Maneuvering Through a Pandemic: A Valuable Lesson in the Future ...

Maneuvering Through a Pandemic: A Valuable Lesson in the Future of Tourism and Hospitality Marketing, As Shown by Dongguk University Researchers COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the tourism and hospitality industry, magnifying consumers’ adverse responses to crowding. Now, Dongguk University researchers demonstrated that consumers display diminished preferences for crowded venues, especially under high salience of COVID-19. However, this tendency reversed in consumers seeking unique, non-conforming experiences. These findings would help marketers reinvent their strategies to adapt to the new preferences of the traveler, such as promoting the notion of vacancy and unpopularity in advertisements for venues. When choosing a travel and hospitality destination, one of the things we often consider is the size of the crowd it pulls in, as large crowd often indicate positive attributes, including popularity, high quality, and a feeling of assurance. Now, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, avoiding crowded spots has risen several ranks on the priority lists of consumers. Fearing the risks of contracting the virus, people have been avoiding urban settings and popular tourist destinations. But is this trend universal? Does it apply to all kinds of travelers? Are there some tourist destinations or activities that travelers take part in regardless of the crowd?These are the few questions that this study by a team of researchers, including Associate Professor Jacob Chaeho Lee from Dongguk University, tries to answer in a new study published in Tourism Management.Based on the literature combined with empirical evidence from five survey-based experimental studies, the team hypothesized and demonstrated that, consumers under high salience of the COVID-19 pandemic display a diminished preference for crowded destinations. However, they also found that consumers who tend to seek sensation and have need for uniqueness show the opposite pattern. They also proved that this effect remains consistent across different travel and hospitality options regardless of the participants’ previous travel experiences. So, how does this study contribute to the recovery of the tourism and hospitality industry? Hailing these results, Dr. Lee says, “Our findings show that tourism and hospitality firms need to re-evaluate and reinvent their marketing strategies to adapt to this new consumer psychology and behavior. For example, firms may need to stop promoting the notion of crowding, popularity, or being trendy in the advertisements, social media, and review sites about their venues.” Their findings also suggest that during the pandemic, firms need to create new opportunities to attract consumers who tend to seek high levels of sensation and uniqueness in their consumption. The findings of the present study would greatly help tourism and hospitality firms to bounce back from the losses caused by the pandemic. ReferenceAuthors : In-Jo Park a, Jungkeun Kim b,*, Seongseop (Sam) Kim c, Jacob C. Lee d, Marilyn Giroux bTitle of original paper:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travelers’ preference for crowdedversus non-crowded optionsJournal : Tourism ManagementDOI : 10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104398 Affiliations: a Department of Psychology, Henan University, 1 Jinming St., Kaifeng, Henan, 475004, Chinab Department of Marketing, Auckland University of Technology, 120 Mayoral Drive, Auckland, 1010, New Zealandc School of Hotel & Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 17 Science Museum Road, TST East, Kowloon, Hong Kongd Dongguk Business School, Dongguk University, 30 Pildong-ro 1-gil, Seoul, South Korea*Contact author’s email : chaeholee@dongguk.edu About Dongguk UniversityDongguk University, founded in 1906, is located in Seoul, South Korea. It comprises 13 colleges that cover a variety of disciplines and has local campuses in Gyeongju, Goyang, and Los Angeles. The university has 1300 professors who conduct independent research and 18000 students undertaking studies in a variety of disciplines. Interaction between disciplines is one of the strengths on which Dongguk prides itself; the university encourages researchers to work across disciplines in the School of Business, Information Technology, Bio Technology, CT, and Buddhism. Website: http://www.dongguk.edu/mbs/en/index.jsp About the authorDr. Jacob Chaeho Lee is an Associate Professor of the Department of Business Administration at Dongguk University. Dr. Lee’s research focuses on consumer psychology and behavior in various important consumption contexts, including consumers’ experiences and happiness, artificial intelligence (AI), and COVID-19. Dr. Lee’s work has been published in leading journals from multiple disciplines, including Psychological Science, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Travel Research, and Tourism Management. Dr. Lee holds a Ph. D in marketing from University of Southern California.

Dongguk University Study Reveals Factors Influencing Colorectal ...

Dongguk University Study Reveals Factors Influencing Colorectal Cancer in KoreaColorectal cancer has become a great healthcare burden in Korea. To find out why, scientists at Dongguk University in Korea examined the cancer caseloads against the distribution of dietary and lifestyle factors observed in the population. In a novel insight, they found that risk factors for this cancer differ by age and sex, suggesting that blanket prevention measures may not be sufficient for a healthier futureColorectal cancer (CRC) places an enormous burden on public health in South Korea. In 2018, the country had the second-highest number of CRC cases worldwide. While genetic factors are responsible for cancer, the risk factors for CRC have been strongly linked to certain dietary and lifestyle choices, such as smoking, increased alcohol consumption, low physical activity, and high processed meat intake. But that is global data. Does it apply to Korea specifically? A team led by Professor NaNa Keum from Dongguk University, Korea, has now decided to find out. In their study, they examined the trends in CRC incidence rates between 2001 and 2013, and compared them to the changing dietary and lifestyle behavior in the country during that time. “We aimed to identify major modifiable lifestyle factors underlying the alarming increase in CRC incidence in Korea specifically,” says Prof. Keum. The findings of the study were published in the Journal Scientific Reports on January 28, 2021.In their analysis, the researchers found an increase in the CRC caseload, with a higher prevalence in men compared to women. While most diagnosed cases were of late-onset CRC, there was a notable increase in early-onset cases among middle-aged adults (ages 30–49). Across all sex and age groups, decrease in exercise was a contributing factor for the increasing CRC trend. For men, obesity and increased alcohol consumption were observed to be major risk factors. For middle-aged women, there were significant increases in alcohol consumption, smoking, and processed meat consumption, likely contributing to the increase in early-onset cases. “Our findings do not prove the causal effects of risk factors on increasing CRC rates, but rather provide suggestive evidence that the risk factors differ by age and sex,” notes Prof. Keum.Speaking of the implications of these findings, Prof. Keum says, “Targeted public health interventions will be required to effectively reduce the CRC rate in Korea. A tailored approach, rather than generic lifestyle interventions, will help prioritize limited resources and induce greater compliance from people.”Hopefully, following on the footsteps of such studies, necessary measures can be taken to reduce the burden of CRC in Korea in the foreseeable future. ReferenceAuthors:Hayeong Khil1, Sung Min Kim2, SungEun Hong1, Hyeon MinGil1, Eugene Cheon1, Dong Hoon Lee3, YoungAe Kim4 & NaNa Keum1,3Title of original paper:Time trends of colorectal cancer incidence and associated lifestyle factors in South KoreaJournal:Scientific Reports DOI:10.1038/s41598-021-81877-2Affiliations:1 Dongguk University, South Korea2 Seoul National University Graduate School, South Korea3 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA4 National Cancer Center, South Korea*Corresponding author’s email: nak212@dongguk.edu Your Press Release SourceDongguk University About Dongguk UniversityDongguk University, founded in 1906, is located in Seoul, South Korea. It comprises 13 colleges that cover a variety of disciplines and has local campuses in Gyeongju, Goyang, and Los Angeles. The university has 1300 professors who conduct independent research and 18000 students undertaking studies in a variety of disciplines. Interaction between disciplines is one of the strengths on which Dongguk prides itself; the university encourages researchers to work across disciplines in Information Technology, Bio Technology, CT, and Buddhism. Website: http://www.dongguk.edu/mbs/en/index.jsp About the authorNaNa Keum is an Assistant Professor of Food Science and Biotechnology at Dongguk University. As an epidemiologist, she has analyzed large cohort data (e.g., the Nurses’ Health Study, Health Professionals Follow-up Study) to examine how diet and lifestyle factors affect the development of cancer, especially colorectal cancer. She also investigates how individual genotypes modify the effects of lifestyle factors on weight control, testing the utility of lifestyle interventions tailored to individuals’ genotypes. Before coming to Dongguk University, she completed her dual doctoral programs in Nutrition and Epidemiology from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dongguk University Researchers Design a Neuromorphic Device Rese...

Dongguk University Researchers Design a Neuromorphic Device Resembling Human BrainScientists at Dongguk University have designed a novel optoelectronic device with a dual function of memory storage as well as processing. In this Internet of Things (IoT) era, massive amounts of data are produced, collected, and transmitted through devices in real time. The separation of memory and data processing units adversely affects the smooth functioning of optoelectronic devices. South Korean scientists have now designed a predictable optoelectronic device—a multi-functioning “memtransistor”—to address these limitations.The current computing systems which have separate memory and processing devices cause excess energy consumption and slow down data transmission. Interestingly, even state-of-the-art 2D memtransistors—devices that can collect, store, and process information—exhibit sub-optimal electronic properties, such as unusually high operating voltages.To overcome these limitations, scientists at Dongguk University designed a predictable multi-functioning memtransistor. Their paper, which was made available online on November 5, 2021 and was published in Volume 5, Issue 12 of Small Methods on December 13, 2021, described how they fabricated a highly efficient optoelectronic and memory device using two-dimensional (2D) materials—nanomaterials that are merely one or two atoms thick—by stacking 2D tellurium flakes on a thin rhenium disulfide flake, followed by the deposition of an aluminum oxide layer.According to senior author, Dr. Hyunsik Im, who works as a Professor at Dongguk University, the team has developed an “Electrically and optically tunable p-n junction memtransistor fabricated with an Al2O3 encapsulated 2D Te/ReS2 van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure. This combines the favorable optical and electrical properties of p-type 2D Te and n-type ReS2 semiconductors, with a stable Al2O3 charge trapping layer.”In this optoelectronic memory device, multiple resistance states can be tuned by applying different voltages, or light powers. The transition between the high or low resistance states is controlled by carriers trapped in the Al2O3 layer under high electric fields. This causes an additional gate bias that tunes the Schottky barrier height at the ReS2/source electrode interface, while preserving p-n junction behaviors during the switching process, giving the device the added benefit of being electrically conductive, while being able to store memory efficiently.Quite remarkably, this novel device is material-independent and scalable. Moreover, it allows the integration of additional electronic circuits for neuromorphic computing—a set of processes that attempt to mimic the brain's architecture and data processing capabilities. “The development of these highly efficient memtransistor-based synaptic devices can decrease circuit complexity and minimize power consumption for neuromorphic computing and visual information processing. Mimicking synaptic activities in the human brain could become a much more manageable task in the near future,” says Prof. ImThe architecture of the human brain continues to inspire nanomaterial researchers. Meanwhile, let’s raise a toast to the research team for this ‘brainy’ achievement!ReferenceAuthors : Duc Anh Nguyen1, Yongcheol Jo1, Thi Uyen Tran2, Mun Seok Jeong3, Hyungsang Kim1, Hyunsik Im1 Title of original paper : Electrically and Optically Controllable p–n Junction Memtransistor Based on an Al2O3 Encapsulated 2D Te/ReS2 van der Waals HeterostructureJournal : Small MethodsDOI : 10.1002/smtd.202101303Affiliations : 1Division of Physics and Semiconductor Science, Dongguk University, Seoul, 04620 Republic of Korea2Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419 Republic of Korea3Department of Physics, Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763 Republic of Korea*Corresponding author’s email: : hyunsik7@dongguk.edu About Dongguk University

Quantum Functional Semiconductor Research Center of Dongguk Univ...

Quantum Functional Semiconductor Research Center of Dongguk University, Development of quantum devices operating in room temperature- Successfully developed new-concept quantum devices capable of n-ary numeration digital logic- Published in ACS Nano, one of the best journals in the field of nanoscience and technologyDongguk University’s Quantum Functional Semiconductor Research Center (Director: Kim Deuk-Young) has developed a new-concept quantum device that enables logic of various multi-valued electronic information with one transistor. The center is a research institute that has been selected for the “University Priority Research Institute Support Project” by the Ministry of Education and is conducting the “Next-generation Quantum-Nano Structure Semiconductor Micro Information Device Research.”Lee Se-Joon, professor at the College of Physical and Semiconductor Science (corresponding author) and Dr. Lee Young-Min (principal author) of the Quantum Functional Semiconductor Research Center, who led the research, said that unlike the existing semiconductor quantum dot devices that operate only at very low temperatures, they have succeeded in manufacturing a quantum elliptical device that operates even at room temperature. In addition, by utilizing the spontaneous drive energy modulation function of the manufactured device, they have experimentally demonstrated that it is possible to selectively express and reconstruct various multi-valued electronic information using only one quantum device.The results show that not only can electronic information operations and logic circuits be reduced very simply, but existing CMOS device-based binary digital operations system can be switched to n-ary numeration systems. Professor Lee explains that expressing and calculating various multi-valued electronic information more quickly and easily can lead to developing n-ary numeration digital operation and information process systems more easily. This means that with even a very simple circuit configuration it is possible to quickly calculate and analyze a huge amount of information required for artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, big data processing, and the like. He then expressed his hope that it could be actively used for applied research for portability, convenience, and versatility of ubiquitous devices in the future.Meanwhile, this research is groundbreaking and has not yet been reported worldwide, and is published in ACS Nano (IF = 15.881, JCR top 6.1%), one of the best journals in the field of nanoscience and technology.

A research team led by Professor Jae-Joon Lee from Dongguk Unive...

A research team led by Professor Jae-Joon Lee from Dongguk University developed a highly efficient battery that operates under artificial indoor light.- Their research was selected as the cover article for Solar RRL, one of the most respected journals in the field of solar energy conversion- They developed the source technology of artificial light ALC that can be used as a source of energy for IoT devicesA study demonstrating a 63.4% increment in output power density for dye-sensitized photovoltaics (DSPV) with artificial indoor light, conducted by the research team led by Professor Jae-Joon Lee from the Department of Energy and Materials Engineering at Dongguk University, was selected as the cover article for Solar RRL, a prestigious journal that publishes high-quality research articles in the Wiley Online Library. Professor Jae-Joon Lee, who is the corresponding author, was accompanied by Dr. Ashok Kumar, Dr. Hyeong Cheol Kang, Dr. Francis Asiam, and Dr. Kicheon Yoo in synthesizing the nanophosphor SrF2:Pr3+-Yb3+ by codoping praseodymium (Pr, atomic number 59) and ytterbium (Yb, atomic number 70) with SrF2 and lanthanum nanoparticles for the first time. This nanophosphor was incorporated in the photoanode and used as an induction material for down-conversion. Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), a next-generation solar cell, is gaining considerable traction as an alternative to the currently popular silicon solar cells due to its inexpensive materials, simple manufacturing process, and excellent performance (photoelectric conversion efficiency of 13%).Recently, there is a growing expectation for DSPVs that can be operated under indoor and artificial light conditions to open up a new path to energy self-sufficiency of wearables and portable smart electronics with its high performance and applicability. However, its low photoelectric conversion rate is a serious limitation as the photon harvesting performance of the DSPV's photoanode is rather poor due to low light intensity from artificial indoor light conditions. Therefore, the research team proposed to introduce SrF2:Pr3+-Yb3+, a nanophosphor that was synthesized for the first time, to the photoanode of the DSPV, and succeeded in increasing the output power density of the photoelectric cells to 63.4%. Thanks to this technique, it became possible to develop a source of energy for self-sustainable wearable devices, portable smart electronics, and IoT devices. Professor Jae-Joon Lee said, “As this technique showed a high level of efficiency not only for DSSC but also under artificial indoor light conditions, it can be used for indoor devices”. He optimistically added, “I hope that this study can be useful to other studies that seek to develop self-powered IoT devices.” This study was conducted with the support of Brain Pool programs (research on materials for photoelectric conversion-storage fusion devices operating on optimized light energy conversion) and Project for Climate Change Technology Development (development of organic-based solar cell source technology for urban distributed power generation) of the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Dongguk University receives record-high number of R&D projects c...

Dongguk University receives record-high number of R&D projects commissioned in 1H 2021Up 23% from last year to 67.3 bil. won, of which new orders account for 40.6 bil. wonDongguk University’s efforts to strengthen its R&D competitiveness are bearing fruit. On August 21, the Office of Research announced that the value of R&D project orders received in the first half of 2021 reached a record high of 67.3 billion won, up 23% from the same period last year, including new orders of 406 billion won.By sector, projects included 10.32 billion won for Buddhism and culture, 10.97 billion won for biotech and medicine, 13.29 billion won for DNA, and 6.06 billion for safety and security.In Buddhism and culture, Prof. Kim Jong-uk, College of Buddhist Studies, and Prof. Jeong Ju-won, Department of Home Economics Education, were the largest funding recipients. Prof. Kim Dong-eok, College of Medicine, and Prof. Kwon Gyong-hee, College of Pharmacy, topped the list in biotech and medicine. In DNA, Prof. Kim Heung-su, Department of Mechanical, Robotics, and Energy Engineering, and Prof. Lim Hyeon-sik, Division of Physics-Semiconductor Science, won the most significant share of contracts. In safety and security, Prof. Park Jin-ho, Department of Multimedia Engineering, and Prof. Jo Eun-gyeong, College of Police and Criminal Justice made a significant contribution.Kim Gwan-gyu, Vice-President of Research, said, “The Office of Research is responsible for managing R&D projects in four specialized categories. These efforts have led to record-high results. Drawing on a combination of our superior research capabilities and excellent research staff, we remain dedicated to achieving best results in R&D projects in the second half of this year as well.”

The Academy of Buddhist Studies at Dongguk University published ...

The Academy of Buddhist Studies at Dongguk University published Volume 30, No. 2, of the International Journal of Buddhist Thought & Culture (IJTBC), an international journal of Buddhist studies It comprises theses and reviews of renowned scholars from around the world, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Japan The Academy of Buddhist Studies at Dongguk University (Ven. Jagwang, Head of Academy) published Volume 30, No. 2, of the International Journal of Buddhist Thought & Culture (IJTBC).The IJBTC (co-editors: Kim Jong-wook of Dongguk University and Richard McBride of Brigham Young University) is the only English-language Buddhist journal in Korea, with eight foreign scholars from India, the United States, Thailand, Taiwan, Canada, Norway, Denmark, and Mongolia participating as members of the editorial board.The IJBTC, Korea's first international journal specializing in Buddhism, was selected as a registered journal under the National Research Foundation of Korea (KCI) in 2010 and has maintained its status until now. It has been considered to have set the stage for the internationalization of Korean Buddhism and academic research in Korea. In 2018, it was registered in the citation indexes of the new Thomson Reuters database, “Emerging Sources City Index (ESCI),” and the Atlas Religion Database (Atla DB) of the American Theological Library Association.Vol. 30, No. 2, of the IJTBC, recognized as a major academic journal both domestically (KCI) and internationally (ESCI, Atla), published five special papers, two research papers, and two reviews. The authors are leading and emerging researchers who are internationally diverse and possess academic expertise from Emory University and Alabama State University in the United States; The French School of the Far East; Cambridge University and the British Museum in the United Kingdom; Toyo University of Japan; and Ewha Womans University, Chonnam National University, and Seoul National University in Korea, which have prestigious departments of history, philosophy, and Buddhist studies within their respective countries. The special theme of Vol. 30, No. 2, of the IJTBC is “Dhāraṇī and Mantra in Ritual, Art, and Text,” for which five papers have been published. For this special edition, Professor Paul Copp of the University of Chicago in the United States, who is recognized as a world-renowned scholar in East Asian language and civilization, and Professor Kim Yeon-mi of the Department of Art History at Ewha Womans University, who has been focusing on East Asian Buddhist art, participated as guest editors.Papers on various topics, in which leading researchers such as Ellen Gough of Emory University in the United States, Olivier de Bernon of The French School of the Far East, and Gergely Hidas of the British Museum participated, have been published. These are expected to contribute to a philosophical and historical consideration of Dhāraṇī, which was considered only as a religious and cultural asset.In addition to the special papers, research papers also included papers such as “An Account of Generous Action and Esteem in Pāli Buddhism” by Professor Nicholas Jones at Alabama State University in the United States and two in-depth reviews on the latest research results. The two reviews, which discuss recently published and remarkable Buddhist journals from a serious and open perspective, will also play a major role in navigating the current status of Buddhist studies.This will be an opportunity to expand the horizons of Buddhism and actively discuss directions for future research and international academic exchanges through the latest research achievements of world-class scholars representing each field and papers based on the same. The entire journal is available on the Academy of Buddhist Studies website.

Prof. Jung-Suk Sung from the Department of Life Sciences receive...

Prof. Jung-Suk Sung from the Department of Life Sciences receives Commendation from the Minister of EnvironmentSince 2016, Prof. Sung has undertaken a project analyzing the anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and cell neurotoxic properties of biotoxin-specific peptides. The project entitled, “Exploring the Usefulness of Natural Organism-derived Toxins” was commissioned by the National Institute of Biological Resources under the Ministry of Environment. He has also developed AI prediction and discovery models for building domestic biological and genetic resources that can be used for the commercialization of useful materials.As a result, three patents were registered and several international papers published He received a commendation in recognition of his contribution towards securing domestic natural organisms and genetic resources through public relations efforts he made in 2018.

Prof. Young-Dae Gong from the Department of Chemistry receives C...

Prof. Young-Dae Gong from the Department of Chemistry receives Commendation from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Prof. Young-Dae Gong from the Department of Chemistry at Dongguk University received a commendation from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy at the Industrial Innovation Platform (I-Platform) vision declaration ceremony held at the Korea Institute for the Advancement of Technology on December 17.Since 2010, Prof. Gong has worked on establishing the Center for Innovative Drug Library Research at Dongguk University as part of the “Industry-Academia-Research Consortium” (project budget: KRW 5 billion) sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.He was instrumental in building an innovation platform for equipment and developing a library for unique small drug-based organic molecules. Through this effort, 120 papers were published in internationally renowned journals, 85 patents were registered, and licensing deals were signed in 2019 to transfer commercial technologies.In particular, he received the commendation for his contribution towards enhancing the global competitiveness of Korea's drug industry by developing innovative new drugs and for providing biotech startups and pharmaceutical companies with the knowledge and infrastructure support of the drug library and innovative equipment at the research center.

Prof. Hyun-Sik Im from the Division of Physics and Semiconductor...

Prof. Hyun-Sik Im from the Division of Physics and Semiconductor Science receives Commendation from the Minister of Science and Technology Professor Hyun-Sik Im from the Division of Physics and Semiconductor Science at Dongguk University received a commendation from the Minister of Science and Technology at the “2020 Annual Conference on Radiation Technology and Industry Promotion” on December 22. Since 2015, Prof. Im has developed radiation sensors as part of a project to develop source technology for radiation sensors supported by the Research Foundation and the Korean Association for Radiation Application. He has published articles in internationally prestigious academic journals and applied for patents in Korea and elsewhere. He is also undertaking joint research projects with a number of domestic companies.In particular, the commendation was given in recognition of his contribution to enhancing national competitiveness by developing source technology for radiation detection materials.