• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2013.01a
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• pp.467-474
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• 2013

Construction contactors must continuously seek to improve their cash flows, which reside at the heart of their financial success. They require careful planning, analysis, and optimization to avoid the risk of bankruptcy, remain profitable, and secure long-term growth. Sources of cash include bank loans and retained earnings, which are conceptually similar in that they both incur a cost of capital. Financial management therefore requires accurate yet customizable modeling capabilities that can quantify all expenses, including said cost of capital. However, currently existing cash flow models in construction engineering and management have strongly simplified the manner in which interest is assessed, which may even lead to overstating it at a disadvantage to contractors. The variable nature of cash balances, especially in the early phases of construction projects, contribute to this challenging issue. This research therefore extends a new cash flow model with an accurate interest calculation. It utilizes singularity functions, so called because of their ability to flexibly model changes across any number of different ranges. The interest function is continuous for activity costs of any duration and allows the realistic case that activities may begin between integer time periods, which are often calendar months. Such fractional interest calculation has hitherto been lacking from the literature. It also provides insights into the self-referential behavior of compound interest for variable cash balances. The contribution of this study is twofold; augmenting the corpus of financial analysis theory with a new interest formula, whose strengths include its generic nature and that it can be evaluated at any fractional value of time, and providing construction managers with a tool to help improve and fine-tune the financial performance of their projects.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.177-197
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• 2023

The rent seeking behavior of monopolistic online platform enterprises against digital contents suppliers is similar to the importing countries transfers the monopoly profit acquired by exporting companies in the imperfectly competitive market through optimal tariffs. If such an optimal tariffs imposing mechanism of importing countries, according to so-called strategic trade policy theories, is applied to the rent-seeking behavior of online platform companies, important insights can be obtained in discussions on regulatory reform. In other words, if an online platform enterprises impose a differentiated fee on each contents-suppliers in a monopolistically competitive markets that pursues contents differentiation through R&D investment, it would reduce the innovation investment by contents suppliers. Nevertheless, profit-maximizing online platform enterprises would not voluntarily give up the discriminatory fee system. Therefore, we would like to propose the introduction of a regulation that can force the introduction of an non-discriminatory fee system for all the contents suppliers.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.15-28
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• 2023

This study examined the affective representation and response consistency among individuals using affective videos, a naturalistic stimulus inducing emotional experiences most similar to those in daily life. In this study, multidimensional scaling was conducted to investigate whether the various affective representations induced through video stimuli are located in the core affect dimensions. A cross-participant classification analysis was also performed to verify whether the video stimuli are well classified. Additionally, the newly developed intersubject correlation analysis was conducted to assess the consistency of affective representations across participant responses. Multidimensional scaling revealed that the video stimuli are represented well in the valence dimension, partially supporting Russell (1980)'s core affect theory. The classification results showed that affective conditions were successfully classified across participant responses. Moreover, the intersubject correlation analysis showed that the consistency of affective representations to video stimuli differed with respect to the condition. This study suggests that the affective representations and consistency of individual responses to affective videos varied across different affective conditions.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.154-162
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• 2008

Signals in an underwater channel get distorted by multipath propagation. In this paper, pre-coding method is suggested which helps comprehending the signals with minimum equalization. The signals are transformed based on the knowledge of the impulse response of the channel. Proposed pre-coding method is tested by simulations based on the ray theory and through water tank experiments. In weak multipath environment, in case of an SNR of about 20 dB, BER is $10^{-3}{\sim}10^{-4}$, while in strong multipath environment, similar BER is achieved with SNR of about 30 dB. In order for the pre-coding method to be used for underwater vehicles, channel prediction method utilizing the waveguide invariant is suggested and tested.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.117-126
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• 2024

Background and Purpose: The Korean-Mini Mental State Examination, 2nd edition (K-MMSE~2) was recently released. This study aimed to determine whether the K-MMSE~2: Standard Version (K-MMSE~2:SV) had the same test characteristics as the K-MMSE. Methods: A total of 1,514 healthy community-based participants aged 19 to 90 years were administered the K-MMSE~2:SV Blue Form along with the language items from the K-MMSE. The item and test characteristics and test information for the K-MMSE~2:SV and K-MMSE were compared using Item Response Theory analysis. Results: Item discriminations for the K-MMSE~2:SV and K-MMSE were above the moderate range for all items except Recall. Most of the items on the K-MMSE~2:SV and K-MMSE had item category difficulty in the very easy or easy range. The test information curve (TIC) showed that the K-MMSE~2:SV and K-MMSE provide almost the same amount of information (27.86 vs. 28.44), with both tests providing the most information at an ability level of -1.57. The generalizability (G) coefficient for the K-MMSE~2:SV and K-MMSE was 0.99. Conclusions: These results indicate that the K-MMSE~2:SV and K-MMSE are equally optimal tests for screening for mild cognitive impairment and early dementia. Given that the amount of test information provided by the two tests was almost identical, the shapes of the TICs were very similar, and the G coefficient was close to 1, we can conclude that the K-MMSE and K-MMSE~2:SV are equivalent tests.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.489-506
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• 2024

Excavation of tunnels below the groundwater table changes the hydraulic boundary conditions, causing flow towards the excavation face. Inflow into a tunnel is generally influenced by pre-excavation grouting, shotcrete lining, drainage system implementation, and the hydraulic deterioration of the drainage system. From the perspective of continuum theory, the groundwater inflow behavior due to excavation is very similar to the tunnel excavation behavior known as the convergence-confinement method. The groundwater inflow behavior due to tunnel excavation can be explained by the hydraulic convergence, while the behavior of shotcrete lining in limiting inflow can be inferred as hydraulic confinement. This study investigates the hydraulic convergence and confinement behavior using theoretical and numerical methods due to tunnelling. It is confirmed that the hydraulic convergence-confinement is exactly the same as the mechanical convergence-confinement concept. It is identified that the behavior is governed by the tunnel geometry, grout thickness and permeability, as well as the thickness and permeability of the support materials, such as shotcrete.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.369-383
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• 2024

Annular nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS) in intelligent prosthetic hands enhance precision by serving as highly sensitive sensors for detecting pressure, vibrations, and deformations. This improves feedback and control, enabling users to modulate grip strength and tactile interaction with objects more effectively, enhancing prosthetic functionality. This research focuses on the electro-thermal buckling behavior of multi-directional poroelastic annular NEMS used as temperature sensors in airplanes. In the present study, thermal buckling performance of nano-scale annular functionally graded plate structures integrated with piezoelectric layers under electrical and extreme thermal loadings is investigated. In this regard, piezoelectric layers are placed on a disk made of metal matrix composite with graded properties in three radials, thickness and circumferential directions. The grading properties obey the power-law distribution. The whole structure is embedded in thermal environment. To model the mechanical behavior of the structure, a novel four-variable refined quasi-3D sinusoidal shear deformation theory (RQ-3DSSDT) is engaged in obtaining displacement field in the whole structure. The validity of the results is examined by comparing to a similar problem published in literature. The results of the buckling behavior of the structure in different boundary conditions are presented based on the critical temperature rise and critical external voltage. It is demonstrated that increase in the nonlocal and gradient length scale factor have contradicting effects on the critical temperature rise. On the other hand, increase in the applied external voltage cause increase in the critical temperature. Effects of other parameters like geometrical parameters and grading indices are presented and discussed in details.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.323-334
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• 2024

This paper deals with the effect of non-linear volume fraction distribution of carbon nanotube in the FG-CNTRC beams on the critical buckling via a hyperbolic shear deformation theory. Here, different boundary condition was considered including hinged hinged, clamped clamped and clamped-free. Single-walled carbon nanotubes are aligned and distributed in the polymer matrix in different ways to reinforce it and the material properties of (CNTRC) beams are assumed to vary gradually along the thickness direction, following a new exponential power law distribution of (CNT). The effective material properties of nanocomposite beams are estimated using the rule of mixture. The governing equations of the mathematical models are obtained by applying Hamilton's principle. The results provided of mathematical models in this work are compared and validated with similar ones in the literature. The critical buckling loads of nanocomposite beams with different boundary conditions of linear and non-linear distribution of CNT volume fraction were obtained. The effects of several parameters, including the type of beam, the volume fraction of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the exponent degree (n), and the aspect ratio, were investigated. The distribution non-linearity of CNT volume fraction in the beam has a significant impact on the mechanical properties, particularly in buckling behavior with different boundary conditions.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2010

This study researches the effects of common features on a no-choice option with respect to regulatory focus theory. The primary interest is in three factors and their interrelationship: common features, no-choice option, and regulatory focus. Prior studies have compiled vast body of research in these areas. First, the "common features effect" has been observed bymany noted marketing researchers. Tversky (1972) proposed the seminal theory, the EBA model: elimination by aspect. According to this theory, consumers are prone to focus only on unique features during comparison processing, thereby dismissing any common features as redundant information. Recently, however, more provocative ideas have attacked the EBA model by asserting that common features really do affect consumer judgment. Chernev (1997) first reported that adding common features mitigates the choice gap because of the increasing perception of similarity among alternatives. Later, however, Chernev (2001) published a critically developed study against his prior perspective with the proposition that common features may be a cognitive load to consumers, and thus consumers are possible that they are prone to prefer the heuristic processing to the systematic processing. This tends to bring one question to the forefront: Do "common features" affect consumer choice? If so, what are the concrete effects? This study tries to answer the question with respect to the "no-choice" option and regulatory focus. Second, some researchers hold that the no-choice option is another best alternative of consumers, who are likely to avoid having to choose in the context of knotty trade-off settings or mental conflicts. Hope for the future also may increase the no-choice option in the context of optimism or the expectancy of a more satisfactory alternative appearing later. Other issues reported in this domain are time pressure, consumer confidence, and alternative numbers (Dhar and Nowlis 1999; Lin and Wu 2005; Zakay and Tsal 1993). This study casts the no-choice option in yet another perspective: the interactive effects between common features and regulatory focus. Third, "regulatory focus theory" is a very popular theme in recent marketing research. It suggests that consumers have two focal goals facing each other: promotion vs. prevention. A promotion focus deals with the concepts of hope, inspiration, achievement, or gain, whereas prevention focus involves duty, responsibility, safety, or loss-aversion. Thus, while consumers with a promotion focus tend to take risks for gain, the same does not hold true for a prevention focus. Regulatory focus theory predicts consumers' emotions, creativity, attitudes, memory, performance, and judgment, as documented in a vast field of marketing and psychology articles. The perspective of the current study in exploring consumer choice and common features is a somewhat creative viewpoint in the area of regulatory focus. These reviews inspire this study of the interaction possibility between regulatory focus and common features with a no-choice option. Specifically, adding common features rather than omitting them may increase the no-choice option ratio in the choice setting only to prevention-focused consumers, but vice versa to promotion-focused consumers. The reasoning is that when prevention-focused consumers come in contact with common features, they may perceive higher similarity among the alternatives. This conflict among similar options would increase the no-choice ratio. Promotion-focused consumers, however, are possible that they perceive common features as a cue of confirmation bias. And thus their confirmation processing would make their prior preference more robust, then the no-choice ratio may shrink. This logic is verified in two experiments. The first is a $2{\times}2$ between-subject design (whether common features or not X regulatory focus) using a digital cameras as the relevant stimulus-a product very familiar to young subjects. Specifically, the regulatory focus variable is median split through a measure of eleven items. Common features included zoom, weight, memory, and battery, whereas the other two attributes (pixel and price) were unique features. Results supported our hypothesis that adding common features enhanced the no-choice ratio only to prevention-focus consumers, not to those with a promotion focus. These results confirm our hypothesis - the interactive effects between a regulatory focus and the common features. Prior research had suggested that including common features had a effect on consumer choice, but this study shows that common features affect choice by consumer segmentation. The second experiment was used to replicate the results of the first experiment. This experimental study is equal to the prior except only two - priming manipulation and another stimulus. For the promotion focus condition, subjects had to write an essay using words such as profit, inspiration, pleasure, achievement, development, hedonic, change, pursuit, etc. For prevention, however, they had to use the words persistence, safety, protection, aversion, loss, responsibility, stability etc. The room for rent had common features (sunshine, facility, ventilation) and unique features (distance time and building state). These attributes implied various levels and valence for replication of the prior experiment. Our hypothesis was supported repeatedly in the results, and the interaction effects were significant between regulatory focus and common features. Thus, these studies showed the dual effects of common features on consumer choice for a no-choice option. Adding common features may enhance or mitigate no-choice, contradictory as it may sound. Under a prevention focus, adding common features is likely to enhance the no-choice ratio because of increasing mental conflict; under the promotion focus, it is prone to shrink the ratio perhaps because of a "confirmation bias." The research has practical and theoretical implications for marketers, who may need to consider common features carefully in a practical display context according to consumer segmentation (i.e., promotion vs. prevention focus.) Theoretically, the results suggest some meaningful moderator variable between common features and no-choice in that the effect on no-choice option is partly dependent on a regulatory focus. This variable corresponds not only to a chronic perspective but also a situational perspective in our hypothesis domain. Finally, in light of some shortcomings in the research, such as overlooked attribute importance, low ratio of no-choice, or the external validity issue, we hope it influences future studies to explore the little-known world of the "no-choice option."

• 한국게임학회지
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.70-72
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• 2009

This research is focused on defining interaction within the context of digital media and creating a multi cultural definition of interactivity. The concept of multi digital culture and a definition of interaction in digital media have often been overlooked by other researchers and this has caused the emergence of many different notions on this issue. As a result of these varied notions of the concept, public confusion has arisen regarding interactivity. The main purpose of this research is to find a suitable multi definition of interaction through examining local digital culture. In order to analogise multi digital culture, the video game culture is employed as a metaphor to interpret local digital culture. The reason for this is that a specific national culture can be easily identified within the video game culture. Four countries, South Korea, Japan, the U.S. and the UK have been chosen for comparison purposes. Case study, questionnaire and publicly accessible video game related data, such as, video game charts, are used for formalising and analysing unique local digital culture. The Heyri POP UP IMAGE Festival, S. Korea, was also used as a pilot study, with some of the above research methods being employed to analyse South Korean digital culture. In relation to western cases, interview and questionnaire were primarily used. The data from the case countries was carefully compared and analysed and then it became the basis of a theory of multi definition of interaction in digital media. The case study employed the cultural metaphor for this research and in addition video game culture related questionnaires and interviews with experts of interactive art genre, regarding new notions of digital interaction were utilised. The survey was conducted simultaneously in the four different cultural case nations of this research. Twenty respondents from each case nation participated in the survey, in order to investigate firstly, the existence of 'local digital culture' and secondly, the trends and phenomena of 'digital culture' in these four different 'local digital cultural areas'. In terms of interviews with experts of the interactive art genre, these were focused on obtaining their understanding of contemporary digital culture in their research. Using gathered data from the observation of local digital culture, the basic theory of interaction and the terminology of interaction are reformed. Localised definitions of interaction on digital media, control based interaction and communication based interaction are presented, in order to identify a 'locality' in terms of various contemporary digital cultures. As a result of analysing digital culture, new definitions of 'multi definition of digital interaction' were formulated. As mentioned above, 'control' and 'communication' based interaction were initiated, based on 'user to media' relationships. Based on the degree of physical interaction, 'liminal' and 'transitive' interactions were initiated. Less physical digital interaction is named 'liminal' interaction and more physical digital interaction is named' transitive' interaction. These new definitions of interaction were applied to the real world examples of uses of digital interaction, such as, digital interactive installation artworks and video games. The newly defined meaning of digital interaction can be applied to analysing digital interactive installation artworks and possibly indicate their future development and the prospects of future electronic games. Three leading digital interactive artists were selected for this analysis and their works were studied in terms of the implementation of 'multi definition of digital interaction'. Throughout these processes, the meaning of 'communication' in digital interactive media was emphasised. Many of the selected artists' digital installations were focused on 'communication' or 'interaction between each user through digital media', rather than the concept of 'control' in digital interaction, otherwise termed, 'communication with digital media'. In their artworks, interaction between each audience was digitally engaged within the physical interactive environment which was created by the digital media. Both the audience's action and all the reaction throughout the interaction between the audiences, triggered the digital media' s reaction. This audience-audience-media interaction is the key to understanding the concept of 'communication' in physical digital media and it is the main interactive concept upon which the selected digital interactive installation artists for this research and many other artists from similar fields, are concentrating their efforts. In the case of the video game, a similar trend was noticed to that of digital interactive installations. Based on this research's 'multi definition of digital interaction', the video game has evolved from the early stage of being conventional game, which was focused on control based interaction, to the on-line game which was focused on communication based interaction, to physical interactive games, such as, Nintendo Wii, which are focused on more physical interaction and finally, the ubiquitous interactive game, which is mainly concentrated on the concept of 'communication' in physical digital interaction. It is possible that this evolution of the video game concept of interaction is comparable to the progress of digital interactive artworks. This view is based on the fact that both genres show evidence that they are developing in the direction of the concept of 'communication', in terms of physical digital interaction. The important emphasis of this research's results is 'locality' and 'communication' in physical digital interaction. The existence of different digital culture trends, which were assessed by the 'multi definition of digital interaction', can explain the concept of 'locality' in digital interaction. This meaning of 'locality' may assist in understanding contemporary digital culture and can reduce possible misunderstanding as regards 'local' digital culture. In the application of the concept of digital interaction to the field of either artworks or video games, it is possible to form the opinion that an innovative concept of physical digital interaction is 'communication' within this context. This concept and its applications can improve the potential of both digital interactive culture and technology.