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Despite the ever-increasing use of English in international business encounters, there seems to be comparatively little attention given to the interface between actual workplace communication and language programs in terms of identifying and meeting learners' needs. To fill that void, the present study reports on the routine communicative practices in English of fifty-one Korean corporate employees. Insightful data from the so-called 'domain experts' who use English on a regular basis were obtained through an online survey with eight participants invited to a follow-up telephone interview. Based on the types of needs operationalized in the study, the findings imply that there indeed exist different dimensions of needs. The study indicates that transactional and non-transactional communicative genres were both important but to a different extent with each genre being assessed differently according to their profession. Lastly, implications regarding the importance of incorporating needs analysis as a key process that requires constant reexamination of language programs concerning workplace communication is discussed.

This study, conducted in the Republic of Korea, analyzed nursing faculty members' knowledge of and attitudes toward research ethics according to their characteristics and the institutional environment. A survey was conducted from April 24 to July 23, 2017. The participants were 210 nursing professors from 57 universities in Korea. The survey questionnaire gathered information on participants' characteristics, their knowledge of and attitudes toward research ethics, and their perceived training needs. A relatively low difficulty index was found for knowledge items dealing with conflicts of interest (0.66), copyright (0.65), and plagiarism and duplicate publications (0.17) than for the other six items. Of the 12 items assessing attitudes toward research ethics, use of a plagiarism-checking program and reviewing manuscripts from members of one's own research group had the lowest scores. The knowledge level of participants whose institutions provided a plagiarism-checking program was higher than those whose institutions did not. Former group also showed better attitudes toward research ethics. High-priority training needs were obtaining institutional review board (IRB) approval, writing informed consent forms, and obtaining informed consent for studies on children and pregnant women. A more intensive training program for nursing faculty is required on specific topics, including conflicts of interest, copyright, plagiarism, duplicate publications, IRB approval, and informed consent. Furthermore, all nursing institutions in Korea should provide a plagiarism-checking program to faculty members.

The social restriction measures implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the pattern of occurrences of respiratory viruses. According to surveillance results in the Gwangju region of South Korea, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) did not occur during the 2020/2021 season. However, there was a delayed resurgence in the 2021/2022 season, peaking until January 2022. To analyze this, a total of 474 RSV positive samples were investigated before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them, 73 samples were selected for whole-genome sequencing. The incidence rate of RSV in the 2021/2022 season after COVID-19 was found to be approximately three-fold higher compared to before the pandemic, with a significant increase observed in the age group from under 2 years old to under 5 years old. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that, for RSV-A, whereas four lineages were observed before COVID-19, only the A.D.3.1 lineage was observed during the 2021/2022 season post-pandemic. Additionally, during the 2022/2023 season, the A.D.1, A.D.3, and A.D.3.1 lineages co-circulated. For RSV-B, while the B.D.4.1.1 lineage existed before COVID-19, both the B.D.4.1.1 and B.D.E.1 lineages circulated after the pandemic. Although atypical RSV occurrences were not due to new lineages, there was an increase in the frequency of mutations in the F protein of RSV after COVID-19. These findings highlight the need to continue monitoring changes in RSV occurrence patterns in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic to develop and manage strategies in response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete sleepers in operation are commonly damaged by various internal and external factors, such as poor materials, manufacturing defects, poor construction, environmental factors, and repeated loads and driving characteristics of trains; these factors affect the vibration response, mode shape, and natural frequency of damaged concrete sleepers. However, current standards in South Korea require only a subjective visual inspection of concrete sleepers to determine the damage degree and necessity of repair or replacement. In this study, an impact hammer test was performed on concrete sleepers installed on the operating lines of urban railroads to assess the field applicability of the modal test method, with the results indicating that the natural frequency due to concrete sleeper damage was lower than that of the undamaged state. Furthermore, the discrepancy between the simulated and measured natural frequencies of the undamaged concrete sleeper was approximately 1.87%, validating the numerical analysis result. The natural frequency of the damaged concrete sleepers was lower than that of the undamaged concrete sleeper, and cracks in both the concrete sleeper core and the rail seat had the lowest natural frequency among all the damage categories. Therefore, the damage degrees of concrete sleepers can be quantitatively estimated using measured natural-frequency values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have affected the epidemiology of other respiratory viruses. In South Korea, Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) typically occurs from winter to the following spring; however, it was not detected for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic and re-emerged in the fall of 2022, which is a non-epidemic season. To examine the molecular genetic characteristics of HMPV before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed 427 HMPV-positive samples collected in the Gwangju area from 2018 to 2022. Among these, 24 samples were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence rate of HMPV in 2022 increased by 2.5-fold. Especially in the age group of 6–10 years, the incidence rate increased by more than 4.5-fold. In the phylogenetic analysis results, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the A2.2.2 lineage was predominant, while in 2022, the A2.2.1 and B2 lineage were observed. The non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented after COVID-19, such as social distancing, have reduced opportunities for exposure to HMPV, subsequently leading to decreased acquisition of immunity. As a result, HMPV occurred during non-epidemic seasons, influencing the age distribution of its occurrences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to recent trends in recognizing English as the language of international communication, this study examines the extent to which English textbooks used in the South Korean education system incorporate properties of what it means to be a legitimate Korean speaker of English. By adopting a thematic approach to critical discourse analysis, the study explores seven government‐authorized middle school English textbook series widely used in Korea. Analyses center around the themes of ownership of English and identity formation, naming order convention, national independence, contentious territorial disputes, and repatriation. Findings reveal how asserting national identity and learning English are jointly framed and reflected in the textbooks. The study discusses how discourses are constructed to present opportunities for promoting learners' cultivation of Koreanness pertaining to dominant ideologies and contemporary identity issues while enhancing their awareness in positioning themselves as competent members in the global community through the course of learning of English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study was aimed at investigating the level of patient activation, and its association with self‐care behaviours in older people with heart failure. Design: Cross‐sectional secondary data analysis was conducted. Methods: We included a total of 182 Korean patients with heart failure who were aged ≥65 years for a cardiovascular outpatient clinic visit. Baseline characteristics, the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), health literacy, disease knowledge and self‐care behaviours were collected via a self‐administered questionnaire. Results: The proportion of patient activation at Levels 1 and 2 was 22.5% and 14.3%, respectively. Highly activated patients had a high level of health literacy, disease knowledge and self‐care behaviours. After adjusting for confounding factors, we observed that patient activation was the only statiscally significant predictor of self‐care behaviours among older people with heart failure. Healthcare professionals should help patients take active roles in their self‐care through a comprehensive needs assessment including health literacy and disease knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation of royalties on the use of foreign-made inoculum strains or starters as a result of the implementation of the 'Nagoya Protocol' has led to efforts and healthy competition to secure useful biological resources in each country. In this study, we recognized the necessity and importance of securing useful strains in Korea and produced starters using five strains of fungi (Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger). Specifically, the quality characteristics exhibited by different strain inoculum concentrations (1, 3, 5% (v/w)) and drying conditions (low-temperature air drying at 35 °C for 24 h and high-temperature hot air drying at 45 °C for 18 h) during the starter manufacturing process were analyzed. Parameters such as enzyme activity and free amino acid and volatile flavor compound content, which may vary based on production conditions, are expected to produce basic data for the production of Korean-type starters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What should we do to educate the mathematically gifted and how should we do it? In this research, to satisfy diverse mathematical and cognitive demands of the gifted who have excellent learning ability and task tenacity in mathematics, we sought to apply mathematical modeling. One of the objectives of the gifted education in Korea is cultivating creative production ability. Another objective is to develop the self-directed learning attitude of the gifted. To examine the objectives, Mathematical Modeling was applied to the gifted. We analyzed the behaviors of the mathematically gifted students attending the class, which applied Mathematical Modeling to assess the potential for cultivating creative production ability. And in the aspect of the self-directed learning attitudes, two groups were compared: the gifted students who participated in the Mathematical Modeling class and other gifted students who did not. From these results, Mathematical Modeling is proposed as an appropriate program to achieve educational objectives for the mathematically gifted students. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)

Mumps is the second‐most reported infectious disease in South Korea; however, due to the low pathogen confirmation rate in laboratory diagnoses, we proposed a method for reevaluating the high incidence rate via the laboratory verification of other viral diseases. In 2021, 63 cases of pharyngeal or cheek mucosal swabs of suspected mumps cases in Gwangju, South Korea, were assessed for causative pathogens using massive simultaneous pathogen testing. More than one respiratory virus was detected in 60 cases (95.2%), 44 (73.3%) of which were codetected. Human rhinovirus was detected in 47 cases, followed by human herpesvirus (HHV)6 in 30; HHV4 (17), human bocavirus (17), HHV5 (10), and human parainfluenza virus 3 (6) were also detected. Our findings suggest the need for further investigations on the pathogenesis of diseases mimicking mumps, which are considered to aid with appropriate public health responses, treatment, and the prevention of infectious disease outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fermentation of traditional vinegar is a spontaneous and complex process that involves interactions among various microorganisms. Here, we used a microbiome approach to determine the effects of networks, such as fermentation temperature, location, physicochemical and sensory characteristics, and bacterial profile, within traditional grain vinegar samples collected from various regions of Korea. Acetic acid and lactic acid were identified as the major metabolites of grain vinegar, and sourness and umami were determined as taste fingerprints that could distinguish between vinegar samples. Acetobacter ghanensis and Lactobacillus acetotolerans were the predominant bacterial species, and the functional composition of the microbiota revealed that the nucleotide biosynthesis pathway was the most enriched. These results reveal that vinegar samples fermented outdoors are more similar to each other than vinegar samples fermented at 30 °C, when comparing the distance matrix for comprehending bacterial networks among samples. This study may help obtain high-quality vinegar through optimized fermentation conditions by suggesting differences in sensory characteristics according to the fermentation environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to identify the job change status and related factors among nurses during the first 4 years of their professional life. Background: The early turnover and job change of nurses results in negative patient and nurse outcomes and financial losses. Methods: A prospective longitudinal observational design and convenience sampling were used. From five nursing schools in South Korea, 526 individuals participated in the first survey conducted before graduation; 317 and 338 individuals participated in the second and third surveys, respectively (4 months after employment, and 4 years after graduation). Results: In total, 42.0% of the participants remained at the hospital of their first job, 26.6% switched hospitals, and 12.1% moved to a nonhospital job. Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that switching hospitals was associated with nurses' grade point average, type of hospital, first job satisfaction, and current pay. Moving to a nonhospital job was related to gender, type of hospital, current pay, and work–life balance. Conclusion: To reduce the early turnover and job change, hospitals should provide educational programmes for nurses, support male nurses, and increase job satisfaction and work–life balance. Implications for Nursing Management: Since this study addresses the working conditions and satisfaction of individuals who were re‐employed after experiencing job turnover, it clarifies how nurse managers may reduce turnover. Namely, nurse managers should establish a work environment promoting good work–life balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we predicted the structural behavior of a track-bridge and a bridge based on the expected increases in future train speeds by modeling the Yeongjong Bridge (a part of the Incheon International Airport Expressway in Korea). To verify the train's safe operation, we performed a three-dimensional (3D) numerical analysis using full-scale bridge modeling. The rail-girder interaction force generated at one end of the direct fixation track of Yeongjong Bridge during train operations was evaluated by taking field measurements of the vertical displacements of the rail and girder at the center and end of a track girder. We further compared our predictions with various field measurements to evaluate the dynamic behavior of the entire Yeongjong Bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about the influence of how patients with prostate cancer perceive emotional support from their spouses on their treatment-related symptoms. Aims: To explore the influence of marital intimacy on urinary and sexual symptoms. Methods: The research participants were 42 men diagnosed with prostate cancer recruited from a convenience sample from a university hospital in South Korea. The Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite, the Korean Marital Intimacy Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used to measure variables of interest. Results: In the hierarchical multiple regression analysis, higher marital intimacy was associated with more favorable symptom in the urinary domain. In the sexual domain, none of the models were significant, and no influence was found for marital intimacy. Conclusions: Marital intimacy, measured as perceived emotional support from spouses, was found to positively influence only the experience of urinary symptoms among South Korean men with prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between health literacy, cancer-related knowledge, and preventive health behaviors among community-dwelling adults in Korea. Data were collected from 542 adults aged ≥ 18 years living in five big provinces in Korea (Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Gyeongsang-do, Chungcheong-do, and Gangwon-do). Socio-demographic and health-related characteristics were determined using structured questionnaires. Health literacy, cancer-related knowledge, and engagement in preventive health behaviors were measured using validated instruments. These three variables differed according to socio-demographic and health-related characteristics, such as education, sex, age, and marital status. In the hierarchical regression analysis, health literacy (β = 0.26, p < .001) and cancer-related knowledge (β = 0.21, p < .001) were significant predictors of preventive health behavior after adjusting for confounding variables. Cancer-related knowledge partially mediated the effect of health literacy on preventive health behaviors. Health literacy can play a key role in cancer prevention. It is important for healthcare providers to know how to deliver cancer-related knowledge and how to help people with low health literacy to engage in preventive health behaviors, using a variety of health information resources. Further research is needed to develop the instruments to assess comprehension of spoken and written health messages for cancer prevention and screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence rate for scarlet fever in South Korea is rising. During 2008-2015, we collected group A Streptococcus isolates and performed emm and exotoxin genotyping and disk-diffusion antimicrobial tests. Scarlet fever in South Korea was most closely associated with emm types emm4, emm28, emm1, and emm3. In 2015, tetracycline resistance started increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The measurement invariance and latent mean differences in emotional labor across different hospital and monthly salary levels among registered nurses have never been confirmed for the Emotional Labour Scale. These issues may influence the application and efficacy of this scale in practice. Purpose: This study was developed to evaluate the factor structure of the nurses' Emotional Labour Scale and to examine the measurement invariance and latent mean differences for this scale across different hospital and monthly salary levels. Methods: Data were collected from 461 registered nurses working in four general hospitals and 12 long-term care hospitals. Confirmatory factor analysis and a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis were performed to determine the internal structure and measurement invariance of the Emotional Labour Scale. Results: The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicate that the factor structure model proposed by the original scale fits well with our data as well as configural invariance, factor loading invariance, intercept invariance, and uniqueness invariance. Moreover, factor variance/covariance invariance across two hospital levels as well as configural invariance, factor loading invariance, and intercept invariance across two monthly salary levels were supported. The mean score for emotional control effort in the profession of general hospital nurses was lower than that for long-term care hospital nurses. No statistically significant latent mean differences were found across monthly salary levels. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: The findings show the Emotional Labour Scale to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing registered nurses and also comparing the mean score for emotional labor across hospital and monthly salary levels to be feasible. The scale may contribute to the development of human resource strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study sought to identify the prevalence of medication adherence and to explore the role of depression and self-efficacy on medication adherence among patients with coronary artery diseases. Participants were recruited among outpatients who successfully underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention ( PCI) with drug-eluting stent at academic medical centres in Cheonan, South Korea. Medication adherence was evaluated by the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale using a validated Korean version. Prevalence of non-adherent to medication was 60.3%. With non-depressed and high self-efficacy as reference and after adjusting for age and gender, the models showed that those with depression and low self-efficacy are more likely to be non-adherent to medication. Therefore, future studies should focus on the development of interventions designed to reduce depression and increase self-efficacy for improving patient adherence to cardiovascular medications following PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical performance is an important competence for nursing students to achieve. However, little is known about the degree to which self-regulated learning mediates the relationships among emotional intelligence, collaboration, and clinical performance in nursing students. Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the mediating effect of self-regulated learning on clinical performance. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design was used, and a convenience sample of 302 nursing students in Years 3 and 4 of a bachelor's degree program were recruited as participants from five universities in South Korea. Information on participant characteristics, emotional intelligence, collaboration, self-regulated learning, and clinical performance was collected from the participants using self-reported questionnaires from September to October 2019. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the research model. Results: Emotional intelligence, collaboration, and self-regulated learning were found to be statistically significantly related to clinical performance. Moreover, self-regulated learning was identified as a full mediator of the relationship between emotional intelligence and clinical performance (accounting for 62.0% of the variance) and a partial mediator of the influence of collaboration on clinical performance (accounting for 25.4% of the variance). Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Nursing educators should encourage self-regulated learning among their students and provide a collaborative learning environment to enhance their students' clinical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leafy vegetables are widely consumed in South Korea, especially in the form of kimchi and namul (seasoned vegetables) and are used for wrapping meat. Therefore, the management of pesticide residues in leafy vegetables is very important. A total of 17,977 samples (49 leafy vegetables) were mainly collected in the largest production area of leafy vegetables (Gwangju Metropolitan City and Chonnam Province) in South Korea. They were analyzed within the government's monitoring programs (Gwangju Metropolitan City) of pesticide residues between 2005 and 2019. Pesticide residues were found in 2815 samples (15.7%), and 426 samples (2.4%) from among these exceeded the specified maximum residue limits (MRLs). Samples exceeding the MRLs were mostly detected in spinach, ssamchoo (brassica lee ssp. namai), crown daisy, lettuce, and perilla leaves. Azoxystrobin, dimethomorph, and procymidone were the most frequently detected pesticides. However, procymidone, diniconazole, and lufenuron were found to most frequently exceed the MRLs. The rate of MRLs exceeding has been managed below the average (2.4%) more recently than in the past in this area. Further, leafy vegetables with the most violations of the MRLs in our study in South Korea were not harmful to health by a risk assessment (the range of the hazard index was 0.001–7.6%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries around the world are expanding their investment in the new and renewable energy industry for strengthening energy security, improving air pollution, responding to climate change, and tackling energy poverty. In Korea, with the nuclear phase-out declaration in 2017, the government has announced a policy to expand the ratio of new and renewable energy from 4.7% to 20% by 2030. This study examines a floating photovoltaic power generation system, which is a new and renewable energy source. A structure composed of high-durability steel with excellent corrosion resistance and durability was designed for constructing and installing a 500-kW-class floating photovoltaic power generation structure. In addition, the safety of the structure was verified through finite element analysis. By reviewing the safety of the structure with respect to the wave height, the behavior of the structure was confirmed through the design wave height formula proposed in the domestic standard. The verification result confirms that the stress is within the allowable design limit. Moreover, the energy production of the floating photovoltaic generation system was measured and compared with that of a terrestrial photovoltaic generation system, and that of the former was shown to be 10% higher than that of the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), characterized by micro-angiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure. In more than half of cases, genetic defects leading to overactivation of the alternative complement system have been identified. In this study, we investigated genetic defects in Korean adult patients with aHUS. Sixty-six Korean adult patients with aHUS were ascertained from the Korean TMA Registry. Genetic variants of 15 aHUS-related genes (eight core genes [ CFH , CFB , CFI , CD46 , C3 , THBD , PLG , and DGKE ] and seven candidate genes [ CFP , C4BPA , and CHFR1 - 5 ]) were analyzed from exome sequencing data. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification of CFH and related genes was performed to detect hybrid genes or large deletions. Thirty patients (45%) had at least one aHUS-related variant (s) in eight core genes (total 40 variant alleles). The most frequently affected gene was CFH (13/40, 32%), followed by THBD (8/40, 20%) and CD46 (7/40, 18%). The two most common variants were Asp486Tyr of THBD (N = 7) and Tyr1058His-Val1060Leu of CFH (N = 5, linked on the same allele), accounting for 30% (12/40). In seven candidate genes, 19 variants were detected. When combined, 40 patients (61%) had at least one variant in 15 core or candidate genes. No patients had anti-CFH Ab or hybrid gene/ CFHR1 homozygous deletions. The genetic profile of Korean adult aHUS was unique with recurrent missense variants, demonstrating ethnicity- and age-dependent differences in the genetic background of aHUS. • Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare thrombotic microangiopathy. • About half of aHUS patients have genetic defects. • The genetic profile of Korean adult aHUS was distinct from Korean pediatric aHUS. • The genetic profile of Korean adult aHUS was distinct from other ethnicities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes of forest ecosystem such as the plant distribution range shifts and the change of stand dynamic patterns under the global mean temperature warming, varied from the growth and physiological response characteristics of each species. For the last three years, studies on the growth and physiological mechanism have been conducted with two-years-old seedlings of three representative species (Abies koreana, Pinus densiflora, Quercus serrata) in Korea. We used a Temperature Gradient Chamber (TGC) and CO2-Temperature Gradient Chamber (CTGC) which were exposed to ambient and elevated CO2 concentration, temperature to simulate the climate change conditions; the TGC were the ambient temperature (aC-aT) as the control and the 5∘ warmer conditions with an ambient CO2 concentration (400ppm;aC-eT) and the control of the CTGC was at the ambient and the 2.2 times of CO2 concentration (880 ppm;eC-eT) of the atmosphere with 5∘ warmer conditions for treatment. Photosynthetic rate (Pn) and biomass were measured and Carboxylation efficiency (CE) and biomass allocation were calculated to investigate the physiological responses of the seedlings. A.koreana and P. densiflora significantly increased their Pn under aC-eT and eC-eT conditions. However, in the case of Q. serrata showed the decrease of Pn and CE at the third year. There were no significant differences in total biomass but the shoot/root ratio in Q. serrata showed a significant increase in aC-eT condition. These results highlight the need to study nutrient processes together to better understanding how the species-specific physiological responses and carbon allocation are differed to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]