Building Korean Sign Language Augmentation (KoSLA) Corpus with Data Augmentation Technique

We present an efficient framework of corpus for sign language translation. Aided with a simple but dramatic data augmentation technique, our method converts text into annotated forms with minimum information loss. Sign languages are composed of manual signals, non-manual signals, and iconic features. According to professional sign language interpreters, non-manual signals such as facial expressions and gestures play an important role in conveying exact meaning. By considering the linguistic features of sign language, our proposed framework is a first and unique attempt to build a multimodal sign language augmentation corpus (hereinafter referred to as the KoSLA corpus) containing both manual and non-manual modalities. The corpus we built demonstrates confident results in the hospital context, showing improved performance with augmented datasets. To overcome data scarcity, we resorted to data augmentation techniques such as synonym replacement to boost the efficiency of our translation model and available data, while maintaining grammatical and semantic structures of sign language. For the experimental support, we verify the effectiveness of data augmentation technique and usefulness of our corpus by performing a translation task between normal sentences and sign language annotations on two tokenizers. The result was convincing, proving that the BLEU scores with the KoSLA corpus were significant

Older Adults’ Travel Website Usage and Their Wellbeing Perception

Abstract—This study attempts to identify the impacts of older adults’ innovativeness on parasocial interaction, and examine the linkage between PSI and well-being perception. The 201 U.S. elderlyparticipated in survey conducted from online research survey firm. The conceptual suggested model was tested by the data collected from users of travel websites. The results found thatinnovativeness negatively influenced on PSI. Furthermore, older adults’parasocial interaction was found to generatetheir well-being perception. Managerial and academic implications and direction of future research were provided

The associations of continuity of care with inpatient, outpatient, and total medical care costs among older adults with urinary incontinence

Introduction Urinary incontinence is a significant health problem with considerable social and economic consequences among older adults. The objective of this study was to investigate the financial impact of continuity of care (CoC) among older urinary incontinence patients in South Korea. Methods We used the NHIS-Senior cohort patient data between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2010. Patients who were diagnosed with urinary incontinence in 2010 were included. Operational definition of CoC included referrals, number of providers, and number of visits. A generalized linear model (GLM) with γ-distributed errors and the log link function was used to examine the relationship between health cost and explanatory variables. Additionally, we conducted a two-part model analysis for inpatient cost. Marginal effect was calculated. Results Higher CoC was associated with a decrease in total medical cost (-0.63, P < .0001) and in outpatient costs (-0.28, P < .001). Higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score was a significant predictor for increasing total medical cost (0.59, P < .0001) and outpatient cost (0.22, P < .0001). Higher CoC predict a reduced medical cost of $360.93 for inpatient cost (P = 0.044) and$23.91 for outpatient cost (P = 0.008) per patient. Conclusion Higher CoC was associated with decrease in total medical costs among older UI patients. Policy initiatives to promote CoC of older UI patients in the community setting could lead to greater financial sustainability of public health insurance in South Korea.This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors

Correction to: Effects of robot-assisted gait training in patients with Parkinsons disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article

No difference in stroke knowledge between Korean adherents to traditional and western medicine – the AGE study: an epidemiological study

BACKGROUND: Effective stroke intervention and risk reduction depend on the general public's awareness and knowledge of stroke. In Korea, where both traditional Oriental medicine and Western medicine are practiced, estimates of the general public's awareness and knowledge of stroke are poor. The present study sought to describe the inception cohort of the Ansan Geriatric Study (AGE study) and to determine baseline stroke awareness and preferred medical treatment for stroke in this Korean sample. METHODS: A total of 2,767 subjects selected randomly from the Ansan Geriatric Study in South Korea were questioned about stroke. Their answers were compared with their sociodemographic data and other variables. RESULTS: Only 44.8% of participants correctly identified stroke as a vascular disease in the human brain. Sudden numbness or weakness was the most frequently identified stroke warning sign (60.2%). Hypertension (66.7%) and mental stress (62.2%) were most frequently identified as stroke risk factors. The contributions of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease to stroke were underestimated; they were identified as risk factors by 28.3% and 18.6% of participants, respectively. The predictors for poor knowledge of stroke warning signs and risk factors were similar irrespective of preference for Western or Oriental medical treatment, and included those with lower levels of education and inaccurate definition of stroke. Television and radio (40.3%) were the most frequent sources of stroke information for both groups. CONCLUSION: This study shows that knowledge of stroke is similar among Koreans with preferences for either Western or Oriental medical treatment and that misunderstandings about stroke are common among the Korean elderly. In order to prevent and manage stroke effectively, public health education regarding basic concepts of stroke is necessary. This should target those with a lower level of education and a misunderstanding of the definition of stroke

Revisiting Consumer Ethnocentrism: Review, Reconceptualization, and Empirical Testing

Prior research has suggested that many consumers prefer domestic to foreign products, even when the quality is lower and the price is higher. Such bias is attributed to consumer ethnocentrism. This study critically examines the current conceptualizations of consumer ethnocentrism and proposes an extension of its conceptual boundaries and measurement. It determines that consumer ethnocentrism is a multidimensional construct that encompasses five dimensions: prosociality, cognition, insecurity, reflexiveness, and habituation. Empirical evidence from the United Kingdom and the United States demonstrates that the extended measurement instrument better predicts consumers' preferences for local brands at the expense of foreign brands

Morbidity and related factors among elderly people in South Korea: results from the Ansan Geriatric (AGE) cohort study

BACKGROUND: A thorough examination of the morbidity and comorbidity profiles among the elderly and an evaluation of the related factors are required to improve the delivery of health care to the elderly and to estimate the cost of that care. In South Korea where the aged population is rapidly increasing, however, to date only one study using a limited sample (84 subjects) has provided information on morbidity and related factors among the elderly. Using a large, stratified, random sample (2,767 subjects) from the population-based Ansan Geriatric study, the present study sought to assess the morbidity and comorbidity, and to determine the relationships of these variables with sociodemographic and health characteristics in elderly people in South Korea. METHODS: A total of 2,767 subjects (1,215 men and 1,552 women) aged 60–84 years were randomly selected from September 2002 to August 2003 in Ansan, South Korea. Data on sociodemographic and health characteristics, and clinical diagnosis were collected using questionnaires. When available, the medical records and medications taken by the subjects were also cross-checked. RESULTS: Of the total subjects, 78.0% reported diagnosed disease, 11.0% had been cured, and 46.8% had been diagnosed with more than two diseases. The mean number of morbidities per person among elderly Koreans was 1.62 ± 1.35 (mean ± standard deviation), and women had a greater number of diseases per person than did men. The most common morbidities were chronic diseases such as hypertension, arthritis, and diabetes mellitus. In women, osteoporosis and arthritis were the second and third most prevalent diseases, respectively. Morbidity was significantly associated with gender, employment, household income, alcohol intake, self-assessed health status, and worries about health. CONCLUSION: These data will enhance understanding of the patterns of health problems among elderly Koreans and will contribute to the application of appropriate intervention strategies

Hypomorphic Mutations in TONSL Cause SPONASTRIME Dysplasia

SPONASTRIME dysplasia is a rare, recessive skeletal dysplasia characterized by short stature, facial dysmorphism, and aberrant radiographic findings of the spine and long bone metaphysis. No causative genetic alterations for SPONASTRIME dysplasia have yet been determined. Using whole-exome sequencing (WES), we identified bi-allelic TONSL mutations in 10 of 13 individuals with SPONASTRIME dysplasia. TONSL is a multi-domain scaffold protein that interacts with DNA replication and repair factors and which plays critical roles in resistance to replication stress and the maintenance of genome integrity. We show here that cellular defects in dermal fibroblasts from affected individuals are complemented by the expression of wild-type TONSL. In addition, in vitro cell-based as-says and in silico analyses of TONSL structure support the pathogenicity of those TONSL variants. Intriguingly, a knock-in (KI) Tonsl mouse model leads to embryonic lethality, implying the physiological importance of TONSL. Overall, these findings indicate that genetic variants resulting in reduced function of TONSL cause SPONASTRIME dysplasia and highlight the importance of TONSL in embryonic development and postnatal growth.Peer reviewe

CARE CONTINUITY AND RISK OF NURSING HOME ADMISSION: A STUDY TO INTEGRATE PRIMARY CARE AND LONG-TERM CARE FOR KOREAN OLDER ADULTS BASED ON HEALTH CLAIMS DATA

Adverse outcomes among older adults have been reported to be a significant burden in terms of medical cost and quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess the risk of all-cause mortality, nursing home admission, and medical costs; to evaluate the impact of care continuity on the outcomes; and to recommend policies that can improve integrated modes of delivering primary care and LTC services to South Korean older adults with UI. To review previous literature, PRISMA extension guidelines were used. For quantitative analysis, the NHIS-Senior cohort patient data between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2015, were used. To study association between care continuity and adverse outcomes (all-cause mortality, nursing home admission), 30,740 participants were followed for 6 years (2010-2015). Cox proportional hazards model was used to measure the association between outcomes and explanatory variables. A generalized linear model (GLM) with γ-distributed errors and the log link function was used to examine the relationship between health costs and explanatory variables in the year of 2010. Higher continuity of care (CoC) was a protective factor of all-cause mortality (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.43-0.76) and of nursing home admission (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.46-0.80). Risk factors of all-cause mortality included CCI score 2 (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.04-1.80), CCI score 3 or more (HR 2.40, 95% CI 1.88-3.07), having disability (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.17-4.11), and current smoking (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.04-1.76). Risk factors of nursing home admission included higher baseline score of dependency in toilet use (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.11-1.35), cognitive dysfunction (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.05-1.16), and BPSD score (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.17). In the GLM analysis, higher CoC was associated with a decrease in total medical cost (-0.63, P <.0001) and in outpatient costs (-0.28, P<.001). Higher CoC predicted a reduced medical cost of $360.93 for inpatient cost (P=0.044);$23.91 for outpatient cost (P=0.008); and $569.80 for total medical cost (P=0.002) per patient in the year of 2010. By identifying high-risk groups for adverse outcomes in community settings, those with UI may be equipped with integrated way of delivering primary care and LTC