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This study explores the Korean final suffix -(u)lkel in the context of stance-taking within the framework of stance triangle and the notion of emergent stance. Using data from one hundred 30-minute telephone calls and 15 video recorded conversations totaling 270 min, this study examines the non-committal epistemic function of -(u)lkel from a conversation analytic approach and demonstrates how speakers mobilize this suffix as a divergent alignment stance marker when confronted with a conflicting, yet unclear understanding of information associated with a stance object. Moreover, the high intonational boundary tone associated with -(u)lkel cedes the floor to the recipient where a negotiation of the conflicting information offers an opportunity for a readjustment of positions towards either a converging-diverging alignment or disalignment (i.e., speakers’ abandonment of a shared stance object). As such, this study shows that a grammatical suffix such as -(u)lkel is not simply deployed to mark propositional information but is also utilized as an interactional resource that enables dialogic speech activities such as co-construction of stance.

An exosuit is a wearable robot that assists the muscular strength of a human that wears it by using multiple wires with similar functions to human muscles. This study focuses on the development of a series elastic tendon actuator (SETA) for the actuation of an exosuit. A gait analysis was performed for walking on stairs to deduce the design requirements of SETA, and the necessary performances were then determined based on these requirements. The SETA is designed to assign compliance to rigid wires using linear springs. The deformation in linear springs generated during tension was measured through an encoder to calculate the human robot interaction (HRI) force. By utilizing the HRI force as feedback of an admittance controller, the SETA was capable of providing wire tensions required by an exosuit. The performance of the SETA was verified through series elastic component (SEC) deformation and force control experiments. The SEC deformation increased from 0 to 3.86 mm when the wire tension increased from 0 to 100 N. This force controller demonstrated a slight vibration owing to the mechanical properties of the springs constituting the SEC during the step input; however, the value gradually converged to 100 N. The developed SETA was applied to an exosuit system for supporting knee strength of the elderly when walking on stairs.

The aim of this study is to provide an effective method to construct a three-dimensionally (3D) printed scaffold to reconstruct a damaged bone. The tibia of a rabbit with a comminuted fracture was scanned by computed tomography. A bio-scaffold was designed using a 3D modeling program for its reconstruction and fabricated by a 3D printer. As the tibia could tolerate a large stress, pure biodegradable materials used alone as scaffold were not effective as they could not sufficiently support the weight of rabbit. Therefore, an external metal scaffold was required as a support. To fabricate the metal scaffold, its mechanical properties were calculated using simulations by the ANSYS static structural program. The simulation showed that the metal scaffold could endure five times the rabbit’s weight with a volume of 2362.93 mm3, area of 3671.23 mm2, and weight of 10.73 g. The proposed design of metal scaffold for a fractured bone exhibited a high supporting ability for the weight of the rabbit. The necessity of an external metal scaffold to support the biodegradable scaffold in bone reconstruction is demonstrated.

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The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Transperineal Pelvic Floor Electrical Stimulation (TPFES) system as a treatment option for females with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). A total of 8 females who were diagnosed with SUI were included in the study. All the patients received TPFES and were educated to use it daily for 12 weeks. The patients completed ‘International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence (ICIQ-UI)’ and ‘Overactive Bladder Symptom Score Questionnaire’ before and after applying NPFES at every visit. Age, body mass index (BMI), maximum flow rate, and postvoid residual of each patient were obtained before the study. Repeated-measures ANOVA was performed using the estimates of variables at each visit to evaluate the effectiveness of TPFES in SUI. Also, a linear mixed model was derived to verify the variables that affect the effectiveness of TPFES treatment. The mean age and BMI of the patients were 61.88 ± 16.49 years and 24.62 ± 2.87 kg/m2, respectively. Among the investigated variables, the mean ICIQ-UI total score showed significant change depending on the duration of TPFES treatment (p

Advancing spring phenology is a well documented consequence of anthropogenic climate change, but it is not well understood how climate change will affect the variability of phenology year to year. Species' phenological timings reflect the adaptation to a broad suite of abiotic needs (e.g., thermal energy) and biotic interactions (e.g., predation and pollination), and changes in patterns of variability may disrupt those adaptations and interactions. Here, we present a geographically and taxonomically broad analysis of phenological shifts, temperature sensitivity, and changes in interannual variability encompassing nearly 10,000 long-term phenology time series representing more than 1000 species across much of the Northern Hemisphere. We show that the timings of leaf-out, flowering, insect first-occurrence, and bird arrival were the most sensitive to temperature variation and have advanced at the fastest pace for early-season species in colder and less seasonal regions. We did not find evidence for changing variability in warmer years in any phenophase groups, although leaf-out and flower phenology have become moderately but significantly less variable over time. Our findings suggest that climate change has not to this point fundamentally altered the patterns of interannual phenological variability.

Trp8Arg polymorphism of the LH beta gene has decreased bioactivity in vivo and previous studies showed conflicting data on the effect of LH beta gene polymorphism on the IVF outcome. In this study,...

Objective We aim to present a clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia in adults by reviewing and integrating existing clinical guidelines. The purpose of this guideline is to assist clinicians who perform evidence-based insomnia treatment.Methods We selected literature that may be appropriate for use in guideline development from evidence-based practice guidelines that have been issued by an academic or governmental institution within the last five years. The core question of this guideline was made in sentence form including Patient/Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO) elements. After searching PubMed, EMBASE, and medical guideline issuing agencies, three guidelines were judged to be the most appropriately reviewed, up-to-date, and from trusted sources.Results The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool was used to evaluate the quality of the three clinical guidelines. The final outcome of the guideline development process is a total of 15 recommendations that report the strength of the recommendation, the quality of evidence, a summary of content, and considerations in applying the recommendation.Conclusion It is vital for clinical guidelines for insomnia to be developed and continually updated in order to provide more accurate evidence-based treatments to patients.

Purpose This study aimed to identify whether functional bladder capacity (FBC) differs among subgroups of nocturnal enuresis (NE) patients and can be used to predict treatment response. Methods A total of 69 children with NE were included in this study between July 2017 and February 2019 according to medical chart review, retrospectively. All patients completed a questionnaire about voiding symptoms and 48-hour frequency/volume (48-h F/V) charts. FBC was obtained from the 48-h F/V charts and uroflowmetry (UFM) with post-void residual volume (PVR). All patients were primarily treated with standard urotherapy and pharmacological therapy. The response rate was analyzed at 3 months after treatment. Results The mean age of the 69 patients (42 male, 27 female) was 83.3 ± 22.4 months (range, 5-13 years) at the first visit. The percentages of children with monosymptomatic NE (MNE) and non-monosymptomatic NE (NMNE) on the questionnaire were 40.6% (28/69) and 59.4% (41/69), respectively. FBC of all patients was lower than the normal range of expected bladder capacity, and there were no significant differences between measurement methods, NE types (MNE vs NMNE), or response rates (p > 0.05). Conclusion Children with NE had diminished FBC in both 48-h F/V charts and UFM with PVR. We found no difference in FBC by NE type or treatment outcome. Therefore, FBC cannot be used to distinguish between NE types or predict treatment responses.

Rosemary essential oil was evaluated for antifungal potentiality against six major ginseng pathogens: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Sclerotinia nivalis, Cylindrocarpon destructans, Alternaria panax, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium oxysporum. The in vitro fungicidal effects of two commonly used fungicides, namely mancozeb and fenhexamid, and the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Trichoderma koningiopsis T-403 on the mycelial growth were investigated. The results showed that rosemary essential oil is active against all of the pathogenic strains of ginseng root rot, whereas rosemary oil displayed high ability to inhibit the Sclerotinia spp. growth. The highest sensitivity was S. nivalis, with complete inhibition of growth at 0.1% v/v of rosemary oil, followed by Alternaria panax, which exhibited 100% inhibition at 0.3% v/v of the oil. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of rosemary oil ranged from 0.1 % to 0.5 % (v/v). Chemical analysis using GC-MS showed the presence of thirty-two constituents within rosemary oil from R. officinals L. Camphore type is the most frequent sesquiterpene in rosemary oil composition. Mancozeb and fenhexamid showed their highest inhibition effect (45% and 30%, respectively) against A. panax. T. koningiopsis T-403 showed its highest inhibition effect (84%) against C. destructans isolate. This study may expedite the application of antifungal natural substances from rosemary and Trichoderma in the prevention and control of phytopathogenic strains in ginseng root infections.

A continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was operated for more than 120 days with fixed hydraulic retention time of 6 h at mesophilic temperature along with a periodic recovery phase towards hydrogen production and stimulated by the existence of 5-hydroxy methyl furfural concentration (5-HMF). Interestingly, CSTR mixed with a small amount of 5-HMF, range of 0.3–0.6 g/L showed at least 50% higher hydrogen production rate than control without 5-HMF. However, when 5-HMF concentration was higher than 0.6 g/L, the performance was significantly inhibited. The bacterial community shifted by 5-HMF from Clostridium-dominated to Lactobacillus-dominated population. Regardless of the remain 5-HMF concentration in CSTR, the microbial community and hydrogen producing performance were restored by stop mixing the 5-HMF from the feedstock. The high-rate hydrogen production of 20.0 ± 1.8 L H2/L/d was achieved in the presence of 5-HMF using the threshold information and recovery strategy.

An exosuit is a wearable robot that supports human muscular strength from outside the human body through multiple actuators. These actuators, which have similar functions to human muscles, reduce the weight compared to existing exoskeletons and minimize awareness of the different degrees of freedom. In this study, we developed an exosuit system that assists stair ascent and descent by supporting the power of the knee joint. To develop the hardware, we designed the entire system including functional apparel and a wire-driven actuator module. To provide the exosuit wearer with walking assistance, we established control strategies based on gait analysis and a force controller by applying the admittance control method. Then, to verify the usability of this system, we conducted an experiment comparing the muscle activity of users with and without the exosuit. The results revealed that the overall muscle activity of users decreased when they wore the proposed exosuit system. Specifically, the system reduced the muscle activity of the rectus femoris by up to 47% and 31% during stair ascent and descent, respectively. Therefore, the proposed exosuit system provides effective walking assistance.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the treatment outcomes of nimodipine and steroid combination therapy for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case review. SETTING Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS Seventy-eight patients who were diagnosed with ISSNHL were divided into two group based on the treatment strategies used: steroid+nimodipine (SN, n = 36) and steroid only (SO, n = 42) groups. Based on the level of hearing loss before treatment, subgroup analysis (

Solidarity corresponds to virtuous social behavior, including personal freedom and responsibility, civic friendship, benevolence, reciprocity, and cooperation. These attributes are fundamentally good for individual persons and communities of work. Solidarity is therefore vitally important to the practice of humanistic management. This paper aims to provide management insights into the cultivation of solidarity. The paper begins by developing a theoretical framework to understand solidarity in business context, with attention to philosophical and theological connotations. An empirical research model is presented in the form of a survey instrument to test for indications of solidarity in the workplace, and this measure is used to test several hypotheses regarding the positive associations of solidarity with validated measures of workplace engagement. Research results show that it is possible to identify and analyze workplace behaviors associated with solidarity. Data analysis confirms the validity of the model and demonstrates the positive associations of the hypotheses, based on empirical study of 40 workplaces and 399 employees. Moreover, the condition of whether the workplace was a public or private organization was found to affect the main relationship between solidarity and workplace engagement. The paper concludes with suggestions for practicable, tangible workplace behaviors based on the model, offering guidance in the pursuit of humanistic management.

As a preliminary investigation into the effects of environmental factors on gonadal development using adaptive physiological characteristics, we examined the involvement of photoperiod and water temperature in the ovarian development of the redspotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara. During October 2014 (non-breeding season), the photoperiod and water temperature were adjusted to 12L:12D and 18°C respectively. Every 3 weeks, daylight was increased as follows a 13L:11D and 14L:10D in the photo-thermal treatment group, and the control group was maintained under natural conditions. After 9 weeks, water temperature was increased to 23°C in the photo-thermal treatment group. In photo-thermal treatment group, GSI increased significantly after 9 weeks (1.36 ± 0.19) and 12 weeks (3.31 ± 0.20) compared with the control group. At 12 weeks after photo-thermal treatment, all fishes matured into ovaries containing late vitellogenic oocytes. The expression of FSH β and LHβ mRNAs also increased significantly. However, in the control group, the ovarian development was maintained at an immature stage. Based on these results, we demonstrate that exposure to long photoperiod and high water temperature can induce the sexual maturation of immature red-spotted grouper during the non-breeding season.

This paper presents a study of prosocial workplace behaviors indicative of spiritual formation. This research aims to provide practical guidance to managers interested in fostering workplace spirituality and engagement. We present a theoretical model of prosocial workplace behaviors analogous to some classical disciplines of spiritual formation found in Christian tradition (e.g. confession, guidance, celebration, study, service, fellowship, and submission). These behaviors align well with organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB). We developed the Spiritual Formation Inventory (SFI) for the empirical study of these prosocial behaviors in workplace communities. The SFI survey is non-religious, focused on observable behaviors, and suitable for general use in secular workplace settings. In order to test for the association of these prosocial behaviors with workplace engagement, our study adopts the Utrecht Workplace Engagement Study (UWES) as dependent variables. Data were collected in 40 organizations, with a total of 398 participants. Factor analysis confirms three factors (honoring individuals, nurturing relationships, and serving with integrity) that are significantly and positively associated with workplace engagement. Moderating effects are also analyzed. In conclusion, we offer guidance for how these results can be interpreted and applied to foster workplace spirituality and engagement in businesses and a wide variety of organizations.Abbreviations: OCB: Organizational Citizenship Behaviors; SFI: Spiritual Formation Inventory; SOC: Sense of Community; UWES: Utrecht Work Engagement Scale

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression patterns of ocular melatonin in the annual reproductive cycle of the female grass puffer. Spawning season of the female grass puffer is from June to July in Jeju, South Korea. Time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay revealed that levels of ocular melatonin, which show an annual change, peaked in May (spawning season). Additionally, expression of reproductive-related genes also showed annual patterns: GnRH1 peaked in August, GnRH2 peaked in February, GnRH3, Kiss2, and LPXRFa peaked in November. These results suggest that ocular melatonin may be related to the annual reproductive cycle in the grass puffer. To better understand the photic regulation of AANAT1a mRNA in the retina, we observed the nocturnal pattern of ocular melatonin levels daily, which shows a nocturnal pattern in both short photoperiod (SD) and long photoperiod (LD) conditions. In the brain, AANAT2 mRNA also shows a nocturnal pattern in both SD and LD; however, the time of peak expression of AANAT2 mRNA was unchanged in both conditions. Following intraperitoneal injection of melatonin for 2 weeks, expression of GnRH2 and LPXRFa mRNA in the brain significantly increased, while that of Kiss2 mRNA was decreased, suggesting that melatonin has a reproduction-related effect. Furthermore, under SD and LD conditions for 14 weeks, the gonadosomatic index more increased and the maturity of the ovary progressed under LD compared with those under SD, suggesting that the SD photoperiodic signal inactivated ovarian development. These results indicate that the ocular melatonin may have a possible role in the reproductive endocrinology of the grass puffer.

Growth of fish is controlled by various environmental factors, including water temperature (WT). WT is also a major factor that affects the eating behavior of fish. In this study, we studied the relationship between WT and expression profiles of factors involved in appetite regulation and digestion in red spotted grouper. Fish were divided into three groups with 30 fish per group and reared for 2 weeks in a recirculating system at three different WT (natural WT, 20 °C, and 25 °C). After 2 weeks, they were sacrificed immediately after food intake (+ 0 h), 3 h after (+ 3 h), 6 h after (+ 6 h), and 3 h before being fed the next day (− 3 h). Fish samples were obtained for analysis of mRNA expression levels of cholecystokinin (CCK), leptin A (LepA), leptin B (LepB), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the brain, liver, and intestine. Expression of CCK and NPY mRNA was significantly higher at 25 °C compared to that at natural WT and 20 °C, but no difference was observed for leptin. This suggests that the red spotted grouper shows characteristics typical of subtropical fish and has higher levels of feeding and digestion when reared at 25 °C water temperature condition.

The objective of this study was to explore the seasonal characteristics of rhizoremediation and the bacterial community structure over the course of a year in soil contaminated with diesel oil. The soil was contaminated with diesel oil at a total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration of 30,000 mg-TPH·kg-soil