patients and congestive heart failure in 2 cases. The angina by type of presentation is unstable in all of the patients. The patterns of involvement of coronary arterial disease were left main disease[1], single vessel disease[5], double vessel involvement[10], and triple vessel involvement[5]. We performed 4 cases of single bypasses, 7 cases of double, 8 cases of triple, and 2 cases of quadruple bypasses. Total of 51 grafts[LIMA:12, RSVG:39] were inserted in 21 cases with average of 2.4 grafts per patient. The methods of myocardial protection were cold blood cardioplegia[8 cases], intermittent aortic occlusion[11], and continuous coronary perfusion with local coronary sharing[2]. There were no operative or late death. The only cardiac complication was 1 case of low cardiac output required IABP. The other complications were 1 case of sternal wound infection and 1 case of postoperative bleeding required reoperation. And there was no case of perioperative myocardial infarction. Postoperatively, 3 cases of recurrent angina were detected at 5, 7, and 18months after surgery. One of them was managed successfully with repeat PTCA[who was recurred 18 months postoperatively], and the other two with medication. I conclude that we can approach the patients more aggressively with PTCA, because of our acceptable operative risks.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.76-80
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• 2012

Eosinophilic infiltration in the liver is not a rare disease and it is usually presented as multiple, small, ill defined, oval or round, low attenuated lesions on portal phase of computed tomography. We reported case of hepatic eosinophilic infiltration in the liver, as an unusual manifestation of segmental involvement.