The Emotional Reactions to Challenging Behavior Scale-Korean (ERCBS-K): Modification and Validation

The purpose of this study was to explore the original version of Mitchell and Hastings\u27s (1998) Emotional Reaction to Challenging Behavior Scale (ERCBS) and estimate validity and reliability of a revised version containing 29 items. The Emotional Reaction to Challenging Behavior Scale-Korean (ERCBS-K) was studied using 445 in-service physical educators (228 females; 217 males). Data were collected using onsite administration as well as mail survey administration procedures. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses results supported a five factor, 28-item scale (ERCBS-K). Acceptable internal consistency coefficients were found for each of the subscales of the ERCBS-K (Cronbach\u27s alpha ranged from 0.71 to 0.87)

A situational analysis of ear and hearing care in South Korea using WHO ear and Hearing Care Situation Analysis tool

ObjectivesThe WHO emphasizes lifelong management of hearing diseases such as hearing loss and advocates for prevention. The Ear and Hearing Care Situation Analysis (EHCSA) tool was designed by the WHO for assessment and quality improvement of state-led management of hearing loss prevention and management programs. The purpose of this study was to use the EHCSA to assess the ear and hearing management program in Korea and to establish goals consistent with best practices for improving policies and services related to ear and hearing care.MethodsThe EHCSA was used as a need assessment of the ear and hearing management services in the country. The EHCSA consists of two sections. Section 1 consists of 41 questions to evaluate health policies and support services. Section 2 consists of 203 questions to evaluate human resources and services of the ear and hearing management sector.ResultsThere are an estimated 800,000 people with hearing loss in Korea. Policies such as hearing aid support are in place, and outreach services such as free hearing tests are also being actively conducted. In all medical institutions, ear and hearing management treatment and medication prescriptions could be received without barriers. Workers in the fields of ear and hearing management, such as audiologists, language therapists, special education teachers, and sign language interpreters, are specialized and have well-established guidelines for training.ConclusionOverall, the domestic ear and hearing management sector has confirmed that policies and services are well-prepared in comparison with advanced countries such as the United States, Iran, and China. The use of the EHCSA was functional in collecting data on the current state of domestic ear and hearing management policies and services in Korea, can be used for continuous quality improvement and expansion of medical services, and can be used as a reporting mechanism to the WHO

Sensitization rates of airborne pollen and mold in children

PurposeAeroallergens are important causative factors of allergic diseases. Previous studies on aeroallergen sensitization rates investigated patients groups that had visited pediatric allergy clinics. In contrast, we investigated sensitization rates in a general population group of elementary school to teenage students in Incheon, Jeju, and Ulsan.MethodsAfter obtaining parental consent, skin-prick tests were performed on 5,094 students between March and June 2010. Elementary school students were tested for 18 common aeroallergens, whereas middle and high school students were tested for 25 allergens. The 25 allergens included Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, pollen (birch, alder, oak, Japanese cedar, pine, willow, elm, maple, Bermuda grass, timothy grass, rye grass, orchard grass, meadow grass, vernal grass, mugwort, Japanese hop, fat hen, ragweed, and plantain), and mold (Penicillatum, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Alternaria).ResultsThe sensitization rates in descending order were 25.79% (D. pteronyssinus), 18.66% (D. farinae), 6.20% (mugwort), and 4.07% (willow) in Incheon; 33.35% (D. pteronyssinus), 24.78% (D. farinae), 15.36% (Japanese cedar), and 7.33% (Alternaria) in Jeju; and 32.79% (D. pteronyssinus), 30.27% (D. farinae), 10.13% (alder), and 8.68% (birch) in Ulsan. The dust mite allergen showed the highest sensitization rate among the 3 regions. The sensitization rate of tree pollen was the highest in Ulsan, whereas that of Alternaria was the highest in Jeju. The ragweed sensitization rates were 0.99% in Incheon, 1.07% in Jeju, and 0.81% in Ulsan.ConclusionThe differences in sensitization rates were because of different regional environmental conditions and distinct surrounding biological species. Hence, subsequent nationwide studies are required

EFFECTS OF LIQUID SWIRLING ON GAS-TO-LIQUID MASS TRANSFER IN THREE-PHASE FLUIDIZED BEDS

The swirling flow mode of liquid phase was adopted to promote the gas-to-liquid mass transfer in three-phase(gas-liquid-solid) fluidized beds. Effects of gas(0.01-0.09m/s) and liquid(0.035-0.172m/s) velocities, particle size(1.7-6.0mm) and swirling ratio of liquid phase(0-0.5) on the volumetric gas-to-liquid mass transfer coefficient in the bed were examined. The mass transfer coefficient increased up to 70% by adjusting the swirling flow of liquid phase, especially when the gas velocity is relatively low range. The value of gas-to-liquid mass transfer coefficient was well correlated in terms of dimensionless groups which were derived from the dimensional analysis on the mass transfer system

Determining the influence of ship hull deformations caused by draught change on shaft alignment application using FE analysis

This paper was to address the shortcomings of current design practice to evaluate the stability of the shaft alignment for a 300,000 DWT Very Large Crude Oil Carrier. An enhanced approach using FE was applied to identify the influence of hull deformation on the alignment of the shafting system. The effectiveness of this method was demonstrated in comparison with Jack up technique. Analysis results showed that the hull deformation could be a key factor affecting the offset distortion of each bearing supporting the shaft line. Moreover, it was confirmed that the deformation pattern of cargo hold was opposite to the deformation of engine room structure when hull deformation occurred due to draught change of the case ship. As new research findings, they are believed to contribute significantly to the prevention of shaft damage associated with hull deformations, thereby improving the reliability of shaft alignment for similar types of vessels

Evolution of electron temperature in inductively coupled plasma

It is generally recognized that the electron temperature T_e either remains constant or decreases slightly with plasma power (plasma density). This trend can be simply verified using a single-step or multi-step fluid global model. In this work, however, we experimentally observed that T_e evolved with plasma power in radio frequency (RF) inductively coupled plasmas. In this experiment, the measured electron energy distributions were nearly Maxwellian distribution. In the low RF power regime, T_e decreased with increasing plasma power, while it increased with plasma power in the high RF power regime. This evolution of T_e could be understood by considering the coupling effect between neutral gas heating and stepwise ionization. Measurement of gas temperature via laser Rayleigh scattering and calculation of T_e using the kinetic model, considering both multi-step ionization and gas heating, were in good agreement with the measured value of T_e. This result shows that T_e is in a stronger dependence on the plasma power

Multimodal MRI-Based Triage for Acute Stroke Therapy: Challenges and Progress

Revascularization therapies have been established as the treatment mainstay for acute ischemic stroke. However, a substantial number of patients are either ineligible for revascularization therapy, or the treatment fails or is futile. At present, non-contrast computed tomography is the first-line neuroimaging modality for patients with acute stroke. The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict the response to early revascularization therapy and to identify patients for delayed treatment is desirable. MRI could provide information on stroke pathophysiologies, including the ischemic core, perfusion, collaterals, clot, and blood–brain barrier status. During the past 20 years, there have been significant advances in neuroimaging as well as in revascularization strategies for treating patients with acute ischemic stroke. In this review, we discuss the role of MRI and post-processing, including machine-learning techniques, and recent advances in MRI-based triage for revascularization therapies in acute ischemic stroke

Insulin-inducible SMILE inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis

The role of a glucagon/cAMP-dependent protein kinase–inducible coactivator PGC-1α signaling pathway is well characterized in hepatic gluconeogenesis. However, an opposing protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt-inducible corepressor signaling pathway is unknown. A previous report has demonstrated that small heterodimer partner–interacting leucine zipper protein (SMILE) regulates the nuclear receptors and transcriptional factors that control hepatic gluconeogenesis. Here, we show that hepatic SMILE expression was induced by feeding in normal mice but not in db/db and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Interestingly, SMILE expression was induced by insulin in mouse primary hepatocyte and liver. Hepatic SMILE expression was not altered by refeeding in liver-specific insulin receptor knockout (LIRKO) or PKB β-deficient (PKBβ−/−) mice. At the molecular level, SMILE inhibited hepatocyte nuclear factor 4–mediated transcriptional activity via direct competition with PGC-1α. Moreover, ablation of SMILE augmented gluconeogenesis and increased blood glucose levels in mice. Conversely, overexpression of SMILE reduced hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression and ameliorated hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance in db/db and HFD-fed mice. Therefore, SMILE is an insulin-inducible corepressor that suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis. Small molecules that enhance SMILE expression would have potential for treating hyperglycemia in diabetes

Recent Trend in the Incidence of Premalignant and Malignant Skin Lesions in Korea between 1991 and 2006

We evaluated the recent trend in the incidence of premalignant and malignant skin lesions between 1991 and 2006. Among 571,057 newly registered dermatology out-patients from our 8 affiliated university hospitals, 2,598 were diagnosed with a premalignant (899, 0.16%) or malignant skin lesions (1,699, 0.30%). Of 899 premalignant cases, 71.2% were actinic keratosis (AK), and 24.6% were Bowen's disease. Of 1,699 malignant cases, 46.2% were basal cell carcinoma, followed by squamous cell carcinoma (19.1%) and melanoma (7.1%). This 16-yr survey was divided equally into two time periods to compare the incidence of premalignant and malignant skin lesions at different time settings. Between 1991 and 1998, the incidence of cutaneous premalignancy was 0.10% which doubled during 1999-2006. For cutaneous malignancy, the incidence was 0.25% during 1991-1998 and 0.34% in 1999-2006. Incidence of AK among the new outpatients was 0.07% in 1991-1998 which staggered up to 0.15% in 1999-2006. These findings show an increase of both premalignant and malignant skin lesions, AK in particular in the dermatology outpatient-based incidence