The Use of Middle School Atlases in the Social Studies Classroom in South Korea

Middle school atlases are supplementary textbooks for social studies learning in South Korea. Although atlases are developed and designed to provide various useful resources for students’ social studies learning, especially geography, atlases have not been frequently used in actual social studies classrooms, and sometimes they are never used. This study reports the causes of low adoption rates of middle school atlases in Korean social studies classrooms through the analysis of survey responses from both teachers and students. This study also addresses ways of increasing the use of atlases in the classroom

IMPROVING THE COMFORT OF MANUAL WHEELCHAIR BACK SUPPORTS

The back support is an integral wheelchair component for appropriate seating position and trunk support. Compared to sling back supports, rigid back supports provide improved postural support and better function. As such, many clinicians expect rigid back supports to be more comfortable. However, rigid back supports are often reported to be uncomfortable and difficult to adjust or reposition while the user is seated in the chair. In order to address complaints of discomfort, it may be important to evaluate the relationship between the contour of the back support and the shape of an individual’s back. Further, difficulty with adjustment could be addressed by designing a mechanism to increase ease of use. The specific aims of this dissertation are to 1) evaluate perceived comfort among wheelchair users using both sling and rigid back supports, 2) use digital anatomic scanning technology to evaluate the backs of wheelchair users in order to classify types of back shapes and compare to back support shapes corresponding levels of comfort, and 3) create a commercial ready prototype of an attachment that increases ease of adjustment – the LightWeight Durable Adjustable Composite (LWDAC) back support bracket. To achieve aim 1, participants were asked to answer survey questions related to level of comfort of the back supports on their personal wheelchair. The questionnaire study shows that the higher discomfort ratings among rigid back support users with tetraplegia may be due to suboptimal shape, fit, adjustment or user experiences. The back scanning study demonstrates that wheelchair users have varying back contours, and commercial products may not be able to provide proper support to fit every individual. The disparity between the shape of the shell and the shape of an individual wheelchair users’ back may result in skin breakdown which is a serious concern. In accordance with findings from previous aims, a commercial-ready prototype the LWDAC back support bracket was developed and evaluated by wheelchair users traversing activities of daily living courses. Participants reported positive impressions of the prototype and the findings of this study assist in establishing areas for improved comfort and heightened function for manual wheelchair users

Design and development of a lightweight durable adjustable composite backrest mounting

As prevalence of wheelchair usage has increased, wheelchair manufactures are required to provide more and better wheelchairs because of secondary injuries such as pressure sores and repetitive strain injuries. Better qualified wheelchairs provide more adjustment, so wheelchair components have been developed to provide that adjustment. Among the wheelchair components, a backrest is one of critical components of the wheelchair due to the importance of seating position and appropriate trunk support. The Lightweight Durable Adjustable Composite (LWDAC) Backrest Mounting project consisted of three design iterations, prototypes, durability testing, and user evaluation. The backrest mounting is adaptable to most ultralight manual wheelchairs. The backrest is designed with features including height, width and backrest angle adjustment. The angle adjustment adds adjustability and flexibility to a rigid backrest and can be operated with only one hand, without high strength or dexterous manipulation. The LWDAC was tested with ANSI/RESNA durability and fatigue test standards and passed impact test, static stability test and durability test, but not fatigue test. This study also included focus groups to gather user and clinician feedback regarding backrest characteristics. The backrest had overall positive response from participants. The participants agreed the backrest mounting can be operated with one hand, felt comfort when seated, and wheelchair users were interested in purchasing the backrest and clinicians indicated they would recommend the LWDAC backrest

Power Law in Firms Bankruptcy

We consider the scaling behaviors for fluctuations of the number of Korean firms bankrupted in the period from August 1 2002 to October 28 2003. We observe a power law for the distribution of the number of the bankrupted firms. The Pareto exponent is close to unity. We also consider the daily increments of the number of firms bankrupted. The probability distribution of the daily increments for the firms bankrupted follows the Gaussian distribution in central part and has a fat tail. The tail parts of the probability distribution of the daily increments for the firms bankrupted follow a power law.Comment: 3 pages, 4figure

Histone acylation marks respond to metabolic perturbations and enable cellular adaptation

Acetylation is the most studied histone acyl modification and has been recognized as a fundamental player in metabolic gene regulation, whereas other short-chain acyl modifications have only been recently identified, and little is known about their dynamics or molecular functions at the intersection of metabolism and epigenetic gene regulation. In this study, we aimed to understand the link between nonacetyl histone acyl modification, metabolic transcriptional regulation, and cellular adaptation. Using antibodies specific for butyrylated, propionylated, and crotonylated H3K23, we analyzed dynamic changes of H3K23 acylation upon various metabolic challenges. Here, we show that H3K23 modifications were highly responsive and reversibly regulated by nutrient availability. These modifications were commonly downregulated by the depletion of glucose and recovered based on glucose or fatty acid availability. Depletion of metabolic enzymes, namely, ATP citrate lyase, carnitine acetyltransferase, and acetyl-CoA synthetase, which are involved in Ac-CoA synthesis, resulted in global loss of H3K23 butyrylation, crotonylation, propionylation, and acetylation, with a profound impact on gene expression and cellular metabolic states. Our data indicate that Ac-CoA/CoA and central metabolic inputs are important for the maintenance of histone acylation. Additionally, genome-wide analysis revealed that acyl modifications are associated with gene activation. Our study shows that histone acylation acts as an immediate and reversible metabolic sensor enabling cellular adaptation to metabolic stress by reprogramming gene expression. © 2020, The Author(s).1

Electro-acupuncture at acupoint ST36 reduces inflammation and regulates immune activity in Collagen-Induced Arthritic Mice

This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and immuno-regulatory effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) at ST36 on Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. Male DBA/1J mice were divided into five groups: Normal, Control, NR (needle retention), EAI and EAII. All mice except those in the normal group were immunized with Collagen II for arthritis induction. Acupuncture needles were inserted into mice ST36 and electrical currents at a frequency of 2 Hz in a continuous rectangular wave form were conducted through the needles for 15 min, 3 times a week. EA treatments were administered for 5 weeks in the EAI group and for 9 weeks in the EAII group. The mice in the NR group were acupunctured in the same manner as the EA groups and the needles were retained for 15 min without electrical stimulation. CIA incidence analysis, ELISA, histological analysis and FACS analysis were performed to evaluate the effect of EA on CIA. EA at ST36 significantly reduced CIA incidence, IL-6, TNF-a, INF-γ, collagen II antibody, IgG and IgM levels in CIA mice serum and prevented knee joint destruction. EA at ST36 also reduced CD69+/CD3e+ cells and CD11a+/CD19+ cells in CIA mice lymph nodes, and CD11b+/Gr1+ cells in CIA mice knee joints. The ratios of CD3e+ cells to CD19+ cells, and CD8+ cells to CD4+ cells were maintained closer to the normal range in the EA groups as compared with the control group or the NR group. EAII was more effective than EAI throughout all the measurements. The NR was effective as well, though less effective than EA. EA at ST36 may have an anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and immuno-regulatory effects on CIA in mice. The effectiveness is stronger when EA starts earlier and is applied longer. Needle retention without electrical stimulation may be effective on CIA as well, however less effective than EA. Electrical stimulation and acupoint ST36 may have synergistic effects on CIA

Mild Encephalopathy with Reversible Lesion in the Splenium of the Corpus Callosum and Bilateral Frontal White Matter

A 59-year-old man visited an emergency room due to the sudden onset of severe dysarthria with a drowsy mental status. MRI demonstrated T2 prolongation and restricted diffusion involving the splenium of the corpus callosum and bilateral frontal white matter neurological signs and symptoms were mild, and the recovery was complete within a week. Follow-up MRI performed one month later revealed complete resolution of the lesions. The clinical and radiological courses were consistent with previously reported reversible isolated splenial lesions in mild encephalitis/encephalopathy except for the presence of frontal lesions. This case suggests that such reversible lesions can occur outside the splenium