STATE IDEOLOGY AND LANGUAGE POLICY IN NORTH KOREA: AN ANALYSIS OF NORTH KOREA’S PUBLIC DISCOURSE

Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2018

On the Estimation of the Mission Performance Index of Unmanned Surface Vehicles Based on the Mission Coverage Area

For mission planning and replanning of multiple unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), it is important to estimate each USV’s mission performance in terms of sea surveillance (e.g., illegal ship control). In this study, a mission performance index (MPI) is proposed based on the mission coverage area for estimating the USVs’ mission performance of illegal ship control. The penalty value is considered in the MPI calculation procedure owing to the track-off of the USV. In addition, the USV simulation is conducted under illegal ship control, and the MPI is calculated based on changing the mission coverage area. The results show that the MPI increases with the path width of the mission coverage area

Effect of IT Capability on the Alignment between Business and Service Innovation Strategies

Information Technology (IT) capability is believed to encourage and facilitate service innovation. In addition, since effective competitive strategy is particularly important for service firms, it is imperative to align their service innovation strategy with their business strategy to achieve better firm performance. Many service innovation studies have been performed on the influence of IT capability and the strategic alignment separately in the past, but this study combines them by investigating the moderating effect of IT capability on the alignment between business and service innovation strategies. Based on empirical data collected from 183 service firms in Korea, this study aims first to explore whether a certain service innovation strategy is more effective with a particular business strategy for better firm performance. We then investigate the moderating effect of IT capability on the relationship between the strategic alignments and firm performance. The empirical evidence indicates that there is a synergistic effect between strategic alignment and IT capability on firm performance. Firms that have aligned service innovation strategy with business strategy need to consider the improvement of organizational IT capability with an assurance that they will be leveraged substantially. Lastly, we discuss our study’s implications for further research and practice

Dynamic Acoustic Transparency Control System

A dynamic acoustic transparency control mechanism for audio devices such as headphones or earbuds is described. The acoustic transparency level for the device is adjusted based on ambient sound detected using an external microphone. In some configurations, an automatic gain control (AGC) block is utilized in the signal path to automatically boost ambient sound to a designed level. In some configurations, a sound pressure level (SPL) is determined based on sound received at the external microphone and a lookup table is utilized to determine a gain based on the received SPL. In some configurations, the applied gain is determined based on an audiogram associated with the user, obtained with user permission. The acoustic transparency system as described herein is implemented in a low-latency signal path and is well-integrated with feedback noise cancelling system to alleviate occlusion effects. The described techniques can enable users to maintain an awareness of their surroundings while wearing headphones or earbuds

AAD-2004, a potent spin trapping molecule and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 inhibitor, shows safety and efficacy in a mouse model of ALS

While free radicals and inflammation constitute major routes of neuronal injury occurring in neurodegenerative diseases, neither antioxidants nor nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have shown significant efficacy in human clinical trials. To explore the possibility that concurrent blockade of free radicals and PGE2-mediated inflammation might constitute a safe and effective therapeutic approach to certain neurodegenerative diseases, we have developed 2-hydroxy-5-[2-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-ethylaminobezoic acid (AAD-2004) as a derivative of aspirin. AAD-2004 completely removed free radicals at 50 nM as a potent spin trapping molecule and inhibited microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) with an IC50 of 230 nM. Oral administration of AAD-2004 blocked free radical formation, PGE2 formation, and microglial activation in the spinal motor neurons of SOD1G93A mice. As a consequence, AAD-2004 reduced autophagosome formation, axonopathy, and motor neuron degeneration, improving motor function and increasing life span. In these assays, AAD-2004 was superior to ibuprofen or riluzole. Gastric bleeding was not induced by AAD-2004 even at a dose 400-fold higher than that required to obtain maximal therapeutic efficacy in SOD1G93A mice. Targeting both mPGES-1 and free radicals may be a promising approach to reduce neurodegeneration in ALS and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases