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Purpose: As university faculty faced new challenges, such as rapid digital social and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response, this study aimed to identify the daily changes in the interaction between the faculty and the organizational environment (colleague, policy and new issue) by exploring their recent dynamic educational efforts and the professional development. Design/methodology/approach: This is a study wherein perceptions of 20 faculty from 15 universities and colleges were collected through in-depth online interviews. The authors analyzed interview data by arranging and visualizing the analyzed data using network clustering. Further, they applied the Latent Dirichlet allocation of the topic modeling to monitor the appropriate number of clusters, ultimately determined as four clusters using partial clustering. Findings: The results showed that university faculty spontaneously tried to solve the problems through informal learning while the commitment to peer learning was deepening, reflecting the collectivist orientation nature of Chinese culture. Besides, the faculty also required support to reflect on their daily efforts for professional development. These results about their various learning routines prove the justification for the faculty's professional development to be discussed from the “learning by doing” perspective of lifelong learning. Originality/value: This study proved the significance of informal learning for university faculty's professional development and the reasonable value of peer learning, and provided insights into how the Chinese context may influence university faculty's informal learning experience.

This study investigated the thinking styles of Korean gifted students in Korea and examined whether thinking styles based on the theory of mental self-government could predict scientific giftedness based on [...]

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a broad-spectrum disorder. Early diagnosis and treatment are important for improved prognosis and a lower risk of long-term complications. Selecting high-risk infants is important for the early diagnosis of DDH using ultrasonography; however, there are no standard international guidelines. This study aimed to identify the usefulness of universal ultrasound before hospital discharge in breech-born neonates and proposes selective ultrasound for high-risk patients. A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify breech-born neonates who underwent hip ultrasonography before discharge for the detection of DDH between 2019 and 2023. Patients were categorized into DDH and non-DDH groups according to the ultrasound results. We compared sex, gestational age, birth weight, first-born status, twin pregnancy, associated anomalies, presence of symptoms, physical examination results, and timing of the first hip ultrasound. The medical records of the mothers were reviewed to identify the amount of amniotic fluid and duration of breech presentation. This study included 102 patients, of whom 62 and 40 were assigned to the non-DDH and DDH groups, respectively. Congenital anomalies, positive symptoms, and positive physical examination results were significant risk factors. However, female sex, first-born status, and oligohydramnios were not statistically significant. The duration of breech presentation during pregnancy was not significant. Additionally, the risk of Pavlik harnesses was higher in patients who underwent a positive physical examination. Universal ultrasonography before discharge is not recommended for the early diagnosis of DDH in all breech-born neonates because of the high rate of overdiagnosis. We recommend that ultrasonography be performed in patients with congenital anomalies, except for foot problems, or in those with a positive physical examination conducted by trained specialists.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to identify the factors associated with short- or long-term non-response to an obesity intervention in children and adolescents. Subjects/Methods: In this observational study, a total of 242 children and adolescents (sex- and age-specific body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th percentile) were divided into three groups according to the BMI z-score change after 6 (n= 163) and 24 months (n= 110) of participating in an obesity intervention: responders, low responders, and non-responders if the BMI z-score decrease was ≥0.25, 0 to 0.25, and if it increased, respectively. Results: Short-term non-response was associated with higher maternal psychosocial stress (OR = 2.34, 95% CI [1.07–5.11]) and adolescence (>11 years; OR = 2.40, 95% CI [1.10–5.22]). The odds of long-term non-response were reduced by an increased vegetable consumption of more than five dishes per week (OR = 0.21, 95% CI [0.07–0.69]) and an hour of increased sleep duration during weekends (OR = 0.14, 95% CI [0.04–0.53]). Conclusions: Short-term non-response was associated with child and maternal characteristics, whereas long-term non-response was associated with actual lifestyle changes such as sleep duration and vegetable consumption. Children with obesity may benefit from an hour of weekend catch-up sleep in lowering the risk of long-term treatment non-response. An individualized approach should be considered for children of older age and mothers with a higher level of stress, as they may not benefit from a conventional short-term lifestyle intervention.

Background: Japanese hop is an important cause of weed pollinosis in East Asia. Its pollen is abundant in autumn. This pollen is known to be the cause of many allergic diseases. However, molecular characteristics of its allergens have not been elucidated. Objective: In this study, we produced recombinant proteins of allergen homologues from Japanese hop by the analysis of expressed sequence tags (EST), and evaluated its allergenicity. Methods: cDNA library was constructed using as little as 50 ng of total RNA from Japanese hop pollen. Allergen homologues were identified by the initial screening of 963 EST clones. Recombinant proteins were overexpressed in the E. coli expression system and purified using Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid-agarose. Purified proteins were analyzed by ELISA. Results and Discussion: Japanese hop pathogenesis-related 1 protein (PR-1) shares 37.0 to 44.4% of amino acid sequence identity with Art v 2, Cuc m 3, and Cyn d 24. Pectin methyl esterase (PME) shows 23.2 to 50.2% of identities to Act d 7, Ole e 11, and Sal k 1. Polygalacturonase (PGs) shows 16.7 to 19.3% of identities to Phl p 13, Cry j 2, Cha o 2, Jun a 2, Pla a 2, and Pla or 2. IgE antibodies from Japanese hop allergy patients’ sera recognized PR-1 (3.4%), PME (13.8%), PGs (3.7%), and profilin (13.8%), respectively. Conclusion: Novel allergenic components were identified, even though low IgE reactivity was displayed reflecting the low degree of cross-reactivity with other pollen allergens. We believe that these molecules have worth further studies.

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The proportion of children and adolescents with obesity in Korea is increasing. Thus, the availability of a tool that can reliably identify problematic eating behavior linked to obesity would assist with prevention and management efforts. The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire for Children (DEBQ-C) measures three types of overeating behavior in children that influence weight gain. This study examines the suitability of the Korean translation of the DEBQ-C questionnaire for use in studies on Korean children and adolescents with high body weight. The results of a survey on 233 adolescents (average age: 11.4 ± 1.6 years) suggest that the DEBQ-C translation would be useful in investigating overeating behavior in Korean children and adolescents. In addition, the findings suggest that eating in response to emotions and external cues are likely to play a role in the development of obesity among children and adolescents.

AbstractBackground:CD93 is a membrane-associated glycoprotein, which can be released in a soluble form (sCD93) into the serum. CD93 has received renewed attention as a candidate biomarker of inflammation in various inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases, including asthma.Objective:We aimed to evaluate the effects of airway inflammation on CD93 levels in murine models.Methods:We established an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced acute asthma murine model (OVA model) and a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced airway inflammation murine model (LPS model). Dexamethasone was administered by gavage to attenuate the airway inflammation.Results:The OVA model demonstrated typical allergic asthma features with increased airway hyper-responsiveness, inflammatory cell infiltration, increased Th2 cytokine levels, compared to the control group. CD93 levels were decreased in lung homogenates and, respiratory epithelial cells, whereas serum sCD93 levels were increased in the OVA model, as compared to the control group. Dexamethasone reversed these effects of OVA. In contrast, in the LPS model, CD93 levels were not affected in neither respiratory epithelial cells nor serum.Conclusions:Our findings demonstrate the potential of using sCD93 as a biomarker for allergic asthma.

Environment-friendly and cost-effective carbons were prepared for application in high-performance supercapacitors using bean dregs via carbonization and activation. The prepared samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. Furthermore, the electrochemical properties and capacitive behavior of the electrodes were systematically studied using cyclic voltammetry and AC impedance analysis. The porous carbon activated at 900 °C for 60 min had the largest specific surface area (3700 m2g−1) and the highest capacitance (260 F g−1) at a scan rate of 1 mV s−1.

ObjectiveThe early identification of predictors related to cardiovascular disease risk factor clustering (CVD-RFC) can help prevent chronic disease. We aimed to identify the risk factors for CVD-RFC in adolescents.MethodsA prospective longitudinal cohort study design was used to obtain data included in these analyses from school-aged children who participated in the Korean Child-Adolescent Study 2008–2014. A total of 1309 children aged 6–15 years were enrolled. We compared the participants based on the presence or absence of CVD-RFC and examined the cumulative incidence of CVD-RFC.ResultsOf the total 1309 children, 410 (31.32%) had CVD-RFC in adolescence. A higher average household income ≥3 million Korean Republic won (KRW)/month (3–5 million KRW/month: HR 0.75 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.97); ≥5 million KRW/month: HR 0.58 (95% CI 0.44 to 0.77)) was associated with a lower CVD-RFC incidence, while the presence of parental CVD history (HR 1.28 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.57)), overweight or obesity (HR 3.83 (95% CI 3.05 to 4.80)) and shorter sleep duration of 8–9 hour/day (HR 1.80 (95% CI 1.05 to 3.07)) and <8 hour/day (HR 1.93 (95% CI 1.11 to 3.34)) had higher CVD-RFC incidences.ConclusionsObesity in childhood, short sleep duration and parental factors such as low socioeconomic status and parental history of CVD are significant risk factors for the development of CVD-RFC in adolescents. Efforts to create awareness regarding sufficient sleep duration in children via intervention programmes targeting cardiometabolic health in children and special attention to lifestyle modifications and socioeconomic components of the family should be considered.

Irisin is secreted primarily by muscle and in small amounts by adipose tissueIrisin improves glucose homeostasis, lipid profile and metabolic parameters in animals and acts on adipose tissue by inducing 'browning', as well as on muscle and liverInconsistencies in published data regarding the circulating levels of irisin highlight the need for accurate methods for irisin measurement and for improved study designLevels of irisin are increased in states of obesity and decreased in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)Future studies should try to identify the irisin receptor and to investigate the effects of irisin on the endocrine pancreas and appetite centres in the brain; prospective clinical studies should investigate whether irisin is a predictive marker for insulin resistance, T2DM or the metabolic syndrome

We measured the effect of a silicone border foam dressing on the development of pressure ulcers (PUs) and incontinence-associated dermatitis in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of a structured skin care regimen for critically ill patients with fecal incontinence.

In this paper, a ultrasonic horn, which can vibrate longitudinally with a frequency of 20㎑, was designed using finite element method (FEM). And the ultrasonic horn was fabricated for ultrasonic assisted grinding. To evaluate machining performance of the fabricated ultrasonic horn, grinding test was conducted on alumina ceramic (Al2O3). In the grinding test, grinding forces was measured and compared between the conventional grinding and the ultrasonic assisted grinding. The results showed that the grinding force in the ultrasonic grinding was lowered than the conventional grindign by 3~20%.

In this work, grinding test was performed in terms of machining parameters, such as grinding speed, feed rate, etc., in order to study effect of ultrasonic vibration in grinding. The design of experiment (DOE) approach was used for an optimal condition of ultrasonic assisted grinding, which can minimize the grinding forces. In DOE, ultrasonic amplitude power, feed rate, and rotation speed of spindle were chosen as the major machining factors. The grinding forces were measured and compared between the conventional grinding and ultrasonic assisted grinding. From the experiment, it was found that the grinding forces decreased as the ultrasonic vibration power and the rotation speed of spindle increased while the grinding force was reduced as the feed rate increased. In addition, regression model was formulated for obtaining optimal grinding condition.

Ultrasonic machining can be applied for the machining of difficult-to-cut materials using ultrasonical oscillation in an axial direction on top of tool rotation, which can cause reduction of cutting temperature and tool wear. In this study, the experiments were performed on a DMG ULTRASONIC 20 linear machine tool using diamond tools in both conventional and ultrasonic vibration assisted machining. The machining performance was evaluated and compared for both cases in terms of cutting forces, machined surface roughness and tool wear. And the combination technique of 3D surface topography measurement and image processing was applied for the tool wear progress. Overall, the experimental results showed that ultrasonic machining had less tool wear and lower cutting forces at low cutting speed compared to conventional machining. Also surface roughness was slightly lower in ultrasonic machining than that without ultrasonic vibration.

An FE model can be usedfor better understanding the micro cutting process. To identify an edge wear effect, the cutting forces and contact stress on the cutting tool were measured as edge wear progress. On the other hand, a series of orthogonal cutting tests was also carried out forcomparisonwith FEM simulation results in termsof chip formation and cutting forces. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the tools and chips for the purpose of taking measurements. A Kistler dynamometer was also utilized for cutting forces measurement. The FEM micro cutting simulation showed good agreement with experimentalresults in terms of the cutting forces and chip formation. And it was observed in both FEM simulations and experiments that larger edge wear caused higher cutting forces.

We sought to determine the factors affecting pressure ulcer (PU) healing in an acute care facility in Korea.

Borrelia afzeliinucleic acids were detected in the sera of febrile disease patients by a nested PCR that targeted the rrf(5S)‐rrl(23S) spacer of B. burgdorferisensu lato. The B. afzelii‐specific DNA fragment was detected in 8 out of 283 sera which were proven to have immunoglobulin G or M antibodies against B. burgdorferiantigens through IFA. The results were further confirmed through restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing analysis of the DNA fragments. The results indicated for the first time that Lyme borreliosis is prevalent in Korea.

This study revealed the presence of various rickettsial agents in mites from wild rodents collected in Southern Jeolla Province, Korea, by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis of a partial citrate synthase and rickettsia outer membrane protein B genes. Rickettsial agents closely related to the Rickettsiaspecies TwKM02, R. australis, and the Rickettsiaspecies Cf15 were successfully identified in this study, for the first time in Korea, and R. japonica, R. akari, R. conorii, R. felis, and R. typhiwere also detected, as previously described. The data presented in this paper extend knowledge on the geographic distribution of SFG rickettsiae in eastern Asia and it may necessary to consider the role of mites in rickettsial transmission.

The nucleotide sequences (287 bp) of the partial groELgene from 14 reference strains of Anaplasmataceaewere determined and compared. A partial groELgene is useful for the identification and characterization of Anaplasmataceae, in spite of its short nucleotide sequences.

In this study, two new duplex PCR methods based on the groELgene were developed and investigated for the diagnosis of rickettsiae. The first duplex PCR assay amplified the 229‐bp and the 366‐bp DNAs of 6 strains including typhus group (TG) and spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae, and 5 scrub typhus group (STG) rickettsiae, respectively. The second duplex PCR assay amplified the 397‐bp and the 213‐bp DNAs of 6 Rickettsiastrains and 5 STG strains. These duplex PCR methods could simultaneously perform the rapid identification of rickettsiae and the differential diagnosis of STG and other group rickettsiae in a single reaction.

To understand the pathogenesis of scrub typhus, we examined chemokine and cytokine production in susceptible (C3H/HeN) and resistant (BALB/c) mice after infection with O. tsutsugamushiGilliam. C3H/HeN mice produced high levels of chemokines macrophage inflammatory proteins 1α (MIP‐1α), MIP‐2, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP‐1), and cytokines gamma‐interferon (IFN‐γ), interleukin‐12 (IL‐12), IL‐10, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) in response to O. tsutsugamushiinfection, compared to BALB/c mice. Chemokine profiles in infected mice correlated well with the kinetics of inflammatory cell infiltration. Hyperproduction of chemokines and cytokines was observed in another susceptible‐infection model (BALB/c‐Karp). These results suggest that hyperproduction of chemokines and cytokines are associated with susceptibility during O. tsutsugamushiinfection.

ABSTRACTA nested PCR assay was developed for the detection of spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae in serum samples. The assay was based on specific primers derived from the rickettsial outer membrane protein B gene (rompB) of Rickettsia conorii. An SFG rickettsia-specific signal is obtained from R. akari, R. japonica, R. sibirica, and R. conorii. Other bacterial species tested did not generate any signal, attesting to the specificity of the assay. As few as seven copies of the rompBgene of R. conoriicould be detected in 200 µl of serum sample. The assay was evaluated with a panel of sera obtained from patients with acute-phase febrile disease tested by immunofluorescent antibody assay (IFA). The SFG rickettsia-specific DNA fragment was detected in 71 out of 100 sera, which were proven to have immunoglobulin M antibodies against SFG rickettsial antigen by IFA. The results were further confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing analysis of the DNA fragments. The results indicated that this PCR assay is suitable for the diagnosis of spotted fever group rickettsiosis in Korea.

The prevalence of spotted fever group (SFG) and typhus group (TG) rickettsioses was investigated in 3,362 sera by immunofluorescence assay. The serum samples were obtained from patients with acute febrile episodes in South Korea from December 1992 to November 1993. The number of polyvalent positive sera against SFG rickettsial agents at the level of 1:40 dilution was 269 (8%) in Rickettsia sibirica, 482 (14.34%) in R. conorii, and 546 (16.24%) in R. akari. Many of the positive sera contained immunoglobulin (Ig) M antibodies rather than IgG antibodies. These results strongly suggest that SFG rickettsioses are prevalent in Korea. For TG rickettsial agents, the number of positive sera was 1,096 (32.60%) in R. typhiand 951 (28.29%) in R. prowazekii. Only a few epidemic typhus positive sera contained IgM antibodies. The result suggests that recent and/or primary infections of epidemic typhus were very rare in Korea during the said period. Among seven patients who had high titers (1:5,120) of IgG antibody to R. prowazekii, six were over 50 years old. The result suggests that Brill‐Zinsser disease was prevalent in Korea.

Thirty‐one reference strains and 23 Korean isolates of the genus Borreliawere identified through the PCR‐RFLP analysis using the groELgene. This will be useful for the rapid differentiation of B. burgdorferisensu lato and complements one of the 5S–23S intergenic spacers.

ABSTRACTTo investigate the prevalence of spotted fever group rickettsioses in Korea, a serosurvey of Japanese spotted fever rickettsiosis in patients with acute febrile illness was conducted with an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Overall, 19.88% of the patients were found to have polyvalent antibody against Rickettsia japonica. This study is the first documentation of spotted fever group rickettsiosis in Korea.

The nucleotide sequences of the groEL genes, the flagellin genes, and the 16S rRNA genes from 22 reference strains of Borrelia were compared. groEL sequence analysis is useful not only in interspecies differentiation but also in intraspecies differentiation of Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii isolates.

ABSTRACTThe nucleotide sequences of the groELgenes, the flagellin genes, and the 16S rRNA genes from 22 reference strains of Borreliawere compared. groELsequence analysis is useful not only in interspecies differentiation but also in intraspecies differentiation of Borrelia afzeliiand Borrelia gariniiisolates.

Two Haemaphysalis longicornisticks were found positive in PCR assay of com‐1gene to detect Coxiella burnetiiDNA from 100 ticks. The nucleotide sequences of com‐1and 16S rRNA gene were determined from 2 ticks and compared with those of other C. burnetiistrains. The results suggest that H. longicornisharbor Coxiellasp. bacteria in Korea. Furthermore, icd, cbhE′, and cbbE′ genes are C. burnetiispecific genes whereas com‐1gene is Coxiellagenus specific gene. This study gives the first documentation to prove the existence of Coxiellasp. in tick collected in Korea.

ABSTRACTThe nucleotide sequences (534 to 546 bp) of the groELgene, which encodes the 60-kDa heat shock protein GroEL, from 15 rickettsial strains were determined and compared. In the phylogenetic tree created by the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages and the neighbor-joining method, rickettsial strains could be distinguished from Ehrlichiastrains. Five spotted fever group strains, four typhus group strains, and six scrub typhus group (STG) strains were differentiated as distinct entities. Unlike gltAand ompAgene analyses, differentiation between members of the genus Rickettsiaand the STG rickettsiae by groELgene analysis was possible. In comparison with 16S rRNA gene analysis, the groELgene has a higher degree of divergence among the rickettsiae. We therefore successfully developed rapid differentiation methods, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and a species-specific PCR, based on the groELgene sequences. Four Korean isolates were identified by these methods and groELgene analysis. The results suggest that the groELgene is useful for the identification and characterization of rickettsiae.

ABSTRACTTo differentiate scrub typhus from other acute febrile diseases, a rapid and reliable serological diagnosis is important. We developed an immunoglobulin M (IgM) capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for diagnosis of recent Orientia tsutsugamushiinfections in humans. The 56-kDa major outer membrane protein of O. tsutsugamushiis well known as the most immunodominant antigen in scrub typhus. The test is based on the use of the biotinylated recombinant 56-kDa protein of O. tsutsugamushiBoryong, Bor56, which was expressed as a fusion protein with a maltose-binding protein in Escherichia coli. In the test, the serum IgM antibodies were captured by anti-human IgM antibodies coated onto a microtiter plate. The captured IgM antibodies were revealed through sequential addition of biotinylated Bor56 antigen and peroxidase-conjugated streptavidin to the plate. The IgM capture ELISA was compared with the immunofluorescence antibody assay (IFA) by testing 176 serum samples from patients with diagnosed cases of rickettsial disease and patients with other acute febrile diseases. Of the 81 IgG IFA-positive samples, 78 tested positive (sensitivity, 96.3%) and all 31 IgM IFA-positive samples tested positive (sensitivity, 100%) by the IgM capture ELISA. The specificity of the IgM capture ELISA was 99%, and 1 of the 95 IFA-negative samples was positive in the assay. These results strongly suggest that IgM capture ELISA using the recombinant Bor56 antigen is a reliable and detailed method for the detection of early O. tsutsugamushiinfection.

Seven Haemaphysalisticks were found positive in PCR assay of gltAgene to detect the spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae DNA from 100 ticks. The nucleotide sequence of 16S rRNA gene was determined from 5 ticks and compared to those of other Rickettsiastrains. The nucleotide sequence from 4 ticks showed high homologies (99.7 to 100%) with that of R. japonicaYH, and that from 1 tick (tick no. 48) was identical with that of R. rickettsiiR, suggesting that SFG rickettsiae exists in Korea. This is the first documentation of SFG rickettsiae in Korea.

Nine Borrelia afzeliistrains, which had been isolated from two vectors, Ixodes nipponensisand Apodemus agrariusin Chungju, Korea, were characterized by PCR‐RFLP analyses of ospCgenes and rrf(5S)‐rrl(23S) intergenic spacer. DraI restriction patterns of Chungju strains were identical to those of B. afzeliiVS461. But MseI restriction patterns of rrf(5S)‐rrl(23S) intergenic spacer genes of KK2, KM4, KK5 differed from those of previously reported B. burgdorferisensu lato strains. Nine Chungju strains were classified with four distinct ospCRFLP patterns, which differed from the eight ospCRFLP patterns (A‐1 to A‐8) of previously reported B. afzelii. Moreover, five additional restriction patterns were deduced from published ospCsequences of reference strains. These results suggest that Chungju strains are very heterogeneous.

ABSTRACTWe determined the nucleotide sequences (329 bp) of therpoBDNAs from 22 reference strains ofBorrelia. No insertions or deletions were observed. Deduced amino acid sequences of amplified rpoBDNA comprised 109 amino acid residues (N450to M558[Escherichia colinumbering]). All amino acid sequences were identical with the exception of those of Borrelia lusitaniaePotiB2 (T461?A) and B. bissettiiDN127 (I498?V). Each species of B. burgdorferisensu lato was differentiated as a distinct entity in the phylogenetic tree constructed by a neighbor-joining method. B. burgdorferisensu lato could be distinguished from B. turicataeand B. hermsii, which are associated with relapsing fever. Seventeen Korean isolates could be identified by PCR-linked direct sequencing and restriction analysis of the rpoBDNA. These results suggest that rpoBDNA is useful for identification and characterization of Borrelia. In addition, we developed the rapid species identification method using the species-specific primer sets based on rpoBgene sequences.

Focuses on South Korea's Ministry of Finance and Economy's comments about speculations of a liquidity crunch among investment-trust companies in February 2000. Concerns raised about the redemption of Daewoo Group bonds; Government's plan to inject funds into Korea Investment Trust Co. and Daehan Investment Trust Co.; Decline of the direct overseas investment plans of South Korean companies.