Background: Stroke patients have dosiflexor weakness. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) for motor and sensory threshold stimulation has been applied to patients with stroke.
Objectives: To investigate effects of FES intervention for motor and sensory threshold on balance and gait in subacute patients with stroke.
Design: A randomized controlled trial.
Methods: In all, 34 patients with subacute stroke were recruited and randomly assigned to the motor threshold (MTG, n=17) and sensory threshold group (STG, n=17). The measured variables were static balance (BioRescue), dynamic balance (BBS), and gait (TUG test). The study period was 5 weeks, twice a day, 5 days a week.
Results: There was a significant difference in all variables except the speed variable (open eye Romberg test) after the intervention; MTG improved more significantly except for the speed variable of the Romberg test (open eye). BBS score increased significantly only in the MTG group after the intervention, and the increase was more significant in the MTG group than in the STG group. The TUG test significantly decreased in both groups after the intervention, and the decrease was more significant in the MTG group than in the STG group.
Conclusion: FES for motor threshold applied to patients with subacute stroke appears to be more effective in improving balance and gait ability than FES for sensory threshold.
Background: The chin tuck exercise is a therapeutic approach for improving swallowing function in patients with dysphagia. However, the clinical evidence of the effect is still lacking.
Objectives: To investigate the effect of a multidirectional chin tuck exercise on swallowing function in patients with post-stroke dysphagia.
Design: A two-group prospective study.
Methods: In total, 14 patients with post-stroke dysphagia were enrolled and assigned to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group performed the chin tuck exercise in the vertical and diagonal directions, whereas the control group performed the exercise only in the vertical direction. The intervention was performed 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week, for 4 weeks. Videofluoroscopic Dysphagia Scale (VDS) and Penetration–Aspiration Scale (PAS) scores determined via a videofluoroscopic swallowing study were the outcome measures used for evaluating swallowing function.
Results: Post-intervention, the experimental group exhibited significantly better improvement in the pharyngeal phase score of VDS and PAS score than the control group.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the multidirectional chin tuck exercise is more effective than the vertical chin tuck exercise in improving the swallowing function in patients with post-stroke dysphagia.
Fumigation of fruits and vegetables during quarantine and pre-shipment (QPS) treatment should be effective with a shorter fumigation time to minimize phytotoxicity. In this research study, a shorter fumigation time, 2 hours exposure which is shorter than that of the current commercial fumigation procedures using a lower dose of ethyl formate (EF) mixed with phosphine (PH3) on strawberry was investigated. The reciprocal effect between EF and PH3 against nymphs and adult Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Tetranychus urticae (Koch) was evaluated. In addition, L(Ct)50 and L(Ct)99 of EF only and EF mixed with PH3 were analyzed at 5°C and 20°C. The synergistic ratio (SR) of L(Ct)50 and L(Ct)99 for the nymph and adult stages of M. persicae were >1.0, which indicated a synergistic effect between EF and PH3. However, the SR values of L(Ct)50 and L(Ct)99 of the nymph and adult stages of T. urticae were ≤1.0 indicating that there was no synergistic effect between the two fumigants against T. urticae. Our results showed that the reciprocal effect between EF and PH3 has different effects on M. persicae and T. urticae. This could be attributed to the biological and physical differences between the class Arachnida and Insecta. The synergistic effect between EF and PH3 against M. persicae within a shorter exposure period and without phytotoxicity on fruits and vegetables will significantly benefit the horticultural industry.
The expansion of the online market is expected to change the purchasing environment. The purpose of this study is to examine the difference in the moderating effect of each characteristic on perceived quality and purchase intention according to the group according to product involvement and purchaser age. The first step is to identify the characteristics of online information sources and social media platforms through a literature review. Next, when perceived quality affects purchase intention, we verify the moderating effect according to the characteristics of online information sources and social media platforms. The moderating effect is verified at the stage by dividing it into a group according to product involvement and a group according to age. The following results were confirmed throughout the study: First, perceived quality significantly affects purchase intention. Second, in the relationship between perceived quality and purchase intention, the influence of the moderating effect is different depending on the high-involvement product and the low-involvement product. Third, it was confirmed that there was a difference in the moderating effect of online information sources and social media platforms in the relationship between perceived quality and purchase intention according to age. This study intends to increase consumers' purchase intentions by identifying specific age groups and product groups of involvement and establishing strategies suitable for the characteristics of online information sources and social media platforms.
There is a growing interest in project management knowledge, project management information systems, and process improvement to systematically project execution in public sectors, achieve high performance and value, and increase the effectiveness of the overall industry. In particular, the software industry is a knowledge-intensive industry centered on professional manpower. This study examines the effect of the project managers' competences of regional SW promotion agencies on and project performance and the moderating effect of the level of project management maturity. We collected data using a questionnaire to the project managers of regional SW promotion agencies. In this study, a structural equation model was used to analyze the relationship between project managers’ competences and performance. In addition, a multi-group structural equation model was used to analyze the moderating effect according to the high and low project maturity. As a result of the analysis, it was found that only contextual competence among the competences of the project manager had a positive effect on project performance. It was found that technical and behavioral competence did not have a positive effect on management and completion performance. It was found that the moderating effect according to the maturity of business management of local institutions was not significant.
Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii, a keystone species with significant ecological and commercial importance, is declining globally throughout much of its range. While traditional fishing equipment methods remain limited, new sensitive and rapid detection methods should be developed to monitor fisheries resources. To monitor the presence and quantity of C. pallasii from environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from seawater samples, a pair of primers and a TaqMan® probe specific to this fish based on mitochondrial cytochrome b (COB) sequences were designed for the real-time PCR (qPCR) assay. The combination of our molecular markers showed high specificity in the qPCR assay, which affirmed the success of presenting a positive signal only in the C. pallasii specimens. The markers also showed a high sensitivity for detecting C. pallasii genomic DNA in the range of 1 pg~100 ng rxn-1 and its DNA plasmid containing COB amplicon in the range of 1~100,000 copies rxn-1, which produced linear standard calibration curves (r2=0.99). We performed a qPCR assay for environmental water samples obtained from 29 sampling stations in the southeastern coastal regions of South Korea using molecular markers. The assay successfully detected the C. pallasii eDNA from 14 stations (48.2%), with the highest mean concentration in Jinhae Bay with a value of 76.09±18.39 pg L-1 (246.20±58.58 copies L-1). Our preliminary application of molecular monitoring of C. pallasii will provide essential information for efficient ecological control and management of this valuable fisheries resource.
Barnyard millet (Echinochloa esculenta) can be processed through soiling, hay, and silage, depending on the weather conditions during harvesting. However, research on barnyard millet is insufficient, and standards for cultivar, seeding density, and fertilizers have not been established. This study was conducted to examine the effects of seeding density and seeding methods on dry matter yields. For this, we used the early-maturing (Shirohie millet) variety of the barnyard millet. The experimental design included different seeding density (10 kg/ha, 15 kg/ha, 20 kg/ha (standard seeding density), 25 kg/ha and 30 kg/ha), and different methods of seeding (drill seeding and broadcast seeding). The seeding date was May 13, 2021, and the harvest date was July 13, 2021. Harvesting was carried out when the heading reached 40 %. Lodging occurred at 5, 9 and 7 at 20, 25 and 30 kg/ha densities in the broadcast seeding, but not in the drill seeding. With decreasing density of seeding, tillage number showed an increasing trend in both drill seeding and broadcast seeding (p>0.05). The plant heights were comparable in both drill seeding and broadcast seeding (p>0.05). The heading stage of barnyard millet was checked July 7 for drill seeding, and, on July 8 for broadcast seeding. It took 62 days, i.e., till July 13 for the heading to reach 40 % of the output. The dry matter yield of barnyard millet was significantly higher at the seeding density of 30 kg/ha, for both the methods of seeding (p<0.05). There was no difference in the chemical composition of grain, based on the seeding method and seeding density. However, as the seeding density increased, the CP, NDF, ADF, and TDN contents increased in both drill seeding and broadcast seeding. We found that, the dry matter content was the highest at the seeding density of 30 kg/ha for both the methods of seeding, but this was only 1.3 times higher than that of 10 kg/ha. Considering the seed price and labor force involved in seeding, it is advisable to have a seeding density of 15-20 kg/ha.
The pharmaceutical industry is an industry that provides medicines related to the health and life of the people. The pharmaceutical industry is a traditional regulation industry with the characteristics of R&D(Research and Development), purchasing, manufacturing, distribution and consumption under strict government management. Until now, pharmaceutical companies have continued to make efforts to maintain competitiveness through patent management, new product development, and marketing. However, industries are rapidly changing, including rising costs for developing new products and expanding generic markets. As these changes and uncertainties in the management environment increase, efforts are required to improve the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry from a new perspective. In this study, we intend to examine the impact of SCM(Supply Chain Management) dynamic capability of pharmaceutical companies on corporate performance through partnerships to respond to market changes and uncertainties. It was determined that the agility, visibility and flexibility that constitutes the SCM dynamic capabilities would affect the performance of pharmaceutical companies. In this study, the importance of SCM dynamic capabilities and cooperative relationships was identified through surveys by SCM managers of pharmaceutical companies. Consequently, in the pharmaceutical industry, which is a regulatory industry, we have identified that SCM dynamic capabilities and cooperative relationships with partner companies have a significant impact on corporate performance.
Climate change effects are particularly apparent in many cool-season grasslands in South Korea. Moreover, the probability of climate extremes has intensified and is expected to increase further. In this study, we performed climate change vulnerability assessments in cool-season grasslands based on the analytic hierarchy process method to contribute toward effective decision-making to help reduce grassland damage caused by climate change and extreme weather conditions. In the analytic hierarchy process analysis, vulnerability was found to be influenced in the order of climate exposure (0.575), adaptive capacity (0.283), and sensitivity (0.141). The climate exposure rating value was low in Jeju-do Province and high in Daegu (0.36–0.39) and Incheon (0.33–0.5). The adaptive capacity index showed that grassland compatibility (0.616) is more important than other indicators. The adaptation index of Jeollanam-do Province was higher than that of other regions and relatively low in Gangwon-do Province. In terms of sensitivity, grassland area and unused grassland area were found to affect sensitivity the most with index values of 0.487 and 0.513, respectively. The grassland area rating value was low in Jeju-do and Gangwon-do Province, which had large grassland areas. In terms of vulnerability, that of Jeju-do Province was lower and of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province higher than of other regions. These results suggest that integrating the three aspects of vulnerability (climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity) may offer comprehensive and spatially explicit adaptation plans to reduce the impacts of climate change on the cool-season grasslands of South Korea.
As the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Information Age, companies are in the state of infinite competition due to the rapidly changing technological environment and fierce competition. In this situation companies are making efforts to gain the competitive advantage by introducing information systems. Supply Chain Management (SCM) is considered a method to gain a competitive edge in rapid change. In fact, companies that already have introduced the SCM system are achieving company renovation with positive effects such as increase of sales stock reduction on-time delivery cost reduction and improved efficiency. This study was started to investigate the resistance that occurs in introducing the SCM system for small and medium-sized manufacturing industries that have not yet introduced the SCM system despite the importance of the SCM system, and to check the effect on the intention of the introduction. As the result of this study, the first is that the company has the higher technological innovation, the more positive the effect on Relative advantage Compatibility Perceived risk, Complexity. Second, The compatibility of the SCM system was rejected in innovation resistance, but it is adopted with the highest impact in the introduction intention. In addition, the mediating effect of innovation resistance was also rejected, confirming that if the SCM system is compatible for the company, it doesn’t affect the resistance and is the biggest factor to consider in the introduction of the SCM system. Third, the perceived risk of the SCM system doesn’t directly affect the intention to introduce, but has an indirect effect when mediation innovation resistance.
This study was conducted to estimate the effect of different cutting lengths on fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability of whole crop rice (WCR) silage. The WCR was harvested at the yellow ripe stage (43.7%, DM), and then cut at 5 (R05), 10 (R10), and 20 cm (R20) of the theoretical length of cut with no cut WCR (R60). Each forage was ensiled into 20 L mini bucket silo (5 kg) for 150 days in quadruplicates. The cutting lengths were not affected the chemical compositions of WCR silage (p > 0.05). The pH (p < 0.001) and concentration of ammonia-N (p = 0.022) in WCR silage were increased linearly with the increase of cutting length. The concentration of lactate had quadratic effect (p = 0.007), which was highest in R20 silage (p < 0.05). The concentration of acetate was increased linearly (p = 0.014), but the concentration of butyrate was decreased linearly (p = 0.033). The lactic acid bacteria count was decreased linearly (p = 0.017), and yeast count had quadratic effect (p = 0.009), which was the highest in R20 silage (p < 0.05). Aerobic stability had strong quadratic effect (p < 0.001), which was the highest in R20 silage (p < 0.05). In conclusion, R60 silage had highest pH by a linear increase of ammonia-N concentration and led to low aerobic stability. While R20 silage had the lowest pH by high lactate concentration and led to high aerobic stability.
The bereaved families of Cheju massacres(1947-1954) and civil society have constantly demanded that the state establish incomplete transitional justice in Jeju, South Korea. Significant progress has been made in establishing transitional justice in South Korea to heal the victims of the Cheju Massacres, but there has been no progress in engagement or discussion between the US government and society in this regard. A book, “Healing the Persisting Wounds of Historical Investment : United States, South Korea and the Jeju 4·3 Tragedy” that compiles the full discussion of theoretical and practical framework, social healing through justice proposed by Eric K. Yamamoto for the recovery of the damage caused by the massacres of civilians has been published and is attracting attention.
A diverse group of plant-growth promoting bacteria were isolated in button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) media to investigate the plant-growth promoting traits of compounds including indole acetic acid (IAA), ammonia, 1-aminocyclopropane-1- carboxylic acid deaminase, siderophore, and hydrogen cyanide. Twenty-one bacterial strains showing positive effects for all the test traits were selected and classified to confirm bacterial diversity in the media habitat. Plant-growth promoting traits of the isolates were also assessed. All strains produced IAA ranging from 20 μg/mL to 250 μg/mL. Most of the isolates produced more than 80% siderophore. Four strains (Pantoea sp., PSB-08, Bacillus sp., PSB-13, Pseudomonas sp., PSB-17, and Enterobacter sp., PSB-21) showed outstanding performances for all the tested traits. In a bioassay of these four strains using mung bean plant, the best growth performances (23.16 cm, 22.98 cm, 2.27 g/plant, and 1.83 g/plant for shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight, and root dry weight, respectively) were obtained from the plants co-inoculated with Bacillus sp., PSB-13. The resultant data indicate that button mushroom media have got a diverse group of bacteria with plant growth promoting abilities. Thus, the media could be a good recycling resource for using to an effective bio-fertilizer.
Recently, the importance of project management has increased due to the scale and complexity of the construction projects. Therefore, this study conducted a survey on construction companies and related public institutions to verify the relationship between the role of the Project Management Office(PMO) and PM leadership for project performance. Based on this, the effect of the PMO role on the project performance was identified and the moderating effect of PM leadership was analyzed. As a result, first, the role of the PMO was found to have an influential on the project performance. Second, the PM leadership was verified to has a moderating effect in the relationship between the PMO role and the project performance. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influential of the role of PMO on project performance in the construction industry to suggest the necessity of PMO in the construction industry and the need to adopt PMO in large-scale construction projects and analyze the moderating effect of PM leadership on project performance.
This study identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that affect the body weight of chickens. Analysis of body weight showed that the Cornish breed had the highest body weight, and the Korean native chicken (Gray Brown) had the lowest body weight. TSH is composed of an α-subunit and a β-subunit, and the TSH-β gene encoding the β-subunit has been reported to be associated with obesity. In chickens, it is located on chromosome 26 and is reported to be associated with growth. The calcium-sensing receptor gene (CaSR) plays a role in the regulation of extracellular calcium homeostasis and is responsible for calcium absorption in the urinary tract, which affects the eggshell quality in poultry. It was shown that TSH-β was strongly correlated with weight in Cornish and Korean native (Gray Brown) chickens, particularly in those with the CC trait. However, CaSR showed no association with body weight in poultry; it was associated with calcium and the eggshell. Thus, selection for TSH-β can be used to produce individuals with more favorable traits in terms of body weight.
The purpose of this study was to analyze laws and policies related to personal mobility (PM) in foreign countries, review Korean laws, hear opinions from experts on the orientation of personal mobility devices to propose a framework for the safe use and activation of personal mobility devices. At the local government level, the following were suggested as matters that Jeju Island should pursue with interest and should be stipulated in the ordinance. First, designate the availability of personalized mobile devices. Second, promote the availability of personal mobile devices. Third, establishing a basic plan for activating the use of personal mobile devices to ensure safety. Fourth, support for personal mobile driving roads. Fifth, the restriction and prohibition of traffic of personalized mobile devices and the content regulations for time designation and management. Sixth, regulations on the contents of regulations such as prohibition of parking and illegal parking, prohibition and processing of long-term neglect, etc. Seventh, designation and operation of a special zone for individual vehicles. Eighth, various rules for driving.
World-class zoos have been recognized proponents of both animal welfare and wildlife conservation. The Korean zoos are in controversy over its existence, citing poor role performance. As one of the efforts to protect animals’ welfare and enhance wildlife conservation, leading zoos have been accredited through the inspections and evaluations. To improve the quality of Korean zoos, an accreditation standard that fits for Korean environment needs to be set. Out of various zoo accreditation standards around the world, we compared each category of all five publicly available accreditation standards; the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in the United States(AZA), Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquarium(CAZA), European Association of Zoos and Aquaria(EAZA), Zoological Association of America(ZAA), and the Pan-African Association of Zoos and Aquariums(PAAZA). Based on the analysis result, we established 10 essential categories that were finally approved by the Focus group interview; animal welfare and care and management, veterinary care, conservation, education and interpretation, governing authority, staff, finance, physical facilities, safety and security, and master & strategy plan. This minimum zoo accreditation standards would enlighten the path to improve animal welfare and wildlife conservation of Korean local zoos.
Colon cancer has been considered a leading cause of cancer-associated death. Folic acid is a vitamin necessary for cellular physiological functions and cell viability. However, the association between folic acid intake and colon cancer has been examined in several prospective cohort studies are controversial. This study investigated the effects of folate intake on colon carcinogenesis and oxidative stress in an azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) institute for cancer research (ICR) mouse model. Thirty male ICR mice (5 weeks old) were divided into the control group and the experimental group supplied 0.03% folic acid via drinking water (50 mL/week/mouse) for 6 weeks. To induce colonic pre-neoplastic lesions, the animals were subcutaneously injected three times weekly with AOM (10 mg/kg body weight), followed by 2% DSS in drinking water for a week. Folic acid supplementation significantly suppressed the total number of aberrant crypt foci and aberrant crypts. Histological image data showed that folic acid supplementation attenuated neoplastic change. In addition, we measured the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentration of dry feces samples to identify the effect of folic acid on reactive oxygen accumulation. The folic acid supplementation group had reduced reactive oxygen species levels in dry feces compared to the control group. In conclusion, these findings indicate that folic acid suppresses colon carcinogenesis and oxidative stress in an AOM/DSS mouse model.
2D 퍼즐은 인기있는 보드게임이다. 2D 퍼즐을 완성하는 기술은 많이 연구되었다. 하지만 2D만으로는 대상 을 효과적으로 표현하기 어렵다는 한계가 있다. 본 연구에서는 영상으로부터 높이를 가진 2D+ 레고 퍼즐을 생성하는 방법을 제안한다. 이를 위해서 본 연구에서는 영상의 높이 맵과 분할 맵의 정보를 활용한다. 우리 는 2D+ 퍼즐에 적용하기위해 다양한 대상의 높이 및 영역 정보를 적절하게 처리해야한다. 이러한 이유로, 우리는 깊이 맵과 분할영역 맵을 추출하기 위해 모델에 심층 학습 모델을 적용한다. 높이 맵을 추출하기 위 해 우리는 CelebAMask-HQ dataset으로 학습한 BiseNet을 채택했다. 그리고 분할 맵을 얻기 위해 NYU Depth V2 dataset으로 학습한 DenseDepth를 사용했다. 입력 영상에 대해서 저해상도 영상 및 높이 맵과 분할 맵을 추출하고, 저해상도 영상을 레고 브릭의 색 팔레트를 적용한 영상에 대해서 높이 맵과 분할 맵 정보를 적용해서 높이를 가진 2D+ 픽셀 아트 영상을 생성한다. 그리고, 이 픽셀 아트 영상에 대해서 같은 높이와 같은 색을 가진 픽셀들에 대해서 최대한 큰 브릭을 적용하는 그리디 알고리즘을 적용해서 2D+ 레 고 퍼즐을 완성한다. 본 연구에서는 다양한 초상화를 대상으로 2D+ 레고 퍼즐을 완성하는 예를 제시하였으 며, 그 중 하나를 직접 제작하여 그 결과를 제시한다.
고령운전자의 인지 및 신체 기능 저하로 인한 교통사고 증가는 점점 심각한 사회적 문제가 되고 있으며, 이 로 인해 면허증을 자진하여 반납하는 제도가 운영되고 있으나 보다 객관적인 평가 방법이 필요하다. 본 연 구에서는 다양한 주행 상황에서 발생하는 정적 및 동적 시각 자극에 대하여 운전자의 시각적 행동을 평가 할 수 있는 운전 시뮬레이션 주행 환경과 시나리오를 구현하는 것이 목표이다. 이를 위해 고령운전자의 주 행 특성 분석에 활용된 운전 시뮬레이션 시나리오를 기존의 연구 문헌들로부터 수집하였고, 정적 및 동적으 로 구분된 표적 자극에 따른 텍스트 네트워크 분석을 통해 주행환경과 시나리오를 재분류하였다. 또한, 유 사한 유형의 시나리오들은 보다 발생 빈도가 높고 표적 자극이 다양한 주행환경으로 병합하였다. 연구 결과 로 신호교차로, 비신호 교차로, 왕복 2차로, 왕복 4차로 주행환경에서의 전체 12종의 시나리오로 구성된 운 전 시뮬레이션 콘텐츠가 구현되었다. 신호등, 정차된 차량, 표지판 등으로 구성된 정적 시각 자극과 주행 중 인 차량, 무단 횡단하는 보행자 등의 동적인 시각 자극이 제시되며, 이에 대한 시선 탐색(Visual Detection), 시지각(Visual Perception), 시각운동기능(Visuomotor Function)의 정량적 측정을 통해 운전자의 시각 행동 평가가 이루어진다. 본 연구에서 제안하는 시나리오 구성 방법은 운전 시뮬레이션 콘텐츠를 구현하기 위한 새로운 접근 방식으로써 시각 자극에 따른 운전 능력 검사 환경 구축에 관한 기초 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.