중국 소비자들의 소비영향력이 커지고 있음에도 불구하고 라이프스타일과 명품소비에 관한 연구는 매우 부족 한 실정이다. 본 논문은 중국의 소비 주체인 여성 소비자 중에서 특히 명품소비의 새로운 계층으로 등장한 20대 젊은 여성 소비자 321명에 대해 설문조사를 실시하였으며 그들의 라이프스타일을 분석하고 명품소비행동을 연구하였다. 연구 결과에 따르면 20대 중국 여성 소비자들의 라이프스타일(의생활, 식생활, 주생활, 소비생활, 여가생활, 가치관)을 분류한 결과 전통적 보수형, 계획적 성공추구형, 비계획적 소비추구형 3가지 라이프스타일로 분류되었다. 전통적 보수형은 소득수준이 낮고 모든 요인들에 있어서 보수적이고 소극적 태도를 보였며, 계획적 성공추구형은 여성의 사회진출 증가로 인해 사회적 성공을 추구하면서 계획적으로 생활하는 집단이며, 비계획적 소비추구형은 쇼핑을 즐기며 지출을 많이 하는 특성을 보여주었다. 구입한 명품 브랜드의 종류, 연간 명품 구매 수량, 연간 명품 구매 금액 및 명품 구매 이유는 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 있었으나 명품 품목, 명품 구매 장소와 정보원은 유의한 차이가 없었다. 최근 중고명품 시장이 크게 증가하고 있어 새 명품과 중고 명품에 대한 태도와 행동을 비 교한 결과 새 명품의 구매의도와 추천의도가 중고 명품에 비해 더 높은 것으로 나타났다. 본 논문은 중국 소비자들에 대한 체계적 연구의 틀과 방법 및 유용한 자료를 제공함으로써 중국 소비자 행동 연구와 라이프스타일 연구, 명품 소비 연구의 학문적 발전에 기여할 수 있는 것으로 기대된다. 또한 명품 브랜 드들이 20대 중국 여성들을 위한 마케팅 전략을 수립하는 데 있어 실무적인 시사점도 제공할 수 있는 것으로 기대된다.

SNS 사용자가 급속히 증가함에 따라 기업 전체 마케팅 활동에서 SNS 마케팅이 차지하는 비중이 높아지고 있으며 SNS 광고도 새로운 마케팅 도구로 급성장하게 되었다. SNS 광고에 관한 선행 연구가 많이 진행해왔지만 SNS의 다양한 광고 형태 중 새롭게 각광받고 있는 인피드 광고에 대해 연구가 아직 부족한 현황이다. 따라서 본 논문은 중국 SNS 사용자들을 대상으로 인피드 광고의 가장 뚜렷한 3가지 특성(네이티브 콘텐츠 간의 형식의 일치성, 상호작용성과 개인맞춤성)이 인피드 광고 태도에 미치는 영향을 검증하였으며, SNS사용자들이 지각하는 프라이버시 우려 정도가 SNS 인피드 광고 태도에 미치는 조절적 영향을 검증하였다. 실증적 분석을 위해 SNS를 사용한 적이 있고 인피드 광고를 본 적이 있는 295명 중국 소비자에 대한 설문조사를 분석하였다. 연구 결과에 따르면 인피드 광고의 3가지 특성이 광고 태도에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 프라이버시 공개에 대한 우려는 일치성 및 상호작용성이 광고태도에 미치는 영향에 있어서 유의한 영향을 미치지 않았지만 개인맞춤성이 광고 태도에 미치는 영향에 있어서 부정적인 조절 효과를 보였다. 즉, 소비자가 개인 정보 유출에 대해 걱정할 때 개인맞춤성이 광고 태도에 미치는 긍정적인 효과를 약화시킬 수 있다. 이러한 실증적 연구는 인피드 광고 태도에 영향을 미치는 중요한 정보와 위험요소를 새로 발견하였으니 SNS 매체연구, SNS 광고연구, 그리고 국제마케팅연구의 학문적 발전에 기여할 수 있는 것으로 기대된다. 또한 중국 소비자들을 타깃으로 하는 중국기업과 중국에 진출하는 외국 기업들에게 효과적인 SNS 마케팅 전략과 SNS 광고전략을 수립하는 데에 실무적인 시사점을 제공할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Recent increase of raw sequences generated by next generation sequencing (NGS) machines enabled re-analyzing raw sequences for diverse purposes: one is assembling organelle genome. One recent study completed the mitochondrial genomes of 14 ants from public raw sequences in subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae not having organelle genomes. Along with this approach, we have found four ant species of which genome papers were published and its raw sequences were open to public but its mitochondrial genome has not been assembled yet: Harpegnathos saltator and three Pogonomyrmex species (P. rugosus, P. anergismus, and P. colei). We assembled four complete mitochondrial genomes, presenting mitogenome of H. saltator 16,467 bp long and those of three Pogonomyrmex species above 21 kb long, ranking top among all known Hymenopteran mitogenomes. Four mitochondrial genomes contain 13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs, conserved as in all other insects. Phylogenomic tree based on partial or complete mitogneomes covering 26 genera provides insights of ant mitogenomic phylogeny and evolution.

Due to rapid increase of international trade, many invasive and exotic pests have been introduced in Korea. One of typical example is Solenopsis invicta found in harbor and nearby areas unexpectedly triggering alerts of invasive and exotic pests. Practically, critical limitation to identify these species based on morphology exists because of lack of experts, so that it is very important to develop fast and accurate methods to identify these species. Molecular marker is one of candidates for satisfying these requirements of invasive and exotic pests: usually COI gene has been used for identifying insect species efficiently. Here, we developed web-based integrated platform for identifying invasive and exotic pests. As a first step, we collected 71,146 COI sequences from 529 species which are potentially invasive and exotic pests in Korea. In addition, we are collecting their complete mitochondrial genome sequences for evaluating additional marker regions which can be more effective for identifying species. Web-based interfaces are under development to access these raw data as well as bioinformatic analysis function to identify species based on mitochondrial sequences. Our platform will be a fundamental resources not only to identify invasive and exotic pests effectively but also to understand ecology of these species to find anticipative policies to prevent invasion of these species.

The South Korean Ministry of the Environment has revised the laws relating to the management of interior air quality for multiple use facilities, and recommends maintaining carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in passenger vehicles below 1000 ppm during operation in urban areas of large cities. However, the interior CO2 concentration of passenger vehicles can rapidly increase and exceed 5000 ppm within 30 min, as observed when two passengers are traveling in urban areas of the South Korean city of Jeonju with the air conditioner blower turned off and the actuator mode set to internal circulation mode. With four passengers, CO2 concentration can reach up to 6000 ppm within 10 min. To counter this, when the actuator is set to external mode, CO2 concentration can be maintained below 1000 ppm, even after a long period of running time. As part of the air conditioning system, alkali-treated activated carbon fiber filters are considered to be far superior to the commercial non-woven filters or combination filters currently commonly in use.

Cost for plant survey has been dramatically reduced due to the development of mobile technology to obtain pictures with their GPS coordination. We developed a PlantGPS system consisting of an Android application specialized for collecting plant pictures and their locations using mobile devices, a server-side component for uploading data, and a web-based interface for managing and analyzing data. As examples of application of our PlantGPS system, surveys of “plants in Nangsae (Daksum) Island” and “ferns in Chollipo arboretum” were conducted. Results showed that our PlantGPS system could be used to quickly survey plant distribution in restricted area with reasonable time and effort.

Introduction Over the past 30 years, Chinese textile and clothing manufacturers have successfully established themselves as leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for world markets. This reputable position requires dedicated cost management; however, incremental increases in labor, land prices, rent, and production costs in China threaten and may eventually eliminate their OEM advantage (Yam, Lo, Sun, & Tang, 2003). The worldwide economic and business recession has intensified cost cutting measures as the essential survival tool for maintaining competitiveness. Since the mid-1990s, many Chinese companies have begun to recognize the importance of developing their own global brands and moving up the value-creation ladder (Fan, 2006). One such company is Aimer Group, Ltd., a vertically integrated premium underwear manufacturer. Initially founded in 1993 as an OEM, Aimer quickly transitioned to establish its own brands in domestic markets and, in recent years, has ventured into international markets. Currently, Aimer and its umbrella product lines are among the most recognized underwear brands in China with a manufacturing capacity of 10 million pieces. Their merchandise includes an array of women’s, men’s, teen girl’s and children’s lines as well as custom-made lingerie. According to the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Aimer Group has maintained the highest market share and the largest sales volume in the underwear sector for several years in China’s markets (Aimer, 2011). Objectives The purpose of the study was to investigate the design strategies implemented by Aimer to support their successful branding efforts. Specifically, the researchers seek to find: (a) the core elements in Aimer’s design strategies; (b) Aimer designers’ approach to product development; and (c) How design strategies support Aimer’s overall branding and marketing strategies. Findings will provide valuable implications for other Chinese apparel manufacturers who strive to integrate design innovation in order to remain competitive. Research Method A case study method was implemented which included: on-site visits to Aimer Group’s headquarters, manufacturing facility, and retail stores in Beijing; in-depth interviews with Aimer Groups’ Chairman, senior management, Chief Design Officer, designers, retail store managers, and the general manger of the Beijing manufacturing facility; and a review of the company website and other internal documents, as well as an extensive external search of relevant news reports, social media contents, industry information, and academic literature. A qualitative data analysis method was utilized. Findings Aimer brands have grown and matured along with the Chinese consumers. Until the late 1990s, consumers passively accepted whatever the industry provided for them. Today, 15 years later, consumers have become keenly aware of what they want in underwear and that desire drives the industry’s new product development. Aimer’s design strategies are consumer-centric but also a reflection of its internal strategic direction. Its core elements include the following: (1) Understanding consumer lifestyles: Extensive fashion industry trend analysis, consumer research, and market/sale feedback are just starting points for product development at Aimer. In addition, they use broader consumer lifestyle analysis, including an examination of new technology trends, consumer preferences for jewelry, cosmetics, car and cell phone designs, popular video/computer games, consumers’ financial management behaviors, and societal hot topics as a way of guiding product design. (2) Innovation: Innovation is of paramount importance in Aimer’s product development. They have maintained active partnerships with international suppliers and Research & Development teams to ensure the latest fiber discoveries, fabric developments, and pattern engineering technology are incorporated into new product design. (3) Tradition preserved and reinvented: Aimer brands keep certain essential elements integral to their overall style, reinventing and integrating heritage elements into new designs. By doing so, brand history is enriched and continuity sustained. Aspers (2010) suggests that product development must embrace contextual knowledge: the designer’s general knowledge of fashion and their lifeworld. Each domain is used to interpret fashion. A designer’s lifeworld comprises their inherent values and beliefs, presenting challenges when creating products for consumers who live in different lifeworld. Aimer’s solutions to the challenge include the following: (1) Designers as entrepreneurs: Designers are trained to be entrepreneurs who must think of design not only from creative aspects but also within a business context. The company has established effective protocols for new product design and adoption procedures and standards; meanwhile, designers are provided with weekly sales records as market feedback to guide their future design directions. They are also given opportunities on a regular basis to travel to various international and domestic markets to gain first-hand experience and knowledge of fashion trends and consumers. (2) Teamwork: Designers from various regions of China and internationally are grouped in teams and assigned to work together on brands. This provides ample opportunity for them to interact and learn from each other so that their lifeworld is expanded. Branding literature suggests that consumer’s individual and shared brand experiences affect a consumer-brand relationship (Chang, Long, Chieng, & Hua, 2006) which is of critical importance to brand loyalty. Aimer’s design strategies support its branding and marketing strategies by: (a) contributing to consumers’ positive, consistent, and multi-dimensional brand knowledge as a part of the brand-leveraging process (Keller, 2003); (b) providing value-added product and service features to enhance brand-augmentation (Magrath, 1997); and (c) offering strong and effective design capacity for brand tiering (Magrath, 1997). Implications Based on the findings, implications for Chinese apparel manufacturers who strive to upgrade with design innovation will be discussed.

Many research results have indicated that many kinds of useful ingredients are rich in buckwheat, which have high nutritional values and medicinal properties, so, buckwheat has been cultivated around Asia and Europe. In this paper, genetic diversity of common and tartary buckwheat germplasms were studied based on morphological and molecular markers in order to provide useful information for conservation and utilization of buckwheat genetic resources. The length, width, thick, value and weight of the seed of the common and tartary buckwheat were measured and analyzed by the statistics methods. The result has shown that there are morphological variation both in common buckwheat and tartary buckwheat seeds collected from different regions. It also has shown that the morphological variation of tartary seeds was significantly correlated to geographical regions. The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the tartary buckwheat collected from different countries were cloned, sequenced and statistically analyzed. The data showed that ITS sequences were informative to analyze the phylogeny of the tartary buckwheat and the data also showed that the genetic distances varied among different tartary buckwheat seeds collected from different countries.