• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.213-221
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• 2010

The number of North Korean refugees entering South Korea is continuously increasing. North Korean speakers show significant differences in vowel and consonant phonetics, length of vowels, and the rhythm and intonation of sentences. The object of this research was to examine the effectiveness of a speech intervention program for North Korean refugees using visual feedback through acoustical analysis for intonation. The subjects were three adults with no speech disabilities who had been in South Korea for less than five years. They had not received any prior treatment for inflection change. The program was set in a discourse situation and used Praat to evaluate intonation and provide visual feedback as demonstrating proper intonation changes through pitch contour. The results after intervention are as follows. First, intonation was significantly improved according to a 5-point subjective evaluation scale. Second, the pitch contour was similar to the contour of standard South Korean pronunciation. The subjects were very satisfied with this initial treatment and showed a high level of motivation. In subsequent study, the development of intervention and the comparison of interventions will be needed as well.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.480-495
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and test a structural equation model on social re-adjustment of individuals with stroke based on a literature review and Roy's adaptation model. Methods: This study involved 321 participants who had a stroke and visited the outpatient department after discharge. The hypothetical model was developed based on Roy's adaptation model and a comprehensive review of previous literature on the topic. The model comprised four exogenous variables (neurological damage, gender [man], age, and social support) and five endogenous variables (activities of daily living, acceptance of disability, depression, rehabilitation motivation, and social re-adjustment). The data were analyzed using SPSS Windows software version 22.0 and AMOS 23.0. Results: Out of 28 research hypotheses, 18 were supported, and they indicated approximately 64% probability of social re-adjustment. Social re-adjustment is directly and significantly affected by age, social support, activities of daily living, and depression. Social re-adjustment is indirectly affected by neurological impairment, gender (men), age, social support, and rehabilitation motivation. Conclusion: Continuous assistance and care should be provided for individuals with disabilities caused by sudden neurological damage to facilitate gradual improvement in their social re-adjustment. To enhance social re-adjustment, especially among older adults, newly developed interventions should focus on improving their activities of daily living, preventing depression, and enhancing support from family and healthcare personnel.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.105-117
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• 2024

This is a longitudinal study of drinking older adults aged 65 and older to determine how their social activities and alcohol consumption change over time, and how social activities affect alcohol consumption among drinking older adults. The main findings are as follows First, we found a decrease in social activity and alcohol consumption among the elderly over time, but this was not statistically significant. However, individual differences in the rate of change in social activity and alcohol consumption were found, and the specific factors of these individual differences were examined in the conditional model. The results of the conditional model showed that, for social activity, the higher the initial level of social activity, the older the age, and the lower the initial amount of alcohol consumed by men than women. Next, for the amount of alcohol consumed, the better the health status, the more the amount of alcohol consumed decreased significantly for male elderly than female elderly, smokers than non-smokers, and elderly with and without disabilities. Based on the results of the above analysis, suggestions were made to promote social activities and reduce drinking among the drinking elderly in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.167-186
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• 2007

The aim of this study is to explore the activities of public libraries in Korea about information divide issues. To do this, the web sites of 58 public libraries in Korea were investigated. On the basis of analysis, this study concluded that the activities of public libraries did not assist information have-nots, for example, people with disabilities, older adults, immigrants, rural residents and low income brackets and were insufficient to related guidelines of library services.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.441-449
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• 2017

This study applied an occupation-centered transition program to adults, aged 18 years or more, with intellectual disabilities and residing in a local community, and examined the effects of the program on participants' self-efficacy and social participation. To obtain basic data for the program, 44 adults with intellectual disability were divided into two groups: the experimental group, to which an occupation-centered transition program was applied, and the control group, to which the program was not applied. A self-efficacy scale and the K-Community participation indicators (CPI) were used to assess self-efficacy and social participation, respectively. The results showed that the experimental group showed a greater increase in self-efficacy than the control group (p<0.05). Similarly, a greater increase in the CPI scores was observed in the experimental group than in the control group. The changes in the experimental group were significant (p<0.05), but those in the control group were not. These results suggest that an occupation-centered transition program can improve self-efficacy and social participation in adults with an intellectual disability.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.9
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• pp.1005-1014
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• 2009

Purpose:Epilepsy of child may cause high level of psychosocial difficulties for parents including stigmatization and stress and therefore worsen their quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mediating effect of perceived stigma against epilepsy on QOL among parents with epileptic child. Methods:Two hundred and sixty parents of epileptic child recruited from five separated university hospital child neurology clinics specializing in epilepsy completed a demographic questionnaire, a medical questionnaire, a perceived stigma questionnaire and the Ro's Quality of Life Inventory, a popular tool for evaluating QOL of adults in Korea which is composed of 6 domains and 47 questions. Data was analyzed with SPSS 14.0 program using frequency analysis and descriptive analysis and with AMOS 7.0 program using Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis. Results:The level of parents' QOL was relatively fair. SEM analysis on the quality of life level of parents showed that all variables (especially having religion, the monthly income, employment state, age of child, the leisure time, the perceived stigma level against epilepsy, and seizure frequency) directly affect the quality of life level of parents and that disease-related variables also affect the quality of life level of parents indirectly through the mediating factor (the perceived stigma), where the indirect effect is large with the existence of combined disabilities. The total effect on the quality of life level of parents is large with the existence of combined disabilities, the perceived stigma level, the leisure time, having religion, and the monthly income. Conclusion:The results of this study indicated that many factors including parents' perceived stigma may affect the quality of life of parents with epileptic children directly, and that some disease-related factors may affect indirectly through a mediating factor, the perceived stigma. Multidisciplinary collaboration would be imperative for their welfare.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.9-16
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• 2023

Background: Bedridden patients and disabled persons need help from a guardian or caregiver even in performing simple activities of daily living. In particular, for body transfer of them, the use of a transfer lift has been recommended. However, the devices currently in use have limitations in terms of support according to the individual's characteristics. This study aimed to develop a transfer lift device utilizing the patients' body-fitting sling equipped with an air tube inside the sling. In addition, we have conducted usability tests to examine the safety, effectiveness, and satisfaction with this device. Design: This study conducted usability tests with 10 healthy adults. Methods: Customized sling lifts are generally floor-based devices that consisted of a sling that holds the patient's body and a lift that moves the sling to the desired position. One characteristic feature of the device is an air tube, which is used on the sling to allow the patient's body can be adjusted. A usability test was performed in terms of the operators, who operated the device to transfer the patients. Ten operators tried the device and tested its usability. Results: The mean of 10 question for Questions was 4.18. Conclusion: The device can be useful in the advance- ment and commercialization of customized sling lifts, to ensure the safe and efficient transfer of persons with disabilities.

• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.178-183
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• 2017

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder which affects millions of population worldwide. Global estimates published in 2010 reported the world diabetic prevalence as 6.4%, affecting 285 million adults. Foot ulceration and wound infection are major forms of disabilities arising from diabetic diseases. This study was aimed to develop a natural antimicrobial finishing on medical grade textile that meets American Association of Textiles Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) standard. The textile samples were finished with the ethanolic extract of Penicillium amestolkiae elv609, an endophytic fungus isolated from Orthosiphon stamineus Benth (common name: cat's whiskers). Endophyte is defined as microorganism that reside in the living plant tissue, without causing apparent disease symptom to the host. The antimicrobial efficacy of the ethanolic extract of P. minioluteum was tested on clinical pathogens isolated from diabetic wound. The extract exhibited significant inhibitory activity against 4 bacteria and 1 yeast with the minimal inhibitory concentration ranged from 6.25 to 12.5 mg/mL. The results indicate different susceptibility levels of the test microorganism to the ethanolic extract. However, the killing activity of the extract was concentration-dependent. The finished medical textile showed excellent antimicrobial efficacy on AATCC test assays. All the microbial cultures treated with the textile sample displayed a growth reduction of 99.9% on Hoheinstein Challenge Test. The wash durability of the finished textile was found good even after 50 washes with commercial detergent. Besides, the gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis showed that 6-octadecenoic acid and diethyl phthalate were the main bioactive constituents of the extract. In conclusion, the developed medical textile showed good antimicrobial efficacy on laboratory tests. This work can be extended to in vivo trials for developing healthcare textile products for antimicrobial applications.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.57-85
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• 2006

This study tries to understand how the physical impairment develops to practical disabilities among adults with cerebral palsy through path analysis, based on the concept of disability by WHO that the physical impairment and "activities of daily living"(ADL) are affected by the combination of interrelated concept of personal health and environment. Pain and instrumental support are conceptualized as mediating variables for ADL among the adults with cerebral palsy, which are used in the analysis. As a result of surveying of 381 participants, paralyzed region is the only variable directly influencing ADL; other variables such as gender, age, and types of cerebral palsy do not have direct effect on ADL. However, it turns out that age, types of cerebral palsy, and paralyzed region influence on pain problems and also on ADL indirectly, when pain is introduced as a mediating variable. The study also shows that the extent of instrumental support works directly and indirectly toward pain and ADL. It means that individual impairment does not necessarily have influence on the limitations of ADL, but on the result of interrelatedness of individual factors and social factors. Finally, this study implies that the social work practice should be intervened with a new approach of the consideration of the effects of mediating variables.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare therapeutic climbing exercise and general isometric exercise in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. Methods: Among 20 adults, study subjects were arbitrarily classified into an experimental group of 10 and a control group of 10. The control group performed general isometric exercise (ISE) and the experimental group performed therapeutic climbing exercise (TC) (3 sets, 3 times per week for 8 weeks). To evaluate the effects of exercise, subjects were evaluated using a Disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand score (DASH), a goniometer for range of motion, and shoulder activity measured serratus anterior, upper trapezius, and lower trapezius. Independent and paired t-test were used for comparison of the effect between groups. Results: DASH scores showed a significant decrease in both groups after 8 weeks of treatment (p<0.001) and significant difference was observed between the TC groups (p<0.01). Flexion and abduction were significantly increased after 8 weeks of treatment in the ISE group (p<0.001) and flexion, abduction, external and internal rotation were significantly increased after 8 weeks of treatment in the TC group (p<0.001). Serratus anterior and lower trapezius activity were significantly increased after 8 weeks of treatment (p<0.001) and upper trapezius activity was not significantly increased after 8 weeks of treatment in the ISE group (p>0.05). Serratus anterior, lower trapezius, and upper trapezius activity were significantly increased after 8 weeks of treatment in the TC group (p<0.001). Conclusion: Scapular stabilizing exercise using a therapeutic climbing exercise increases range of motion and decreases DASH, and increases activity of shoulder muscles in patients with impingement syndrome.