The paper examines critical factors affecting consumer behavioral intentions in accepting online health communication through social networking sites. Unlike recent research under this topic, the paper assimilates some components of service quality dimensions and consumer behavior theories. The paper employs factor analysis and structural equation modelling analysis with latent variables to identify critical factors from the survey data collected from Korean consumers. The results of the study identifies three major constructs: consumer needs for health information, the perceived value of tangible attributes of health information providers, and the perceived value of intangible attributes of health information providers. The results show that consumer needs for health information and the tangible and intangible attributes of health information providers should be considered as important antecedents of accepting online health communication through social networking sites. The findings suggest that the success of online health communication via social networking sites largely depends on the tangible and intangible attributes of health information providers.
Since World War II nations have formed alliances for reasons of security and trade. Countries have seen international integration as an appropriate approach to resolving domestic and international political issues, improving their welfare by both transforming their infrastructures and increasing their foreign trade. While the majority of these relationships are straightforward d Turkey’s relationship with the European Union is more complex due to differences in religion and, at times, political ideology from other Union members. As a candidate country Turkey has made advances towards the full membership of the European Union with the customs union being the most significant. The impact of customs union membership is discussed and the effects of the customs union on Turkey’s trade and economy are examined from a perspective of different economic theories.
The paper deals with the impact of the product distribution and information technology sectors on energy resource use, carbon emissions and economic growth by examining the long-run equilibrium relationships and Granger causal relationships among these variables in South Korea. The quarterly time series data from the first quarter of 1970 to the third quarter of 2010 (163 observations) are collected and retrieved from the Bank of Korea database. The paper examines the long-run equilibrium relationships using cointegration techniques and Granger causality using vector error correction models. Test results indicate a long-run equilibrium relationship exists among these variables. In testing directional causality, both the product distribution and the information technology sectors show direct effects on economic growth but only marginal effects on carbon emissions.
Our study is performed to confirm the level of genetic diversity and population structure with 80 maize inbred lines (40 waxy inbred lines and 40 flint inbred lines) and to explain the genetic basis of agronomic traits using an association mapping. The 200 SSR loci are confirmed a total of 1,610 alleles in total 80 maize inbred lines. The average number of alleles per locus was 8.05. The average GD was 0.72. The average PIC value was 0.68. The average MAF was 0.40. Population structure was revealed for K=2. Total 80 maize inbred lines were divided by groups I, II and admixed group. The 14 waxy inbred lines were assigned to group I. The 45 inbred lines include 5 waxy inbred lines and 40 flint inbred lines were contained to group II. The 21 waxy inbred lines were contained in the admixed group with lower than membership threshold 0.8. Association mapping between 200 SSR markers and 10 phenotypic traits of waxy/flint maize inbred lines were performed by Q GLM and Q+K MLM. In significant level at 0.01, 72 SSR markers were associated with 10 phenotypic traits using Q GLM. The 4 marker-trait association were detected in Q+K MLM. The results derived from this study will be used for designing efficient new maize breeding programs.
Since low-floor apartments are vertically closer to parking lots and roadways, it is hypothesized that residents in low-floor apartments may be exposed to elevated ambient levels of motor vehicle emissions compared to residents in high-floor apartments. The present study examined this hypothesis by measuring two motor vehicle source-related pollutants(CO and PM10) in ambient air of high-rise apartment buildings within the boundary of industrial complexes according to atmospheric stability. The ambient air concentrations of CO and PM10 were higher for low-floor apartments than for high-floor apartments, regardless of atmospheric stability. The median concentration ratio of the low-floor air to high-floor air ranged from 1.3 to 2.0, depending upon atmospheric stabilities, seasons and compounds. Moreover, the CO and PM10 concentrations were significantly higher in the winter and in the summer, regardless of the floor height. Atmospheric stability also was suggested to be important for the residents' exposure of high-rise apartment buildings to both CO and PM10. The median ratios of surface inversion air to non-surface inversion air ranged from 1.2 to 1.7 and from 1.0 to 1.6 for PM10 and CO, respectively, depending upon seasons. Conclusively, these parameters(apartment floor height, season, and atmospheric stability) should be considered when evaluating the exposure of residents, living in high-rise apartment buildings, to CO and PM10. Meanwhile, the median PM10 outdoor concentrations were close to or higher than the Korean annual standards for PM10, and the maximum PM10 concentrations substantially exceeded the Korean PM10 standard, thus suggesting the need for a management strategy for ambient PM10. Neither the median nor the maximum outdoor CO concentrations, however, were higher than the Korean CO standard.
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants were cultivated to examine changes in antioxidative defence mechanism induced by elevated ozone levels. Catalase activities in tolerant Jinpumbyeo and susceptible Chucheongbyeo under ozone fumigation were reduced at 5 hrs and 3 hrs after ozone fumigation, respectively. With the increased ozone supply, peroxidase activity in Jinpumbyeo was steadily enhanced whereas in Chucheongbyeo it was not changed. Four SOD-isozymes were detected by NBT staining of native-PAGE. Two isozymes of them were obviously induced by ozone supply, particularly in Jinpumbyeo. The continuous ozone fumigation increased remarkably putrescine levels in leaves whereas it did not affect the levels of spermidine and spermine. In this study, it was implied that ozone in cell inhibits strongly diamine oxidase and thus promotes ethylene biosynthesis which will cause the senescence in rice plants.