Background:Agricultural work is physically demanding and is associated with a high frequency of musculoskeletal disorders. It is challenging to comprehensively understand the present status of work-related diseases and injuries among farmers in underdeveloped countries.Objects:This study aimed to elucidate the current status of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in local farmers in Tigray, Ethiopia, and identify the agricultural factors associated work-related musculoskeletal pain (AFWMP) and healthy living and healthy behavior factors associated work-related musculoskeletal pain (HFWMP).Methods:The Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development at Yonsei University conducted a survey of 126 households in Tigray, Ethiopia in 2014. A total of 116 individuals (73 men, 43 women) representing each household answered the questionnaires.Results:1) Work-related musculoskeletal pain (WMSP) most commonly occurred when performing heavy lifting and most frequently occurred in the lower back. 2) Age, self-perceived labor intensity, and months of farming work were significantly higher in the pain group than those in the non-pain group. 3) Overall work-related musculoskeletal pain intensity (WPI) showed positive and negative correlations with years of farming experience and self-perceived health status, respectively. 4) In binary logistic regression, the occurrence of WMSP showed significant associations with self-perceived labor intensity. 5) On multiple linear regression analysis, age, months of farming work, and self-perceived health status had a significant impact on overall WPI.Conclusion:The WMSP of farmers in Tigray, Ethiopia was related to the characteristics of farm working and health status. Furthermore, HFWMP and AFWMP were the chief factors affecting the occurrence of WMSP in farmers in Tigray. Therefore, both HFWMP and AFWMP should be considered for clinical health assessments of farmers with WMSP in underdeveloped African countries.

본 연구의 목적은 신흥시장 내 기업집단의 국제화 및 성과간 관계를 조명하는데 있다. 또한 국제 화의 경험이 기업의 성과에 영향을 미칠 수 있다는 가능성 하에 국제화로 인한 학습효과가 있는지 를 밝히고자 한다. 주식시장에 상장되어 있는 409개의 제조기업을 대상으로 시행된 실증에서, 본 연구는 첫째, 최소한 기업성과를 바탕으로 드러난 결과를 볼 때, 적어도 한국의 신흥시장 기업집단 만큼은 국제화로 인한 혜택을 크게 보지 못한 것으로 나타났다 (이는 U자형 성과-국제화 관계를 보여준 개별기업의 결과와 배치된다). 둘째, 기업성과와 국제화 경험간 관계와 관련하여, 신흥시장 의 기업집단에서는 유의미한 관련증거를 발견할 수 없었던 반면, 개별기업에서는 S자 형태의 상관 성을 목격할 수 있었다. 전체적인 관점에서, 본 결과들은 신흥시장 기업집단의 경우, 국제경영을 행함에 있어 고유의 기업특성을 보유하고 있다고 추측되며, 따라서 향후 미래연구에서는 기존 선행 연구에서 간과한 영역, 즉 신흥시장 기업집단의 국제화와 성과를 측정함에 있어 기업의 고유특성이 어떠한 매개효과를 가지는지를 살펴볼 필요성이 제기된다.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the quality characteristics and antioxidant characteristics of commercially available mixed grains in Korea. The quality characteristics of mixed grain products studied were the mixing ratio, water binding capacity, water solubility, swelling power, and pasting characteristics. The antioxidant characteristics assessed the total polyphenol, flavonoid contents, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities. The mixing ratio of commercially available mixed grain products consisted of 5~25 kinds of grains, with maximum products containing 15-grain products. The water binding capacity, water solubility, and swelling power in commercially available mixed grain products were 99.83~122.83%, 6.91~39.26% and 7.76~86.92%, respectively. The peak, trough, breakdown, final and setback viscosity were 31.53±20.17 RVU, 25.24±13.22 RVU, 6.29±7.43 RVU, 50.27±25.84 RVU and 18.74±8.68 RVU, respectively. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were 817.14~2,524.29 μg GAE/g and 06.36~1,099.09 μg CE/g, respectively. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities were 31.91~151.70 mg TE/100 g and 28.09~119.92 mg TE/100 g, respectively. Products with high phenol content and radical scavenging activity were found to contain greater proportion of brown rice, colored rice, barley and soybean.

Background: Muscle weakness and impaired trunk muscle control are common in stroke patients. The bridging exercise (BE) is generally used for trunk stabilization and improving the overall function of stroke patients. The effectiveness of the BE with hip adductor contraction (BEHA) in facilitating trunk muscle activation has been well studied in healthy adults. However, the impact of BEHA in sub-acute stroke patients has not yet been investigated. Objects: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of BEHA on the electromyography (EMG) activities and the asymmetry of the rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO) and internal oblique (IO) abdominal muscles. Methods: Twenty participants with sub-acute stroke (11 males and 9 females) were recruited. Each participant was asked to perform bridging exercises for five seconds under three different conditions: BE in a neutral position (BEN), BEHA with a large ball (BEHAL) and BEHA with a small ball (BEHAS). The EMG amplitudes of the bilateral RA, EO and IO and the asymmetry of the EMG activity between the sound and affected sides were compared among the conditions. The significance level was set at α=.05. Results: The EMG activities of RA, EO and IO were significantly greater during BEHAL and BEHAS than during BEN (p<.05); the asymmetry of the RA, EO and IO decreased significantly during BEHAL and BEHAS compared to BEN (p<.05). However, no measured variables showed any significant differences between BEHAL and BEHAS (p>.05). Conclusion: This study compared the EMG activities of the RA, EO and IO on both sides and the asymmetry of the RA, EO and IO during BEN, BEHAL and BEHAS. Our findings suggest that BEHA was more effective for individuals with hemiplegic stroke at facilitating and normalizing abdominal muscle control than BEN.

Background: Deficiencies in the ability to maintain balance are common in elderly. Augmented feedback such as knowledge of results (KR) can accelerate learning and mastering a motor skill in older people. Objects: We designed this study to examine whether one session of Wii-Fit game with self-regulated KR is effective for elderly people, and to compare the effect of two different timings of self-regulated KR conditions. Methods: Thirty-nine community-dwelling elders, not living in hospice care or a nursing home, participated in this study. During acquisition, two groups of volunteers were trained in 10 blocks of a dynamic balancing task under the following 2 conditions, respectively: (a) a pre-trial self-regulated KR (n1=18), or (b) a post-trial self-regulated KR (n2=21). Immediate retention tests and delayed retention tests of balancing performance were administered in 15 minutes and 24 hours following acquisition period, respectively. Results: In both groups, significant improvements of balancing performances scores were observed during the acquisition period. Regardless of the group, mean of balancing performance scores on retention tests were well-maintained from the final session. There were no significant differences between groups in balancing performance scores during the acquisition period (p>.05); however, the post-trial self-regulated KR group exhibited significantly higher balancing performance scores in both the immediate retention test and delayed retention test than that of the pre-trial self-regulated KR group (p<.05). Conclusion: Therefore, subjects who regulated their feedback after a dynamic balancing task, during the acquisition period, experienced more efficient motor learning during the retention period than did subjects who regulated their feedback before a dynamic balancing task. Accordingly, in case of presenting the KR of motor learning in clinical settings to elders who reduced dynamic balance abilities, the requesting time of KR is imperative according to self-estimation processes as well as types of KR and practice.

목 적: 조도 변화에 의한 조절력과 양성융합버전스의 변화를 알아보고자 하였다. 방 법: 전신질환이나 안질환이 없는 남녀 24.51(±2.82)세 49명을 대상으로 실시하였다. 조도 환경은 조 도계((LX-101, Lutron, USA)와 조광기를 이용하여 10 lux에서 1000 lux까지 조도를 변경시켜가면서 조절 력과 원·근거리 양성융합버전스를 측정하였다. 결 과: 조절력은 10 lux 조도에서 8.51 D로 가장 낮았으며, 800 lux에서 9.12 D로 가장 높았고, 조도가 증가될수록 조절력도 증가하다가 유지되는 지수함수식(y=9.09-0.62e- )이 나타났다. 원거리 양성융합 버전스의 분리점은 10 lux에서 20.81 △으로 가장 높게 나타났으며, 조도가 증가되면서 점차 감소하다가 변 화가 적어지는 지수함수식(y=17.08+4.66e- )이 나타났다. 근거리 양성융합버전스의 분리점도 낮은 조 도인 10 lux에서 21.42 △으로 가장 높았으나 조도가 증가하면서 감소하다가 변화가 적어지는 지수함수식 (y=20.93+0.63e- )이 나타났다. 결 론: 조도가 증가함에 따라 조절력은 증가하고, 원거리 및 근거리 양성융합버전스는 낮은 조도에서는 증가하며, 점차 조도가 증가되면서 감소하다가 변화가 적어지는 양상을 보인다.

Nine species of fossil plants were described based on the new material collected from the Hasandong Formation. They are as follows: Thallites yabei, Onychiopsis elongata, Cladophlebis denticulata, C. shinshuensis, C. (Eboracia ?) lobifolia, C. (Klukia ?) koraiensis, Brachyphyllum japonicum, Elatocladus tennerima, and Taeniopteris ? sp. cf. T. auriculata. The floristic composition of the Hasandong flora is very similar to that of the Nakdong flora. This means that both floras might have flourished under subtropical warm arid climate. This flora contains both the Tetori-type and Ryoseki-type floras. It is considered that the Hasandong flora is a member of the Mixed-type floras that existed in eastern Eurasia during the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous time.

Background: Recently, there has been an emphasis on the use of interventions with biofeedback information for the maintenance or correction of posture. Objects: This study assessed the change of trunk posture and trunk muscle activation when people exhibiting postural kyphosis performed visual display terminal work with or without a contact feedback device (CFD). Methods: Eighteen right-handed individuals were recruited. Thoracic angle and right thoracic erector spinae (TES) muscle amplitude were analyzed. There were two sessions in these experiments. The control session involved 16 minutes of typing without a CFD, and the CFD session involved 16 minutes of typing with a CFD. The visual analog scale score was analyzed with a paired t-test, and the kinematic and electromyography data were analyzed through two-way repeated analysis of variance. Results: The paired t-tests revealed that subjects had significantly less pain after the CFD sessions than after the control sessions (p<.05). Significant main effects by session and by time were observed in the thoracic kyphosis angle (p<.05). There was a significant session×time interaction for TES amplitude (p<.05), along with significant main effects by session and by time (p<.05). Conclusion: The CFD caused people with postural kyphosis to straighten and to activate their TES continuously, even though they were habituated to bend their bodies forward. Therefore, the CFD was a beneficial treatment tool

With the rapid development of digital technologies and the Internet, the boundaries between countries are shrinking and markets are becoming global (Oh et al., 2016). Simultaneously, cross-border online shopping is another trend that has spread across the world, and global e-commerce has now become a reality (Johnson et al., 2003; Moore, 2015). However, in prior studies related to eWOM, the national culture has received little attention among the numerous factors that could adjust the effect of eWOM (Christodoulides et al., 2012). In addition, in the real world, although individuals are frequently exposed to combined eWOM messages containing both positive and negative information about the same product, most previous studies on eWOM have focused on the one-sided eWOM valence. There are not many empirical studies on the influence of the two-sided eWOM valence on consumers’ persuasions. Thus, Study I examines the attitude effect of the two-sided eWOM valence from a cross-cultural perspective, particularly on the basis of the differences in thinking styles between the Easterners and Westerners. For this, we use a 2[Valence: positive/negative, negative/positive] x 2[Culture: East (South Korea), West (United States)] factorial design. To classify the culture, the thinking style was measured as a within-group variable. As a result, the interaction effect between valence and culture (nation) was significant. Specifically, in the East (South Korea), no significant difference existed in the changes in brand attitude depending on the two-sided eWOM valence, whereas brand attitude changes from a negative/positive presentation order in the West (United States) were significantly larger than the positive/negative presentation order. Study II demonstrates the mediated moderation effect of perceived cognition congruency in a cross-cultural setting for explaining the underlying mechanism. Drawing on the cognitive fit theory, we present a two-sided eWOM-consumers’ perceived cognition congruency proposition: the two-sided eWOM valence that matches the information processing order consumers habitually have would facilitate the favorable comprehension (reflected by perceived cognition congruency) and assessment (reflected by changes in brand attitude) of the reviews. As a result, the two-sided eWOM valence indirectly affects brand attitude changes by mediating perceived cognition congruency. This valence directly affects the brand attitude changes in the Westerner (United States) group, which has an analytical thinking style. However, the direct and indirect effects of two-sided eWOM valence on brand attitude changes are not significant in the Easterner (South Korea) group, which has a holistic thinking style. This examination might explain why differences in the changes in brand attitude between the Easterners and Westerners were revealed through the twosided eWOM valence, thus providing in-depth insights into consumer responses for the valence. This study expands the diversity of studies conducted on the characteristics of the two-sided eWOM. Furthermore, it is expected to provide a strategic direction and practical implications for two-sided eWOM-driven information management by organizations.

Cyanotoxins in aquatic ecosystems have been investigated by many researchers worldwide. Cyanotoxins can be classified according to toxicity as neurotoxins (anatoxin-a, anatoxin-a(s), saxitoxins) or hepatotoxins (microcystins, nodularin, cylindrospermopsin). Microcystins are generally present within cyanobacterial cells and are released by damage to the cell membrane. Cyanotoxins have been reported to cause adverse effects and to accumulate in aquatic organisms in lakes, rivers and oceans. Possible pathways of microcystins in Lake Suwa, Japan, have been investigated from five perspectives: production, adsorption, physiochemical decomposition, bioaccumulation and biodegradation. In this study, temporal variability in microcystins in Lake Suwa were investigated over 25 years (1991~2015). In nature, microcystins are removed by biodegradation of microorganisms and/or feeding of predators. However, during water treatment, the use of copper sulfate to remove algal cells causes extraction of a mess of microcystins. Cyanotoxins are removed by physical, chemical and biological methods, and the reduction of nutrients inflow is a basic method to prevent cyanobacterial bloom formation. However, this method is not effective for eutrophic lakes because nutrients are already present. The presence of a cyanotoxins can be a potential threat and therefore must be considered during water treatment. A complete understanding of the mechanism of cyanotoxins degradation in the ecosystem requires more intensive study, including a quantitative enumeration of cyanotoxin degrading microbes. This should be done in conjunction with an investigation of the microbial ecological mechanism of cyanobacteria degradation.

Ti films were deposited on glass substrates under various preparation conditions in a chamber of two-facing-target type dc sputtering; after deposition, the electric resistivity values were measured using a conventional four-probe method. Crystallographic orientations and microstructures, including the texture and columnar structure, were also investigated for the Ti films. The morphological features, including the columnar structures and surface roughness, are well explained on the basis of Thornton’s zone model. The electric resistivity and the thermal coefficient of the resistivity vary with the sputtering gas pressure. The minimum value of resistivity was around 0.4 Pa for both the 0.5 μm and 3.0 μm thick films; the apparent tendencies are almost the same for the two films, with a small difference in resistivity because of the different film thicknesses. The films deposited at high gas pressures show higher resistivities. The maximum of TCR is also around 0.4 Pa, which is the same as that obtained from the relationship between the resistivity and the gas pressure. The lattice spacing also decreases with increasing sputtering gas pressure for both the 0.5 μm and 3.0 μm thick films. Because they are strongly related to the sputtering gas pressures for Ti films that have a crystallographic anisotropy that is different from cubic symmetry, these changes are well explained on the basis of the film microstructures. It is shown that resistivity measurement can serve as a promising monitor for microstructures in sputtered Ti films.

The effects of national gymnastics and brain gymnastics on brain activity were analyzed in 20 healthy university students. The students were assigned to either a national gymnastics group or a brain gymnastics group. Their frontal lobe activity was recorded before and after the exercise, and the resting, attention, and concentration indexes of brain waves were measured. The resting index significantly decreased and concentration index significantly increased(p<.05) after the exercise in both the national and brain gymnastics groups. However, the attention index significantly increased only after brain gymnastics, and, on the contrary, decreased after national gymnastics. These findings suggest that brain gymnastics is effective for improving attention.