• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-39
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• 2013

The Cooperatives Act was enacted. This enabled people to establish easily cooperatives at various fields. A cooperative is an important vehicle for rural community development. Therefore, the enactment of the Cooperatives Act can be a significant chance for rural policy. The Cooperatives Act have made three significant changes. First, cooperatives can start businesses at all the fields except for financial and insurance business. Second, requisites for people to establish cooperatives have been alleviated exceptionaly. Third, the Cooperatives Act introduced a new cooperative organization, social cooperative which aims to serve the socially excluded class. The self-help approach places rural community members at the core of a development process with two goals: to improve the quality of life within the community and to facilitate the community's capacity building. Community cooperatives contribute to accomplish those goals. One of the roles for cooperatives is to provide products and services at competitive prices. Providing a good or service at a competitive price bcomes increasingly important in some rural communities declines. Cooperative development processes have bic impacts on the ablility of community members to increase human asset and social capital. We conducted a survey targeting rural community businesses to grasp inclinations toward establishing cooperatives. The Cooperatives Act has gained low level of recognition. But so many community businesses wanted to establish cooperatives. This means there is a possibility for many community businesses to establish cooperatives without sufficient understanding. We suggested some policy issues for coping with this situation, as followings. First, the governments should provides rural community residents with opportunities to learn about cooperatives. Second, the current legal systems and regulations about business and social service should be reviewed to do away with the possible discrimination between the new cooperatives and the other forms of incoporation. Third, the cooperation of cooperatives should be encouraged and facilitated in rural communities.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.97-108
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to propose the construction of a visibility analysis model, which is the basis of the analysis for landscape management on the heritage sites such as historic villages and scenic sites. Results of the visibility analysis using DEM and the visibility analysis of DSM based on 3D mapping data are compared as follows: Precision level of the extracted data was confirmed to be less than 6.5cm, based on RTK survey results produced by constructing orthoimage data and DSM from the digital data of 2cm-class GSD(Ground Sample Distance) obtained by using a small UAV(Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). As a result of comparing the visibility analysis data of Digital Surface Model (DSM) using a small UAV with Digital Elevation Model(DEM) applying the height of the building to the Digital Topographic Map, it was confirmed that more realistic visibility analysis can be accomplished by applying DSM, as the structures such as fences, trees, and houses are reflected in the topographic data. The visibility analysis model using the 3D mapping technique can efficiently obtain the constantly changing topographic information when needed, by immediately constructing the data by utilizing a small UAV. It seems to be possible to propose a reasonable analysis result for preservation management such as landscape evaluation of cultural property.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2024

In this study, a proposed ensemble learning technique aims to enhance the semantic segmentation performance of images captured by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). With the increasing use of UAVs in fields such as urban planning, there has been active development of techniques utilizing deep learning segmentation methods for land cover segmentation. The study suggests a method that utilizes prominent segmentation models, namely U-Net, DeepLabV3, and Fully Convolutional Network (FCN), to improve segmentation prediction performance. The proposed approach integrates training loss, validation accuracy, and class score of the three segmentation models to enhance overall prediction performance. The method was applied and evaluated on a land cover segmentation problem involving seven classes: buildings,roads, parking lots, fields, trees, empty spaces, and areas with unspecified labels, using images captured by UAVs. The performance of the ensemble model was evaluated by mean Intersection over Union (mIoU), and the results of comparing the proposed ensemble model with the three existing segmentation methods showed that mIoU performance was improved. Consequently, the study confirms that the proposed technique can enhance the performance of semantic segmentation models.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.173-185
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• 2015

This study aims to investigate the characteristics and types of car accidents and establish a prediction model by analyzing 456 car accidents having occurred in the 11 tunnels in Busan, through statistical analysis techniques. The results of this study can be summarized as below. As a result of analyzing the characteristics of car accidents, it was found that 64.9% of all the car accidents took place in the tunnels between 08:00 and 18:00, which was higher than 45.8 to 46.1% of the car accidents in common roads. As a result of analyzing the types of car accidents, the car-to-car accident type was the majority, and the sole-car accident type in the tunnels was relatively high, compared to that in common roads. Besides, people at the age between 21 and 40 were most involved in car accidents, and in the vehicle type of the first party to car accidents, trucks showed a high proportion, and in the cloud cover, rainy days or cloudy days showed a high proportion unlike clear days. As a result of analyzing the principal components of car accident influence factors, it was found that the first principal components were road, tunnel structure and traffic flow-related factors, the second principal components lighting facility and road structure-related factors, the third principal factors stand-by and lighting facility-related factors, the fourth principal components human and time series-related factors, the fifth principal components human-related factors, the sixth principal components vehicle and traffic flow-related factors, and the seventh principal components meteorological factors. As a result of classifying car accident spots, there were 5 optimized groups classified, and as a result of analyzing each group based on Quantification Theory Type I, it was found that the first group showed low explanation power for the prediction model, while the fourth group showed a middle explanation power and the second, third and fifth groups showed high explanation power for the prediction model. Out of all the items(principal components) over 0.2(a weak correlation) in the partial correlation coefficient absolute value of the prediction model, this study analyzed variables including road environment variables. As a result, main examination items were summarized as proper traffic flow processing, cross-section composition(the width of a road), tunnel structure(the length of a tunnel), the lineal of a road, ventilation facilities and lighting facilities.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.131-138
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• 2018

In this study, we investigated the trend of technological development in major countries related to the propulsion equipment of railway vehicles. The propulsion system is the main equipment of electric vehicles. A lot of time and investment are required in order to ensure the development of technology. Therefore, developed countries have maximized their effort to develop technologies with safety, reliability, and convenience of maintenance. They have also done their utmost to prevent technology transfer to other countries after the development of new technologies. For example, Toshiba of Japan developed a new 3,300V/1,500 A class IGBT power device, but was reluctant to export it to foreign countries in order to protect this technology. In this study, we analyzed the patents applied for related to propulsion control systems and presented the direction of development during the technical development of these systems. The patent analysis of the core technologies was conducted using the Thomson Innovation DB. We examined the number of patents applied for by country, year and major applicant. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the proportion of patent applications per country was in the order of China, 48%, Europe 16.6%, and the United States 14.9%. The patent situation of the top 10 principal applicants revealed that (the top three were?) ABB 14%, GE 13%, and CRRC 12%. At the same time, we also conducted a qualitative analysis of the level of technical development by evaluating such factors as the influence index, quotation, market securing power and citation. Based on the result of the patent analysis, we presented the direction of technical development of the propulsion control equipment of railway vehicles. Based on the analysis results, it was found that domestic applicants considerably reduced their efforts to protect their patents from foreign companies. Nowadays, most of the electric motors used in Korea are induction motors. In advanced countries, permanent magnet electric motors are employed in new railway lines. Therefore, intensive investment is needed in new developments.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2002

Background: Viral antigens presented on the cell surface in association with MHC class I molecules are recognized by CD8+ T cells. MHC restricted peptides are important in eliciting cellular immune responses. As peptide antigens have a weak immunigenicity, pH-sensitive liposomes were used for peptide delivery to induce effective cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. In the previous study, as the HBx peptides could induce specific CTLs in vitro, we tested whether the HLA-A2/$K^b$ transgenic mice that were immunized by HBx-derived peptides could be protected from a viral challenge. Methods: HBx-peptides encapsulated by pH-sensitive liposomes were prepared. $A2K^b$ transgenic mice were immunized i.m. on days one and seven with the indicated concentrations of liposome-encapsulated peptides. Three weeks later, mice were infected with $1{\times}10^7pfu$/head of recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV)-HBx via i.p. administration. The ovaries were extracted from the mice, and the presence of rVV-HBx in the ovaries was analyzed using human TK-143B cells. IFN-${\gamma}$ secretion by these cells was directly assessed using a peptide-pulsed target cell stimulation assay with either peptide-pulsed antigen presenting cells (APCs), concanavalin A ($2{\mu}g/ml$), or a vehicle. To generate peptide-specific CTLs, splenocytes obtained from the immunized mice were stimulated with $20{\mu}g/ml$ of each peptide and restimulated with peptide-pulsed APC four times. The cytotoxic activity of the CTLs was assessed by standard $^{51}Cr$-release assay and intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$ assay. Results: Immunization of these peptides as a mixture in pH-sensitive liposomes to transgenic mice induced a good protective effect from a viral challenge by inducing the peptide-specific CD8+ T cells. Mice immunized with $50{\mu}g/head$ were much better protected against viral challenge compared to those immunized with $5{\mu}g$/head, whereas the mice immunized with empty liposomes were not protected at all. After in vitro CTL culture by peptide stimulation, however, specific cytotoxicity was much higher in the CTLs from mice immunized with $5{\mu}g/head$ than $50{\mu}g/head$ group. Increase of the number of cells that intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$ secreting cell among CD8+ T cells showed similar result. Conclusion: Mice immunized with XEPs within pH-sensitive liposome were protected against viral challenge. The protective effect depended on the amount of antigen used during immunization. XEP-3-specific CTLs could be induced by peptide stimulation in vitro from splenocytes obtained from immunized mice. The cytotoxic effect of CTLs was measured by $^{51}Cr$-release assay and the percentage of accumulated intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$ secreting cells after in vitro restimulation was measured by flow cytometric analysis. The result of $^{51}Cr$-release cytotoxicity test was well correlated with that of the flow cytometric analysis. Viral protection was effective in immunized group of $50{\mu}g/head$, while in the in vitro restimulation, it showed more spectific response in $5{\mu}g$/head group.

• 대한공업교육학회지
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2014

The purpose of this research are to investigate and analyze requests of middle school students, parents and people in charge of human resources of industrial institutions and to suggest implications which are necessary to establish vocational high schools in Asan area. To achieve them, demands, for the establishment of vocational high schools, requests of desirable department, area, etc. which are recognized by middle school students, parents and people in charge of human resources of industrial institutions in Asan-si were surveyed and analyzed. The subjects of the survey were students and parents who were selected from one third grade class out of each of all the middle schools of Ansan-si. Also, for the people in charge of human resources of industrial institutions, industrial institutions including more than 10 employees were firstly sampled and selected. The number of students analyzed is 484, parents 458, industrial institutions 81, the results are as follows. First, among the third graders, there were 18.5% students who wanted to enter vocational high schools and 72.6% students that replied saying they may enter if vocational schools are established in Asan-si. Among them, 8.8% students replied that they will definitely enter. Second, among the parents, 30.8% wanted their children to enter vocational high schools and 76.9% replied that they may enter if vocational high schools are established in Asan-si. Among them, 8.4% replied that their children will enter certainly. Third, people in charge of human resources of industrial institutions replied that they may recruit 98.8 percent of graduates of vocational high schools in Asan area. Among them, they replied that 17.3% will be recruited certainly. For the replies of recruitment time, there were 49.4% of 'within 1 year', 30.9% of 'within 1~5 years' and for working, there were 60.8% of 'mechanical operators and assembly workers' and 31.6% of 'technicians and functional workers'. Fourth, for the most preferred departments when establishing vocational high schools in Asan-si, middle school students wanted hospitality management, parents were for electricity and electronics, industrial institutions replied with vehicle mechanics. By affiliation, more than the half of respondents wanted industrial affiliation. Fifth, for the most preferred departments when establishing vocational high schools in Asan-si, middle school students and parents preferred Onyang-dong, industrial institutions preferred Dunpo-myeon. Results showed that the most desirable areas were in the vicinity of one's own residential area.

• The Journal of Art Theory & Practice
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• no.5
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• pp.217-229
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• 2007

Many historical research and facet about modern art in Indonesia which formulating background of contemporary Indonesian Art. Indonesian art critic Sanento Yuliman states that Modern art has been rapidly developing in Indonesia since the Indonesian Independence in 1945. Modern Art is a part of the super culture of the Indonesian metropolitan and is closely related to the contact between the Indonesian and Western Cultures. Its birth was part of the nationalism project, when the Indonesian people consists of various ethnics were determined to become a new nation, the Indonesian nation, and they wished for a new culture, and therefore, a new art. The period 1960s, which was the beginning of the creation and development of the painters and the painters associations, was the first stage of the development of modern art in Indonesia. The second stage showed the important role of the higher education institutes for art. These institutes have developed since the 1950s and in the 1970s they were the main education institutes for painters and other artists. The artists awareness of the medium, forms or the organization of shapes were encouraged more intensely and these encouraged the exploring and experimental attitudes. Meanwhile, the information about the world's modern art, particularly Western Art; was widely and rapidly spread. The 1960s and 1970s were marked by the development of various abstractions and abstract art and the great number of explorations in various new media, like the experiment with collage, assemblage, mixed media. The works of the Neo Art Movement-group in the second half of the 1970s and in the 1980s shows environmental art and installations, influenced by the elements of popular art, from the commercial world and mass media, as well as the involvement of art in the social and environmental affairs. The issues about the environment, frequently launched by the intellectuals in the period of economic development starting in the 1970s, echoed among the artists, and they were widened in the social, art and cultural circles. The Indonesian economic development following the important change in the 1970s has caused a change in the life of the middle and upper class society, as has the change in various aspects of a big city, particularly Jakarta. The new genre emerged in 1975 which indicates contemporary art in Indonesia, when a group of young artists organized a movement, which was widely known as the Indonesian New Art Movement. This movement criticized international style, universalism and the long standing debate on an east-west-dichotomy. As far as the actual practice of the arts was concerned the movement criticized the domination of the art of painting and saw this as a sign of stagnation in Indonesian art development. Based on this criticism 'the movement' introduced ready-mades and installations (Jim Supangkat). Takes almost two decades that the New Art Movement activists were establishing Indonesian Installation art genre as contemporary paradigm and influenced the 1980's gene ration like, FX Harsono, Dadang Christanto, Arahmaiani, Tisna Sanjaya, Diyanto, Andarmanik, entering the 1990's decade as "rebellion period" ; reject towards established aesthetic mainstream i.e. painting, sculpture, graphic art which are insufficient to express "new language" and artistic needs especially to mediate social politic and cultural situation. Installation Art which contains open possibilities of creation become a vehicle for aesthetic establishment rejection and social politics stagnant expression in 1990s. Installation art accommodates two major field; first, the rejection of aesthetic establishment has a consequences an artists quest for medium; deconstruction models and cross disciplines into multi and intermedia i.e. performance, music, video etc. Second aspect is artists' social politic intention for changes, both conclude as characteristics of Indonesian Installation Art and establishing the freedom of expression in contemporary Indonesian Art until today.

• Proceedings of the KOR-KST Conference
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• 1995.02a
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• pp.101-113
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• 1995

The objective of this research is to test the feasibility of developing a statewide truck traffic forecasting methodology for Wisconsin by using Origin-Destination surveys, traffic counts, classification counts, and other data that are routinely collected by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). Development of a feasible model will permit estimation of future truck traffic for every major link in the network. This will provide the basis for improved estimation of future pavement deterioration. Pavement damage rises exponentially as axle weight increases, and trucks are responsible for most of the traffic-induced damage to pavement. Consequently, forecasts of truck traffic are critical to pavement management systems. The pavement Management Decision Supporting System (PMDSS) prepared by WisDOT in May 1990 combines pavement inventory and performance data with a knowledge base consisting of rules for evaluation, problem identification and rehabilitation recommendation. Without a r.easonable truck traffic forecasting methodology, PMDSS is not able to project pavement performance trends in order to make assessment and recommendations in the future years. However, none of WisDOT's existing forecasting methodologies has been designed specifically for predicting truck movements on a statewide highway network. For this research, the Origin-Destination survey data avaiiable from WisDOT, including two stateline areas, one county, and five cities, are analyzed and the zone-to'||'&'||'not;zone truck trip tables are developed. The resulting Origin-Destination Trip Length Frequency (00 TLF) distributions by trip type are applied to the Gravity Model (GM) for comparison with comparable TLFs from the GM. The gravity model is calibrated to obtain friction factor curves for the three trip types, Internal-Internal (I-I), Internal-External (I-E), and External-External (E-E). ~oth "macro-scale" calibration and "micro-scale" calibration are performed. The comparison of the statewide GM TLF with the 00 TLF for the macro-scale calibration does not provide suitable results because the available 00 survey data do not represent an unbiased sample of statewide truck trips. For the "micro-scale" calibration, "partial" GM trip tables that correspond to the 00 survey trip tables are extracted from the full statewide GM trip table. These "partial" GM trip tables are then merged and a partial GM TLF is created. The GM friction factor curves are adjusted until the partial GM TLF matches the 00 TLF. Three friction factor curves, one for each trip type, resulting from the micro-scale calibration produce a reasonable GM truck trip model. A key methodological issue for GM. calibration involves the use of multiple friction factor curves versus a single friction factor curve for each trip type in order to estimate truck trips with reasonable accuracy. A single friction factor curve for each of the three trip types was found to reproduce the 00 TLFs from the calibration data base. Given the very limited trip generation data available for this research, additional refinement of the gravity model using multiple mction factor curves for each trip type was not warranted. In the traditional urban transportation planning studies, the zonal trip productions and attractions and region-wide OD TLFs are available. However, for this research, the information available for the development .of the GM model is limited to Ground Counts (GC) and a limited set ofOD TLFs. The GM is calibrated using the limited OD data, but the OD data are not adequate to obtain good estimates of truck trip productions and attractions .. Consequently, zonal productions and attractions are estimated using zonal population as a first approximation. Then, Selected Link based (SELINK) analyses are used to adjust the productions and attractions and possibly recalibrate the GM. The SELINK adjustment process involves identifying the origins and destinations of all truck trips that are assigned to a specified "selected link" as the result of a standard traffic assignment. A link adjustment factor is computed as the ratio of the actual volume for the link (ground count) to the total assigned volume. This link adjustment factor is then applied to all of the origin and destination zones of the trips using that "selected link". Selected link based analyses are conducted by using both 16 selected links and 32 selected links. The result of SELINK analysis by u~ing 32 selected links provides the least %RMSE in the screenline volume analysis. In addition, the stability of the GM truck estimating model is preserved by using 32 selected links with three SELINK adjustments, that is, the GM remains calibrated despite substantial changes in the input productions and attractions. The coverage of zones provided by 32 selected links is satisfactory. Increasing the number of repetitions beyond four is not reasonable because the stability of GM model in reproducing the OD TLF reaches its limits. The total volume of truck traffic captured by 32 selected links is 107% of total trip productions. But more importantly, ~ELINK adjustment factors for all of the zones can be computed. Evaluation of the travel demand model resulting from the SELINK adjustments is conducted by using screenline volume analysis, functional class and route specific volume analysis, area specific volume analysis, production and attraction analysis, and Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) analysis. Screenline volume analysis by using four screenlines with 28 check points are used for evaluation of the adequacy of the overall model. The total trucks crossing the screenlines are compared to the ground count totals. L V/GC ratios of 0.958 by using 32 selected links and 1.001 by using 16 selected links are obtained. The %RM:SE for the four screenlines is inversely proportional to the average ground count totals by screenline .. The magnitude of %RM:SE for the four screenlines resulting from the fourth and last GM run by using 32 and 16 selected links is 22% and 31 % respectively. These results are similar to the overall %RMSE achieved for the 32 and 16 selected links themselves of 19% and 33% respectively. This implies that the SELINICanalysis results are reasonable for all sections of the state.Functional class and route specific volume analysis is possible by using the available 154 classification count check points. The truck traffic crossing the Interstate highways (ISH) with 37 check points, the US highways (USH) with 50 check points, and the State highways (STH) with 67 check points is compared to the actual ground count totals. The magnitude of the overall link volume to ground count ratio by route does not provide any specific pattern of over or underestimate. However, the %R11SE for the ISH shows the least value while that for the STH shows the largest value. This pattern is consistent with the screenline analysis and the overall relationship between %RMSE and ground count volume groups. Area specific volume analysis provides another broad statewide measure of the performance of the overall model. The truck traffic in the North area with 26 check points, the West area with 36 check points, the East area with 29 check points, and the South area with 64 check points are compared to the actual ground count totals. The four areas show similar results. No specific patterns in the L V/GC ratio by area are found. In addition, the %RMSE is computed for each of the four areas. The %RMSEs for the North, West, East, and South areas are 92%, 49%, 27%, and 35% respectively, whereas, the average ground counts are 481, 1383, 1532, and 3154 respectively. As for the screenline and volume range analyses, the %RMSE is inversely related to average link volume. 'The SELINK adjustments of productions and attractions resulted in a very substantial reduction in the total in-state zonal productions and attractions. The initial in-state zonal trip generation model can now be revised with a new trip production's trip rate (total adjusted productions/total population) and a new trip attraction's trip rate. Revised zonal production and attraction adjustment factors can then be developed that only reflect the impact of the SELINK adjustments that cause mcreases or , decreases from the revised zonal estimate of productions and attractions. Analysis of the revised production adjustment factors is conducted by plotting the factors on the state map. The east area of the state including the counties of Brown, Outagamie, Shawano, Wmnebago, Fond du Lac, Marathon shows comparatively large values of the revised adjustment factors. Overall, both small and large values of the revised adjustment factors are scattered around Wisconsin. This suggests that more independent variables beyond just 226; population are needed for the development of the heavy truck trip generation model. More independent variables including zonal employment data (office employees and manufacturing employees) by industry type, zonal private trucks 226; owned and zonal income data which are not available currently should be considered. A plot of frequency distribution of the in-state zones as a function of the revised production and attraction adjustment factors shows the overall " adjustment resulting from the SELINK analysis process. Overall, the revised SELINK adjustments show that the productions for many zones are reduced by, a factor of 0.5 to 0.8 while the productions for ~ relatively few zones are increased by factors from 1.1 to 4 with most of the factors in the 3.0 range. No obvious explanation for the frequency distribution could be found. The revised SELINK adjustments overall appear to be reasonable. The heavy truck VMT analysis is conducted by comparing the 1990 heavy truck VMT that is forecasted by the GM truck forecasting model, 2.975 billions, with the WisDOT computed data. This gives an estimate that is 18.3% less than the WisDOT computation of 3.642 billions of VMT. The WisDOT estimates are based on the sampling the link volumes for USH, 8TH, and CTH. This implies potential error in sampling the average link volume. The WisDOT estimate of heavy truck VMT cannot be tabulated by the three trip types, I-I, I-E ('||'&'||'pound;-I), and E-E. In contrast, the GM forecasting model shows that the proportion ofE-E VMT out of total VMT is 21.24%. In addition, tabulation of heavy truck VMT by route functional class shows that the proportion of truck traffic traversing the freeways and expressways is 76.5%. Only 14.1% of total freeway truck traffic is I-I trips, while 80% of total collector truck traffic is I-I trips. This implies that freeways are traversed mainly by I-E and E-E truck traffic while collectors are used mainly by I-I truck traffic. Other tabulations such as average heavy truck speed by trip type, average travel distance by trip type and the VMT distribution by trip type, route functional class and travel speed are useful information for highway planners to understand the characteristics of statewide heavy truck trip patternS. Heavy truck volumes for the target year 2010 are forecasted by using the GM truck forecasting model. Four scenarios are used. Fo~ better forecasting, ground count- based segment adjustment factors are developed and applied. ISH 90 '||'&'||' 94 and USH 41 are used as example routes. The forecasting results by using the ground count-based segment adjustment factors are satisfactory for long range planning purposes, but additional ground counts would be useful for USH 41. Sensitivity analysis provides estimates of the impacts of the alternative growth rates including information about changes in the trip types using key routes. The network'||'&'||'not;based GMcan easily model scenarios with different rates of growth in rural versus . . urban areas, small versus large cities, and in-state zones versus external stations. cities, and in-state zones versus external stations.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.231-238
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• 2010

The anthropomorphism of brands, defined as seeing human beings in brands (Puzakova, Kwak, and Rosereto, 2008) is the focus of this study. Specifically, the research objective is to understand the ways in which brands are rendered humanlike. By analyzing consumer readings of stories found on food product packages we intend to show how marketers and consumers humanize a spectrum of brands and create meanings. Our research question considers the possibility that a single brand may host multiple or single meanings, associations, and personalities for different consumers. We start by highlighting the theoretical and practical significance of our research, explain why we turn our attention to packages as vehicles of brand meaning transfer, then describe our qualitative methodology, discuss findings, and conclude with a discussion of managerial implications and directions for future studies. The study was designed to directly expose consumers to potential vehicles of brand meaning transfer and then engage these consumers in free verbal reflections on their perceived meanings. Specifically, we asked participants to read non-nutritional stories on selected branded food packages, in order to elicit data about received meanings. Packaging has yet to receive due attention in consumer research (Hine, 1995). Until now, attention has focused solely on its utilitarian function and has generated a body of research that has explored the impact of nutritional information and claims on consumer perceptions of products (e.g., Loureiro, McCluskey and Mittelhammer, 2002; Mazis and Raymond, 1997; Nayga, Lipinski and Savur, 1998; Wansik, 2003). An exception is a recent study that turns its attention to non-nutritional packaging narratives and treats them as cultural productions and vehicles for mythologizing the brand (Kniazeva and Belk, 2007). The next step in this stream of research is to explore how such mythologizing activity affects brand personality perception and how these perceptions relate to consumers. These are the questions that our study aimed to address. We used in-depth interviews to help overcome the limitations of quantitative studies. Our convenience sample was formed with the objective of providing demographic and psychographic diversity in order to elicit variations in consumer reflections to food packaging stories. Our informants represent middle-class residents of the US and do not exhibit extreme alternative lifestyles described by Thompson as "cultural creatives" (2004). Nine people were individually interviewed on their food consumption preferences and behavior. Participants were asked to have a look at the twelve displayed food product packages and read all the textual information on the package, after which we continued with questions that focused on the consumer interpretations of the reading material (Scott and Batra, 2003). On average, each participant reflected on 4-5 packages. Our in-depth interviews lasted one to one and a half hours each. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed, providing 140 pages of text. The products came from local grocery stores on the West Coast of the US and represented a basic range of food product categories, including snacks, canned foods, cereals, baby foods, and tea. The data were analyzed using procedures for developing grounded theory delineated by Strauss and Corbin (1998). As a result, our study does not support the notion of one brand/one personality as assumed by prior work. Thus, we reveal multiple brand personalities peacefully cohabiting in the same brand as seen by different consumers, despite marketer attempts to create more singular brand personalities. We extend Fournier's (1998) proposition, that one's life projects shape the intensity and nature of brand relationships. We find that these life projects also affect perceived brand personifications and meanings. While Fournier provides a conceptual framework that links together consumers’ life themes (Mick and Buhl, 1992) and relational roles assigned to anthropomorphized brands, we find that consumer life projects mold both the ways in which brands are rendered humanlike and the ways in which brands connect to consumers' existential concerns. We find two modes through which brands are anthropomorphized by our participants. First, brand personalities are created by seeing them through perceived demographic, psychographic, and social characteristics that are to some degree shared by consumers. Second, brands in our study further relate to consumers' existential concerns by either being blended with consumer personalities in order to connect to them (the brand as a friend, a family member, a next door neighbor) or by distancing themselves from the brand personalities and estranging them (the brand as a used car salesman, a "bunch of executives.") By focusing on food product packages, we illuminate a very specific, widely-used, but little-researched vehicle of marketing communication: brand storytelling. Recent work that has approached packages as mythmakers, finds it increasingly challenging for marketers to produce textual stories that link the personalities of products to the personalities of those consuming them, and suggests that "a multiplicity of building material for creating desired consumer myths is what a postmodern consumer arguably needs" (Kniazeva and Belk, 2007). Used as vehicles for storytelling, food packages can exploit both rational and emotional approaches, offering consumers either a "lecture" or "drama" (Randazzo, 2006), myths (Kniazeva and Belk, 2007; Holt, 2004; Thompson, 2004), or meanings (McCracken, 2005) as necessary building blocks for anthropomorphizing their brands. The craft of giving birth to brand personalities is in the hands of writers/marketers and in the minds of readers/consumers who individually and sometimes idiosyncratically put a meaningful human face on a brand.