• Title/Summary/Keyword: Community Development

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Fecal Calprotectin and Phenotype Severity in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • Talebi, Saeedeh;Day, Andrew S.;Rezaiyan, Majid Khadem;Ranjbar, Golnaz;Zarei, Mitra;Safarian, Mahammad;Kianifar, Hamid Reza
    • Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.1-12
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    • 2022
  • Inflammation plays an important role in the outcome of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). It may develop due to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein dysfunction, pancreatic insufficiency, or prolonged pulmonary infection. Fecal calprotectin (FC) has been used as a noninvasive method to detect inflammation. Therefore, the aim of the current meta-analysis was to investigate the relationship between FC and phenotype severity in patients with CF. In this study, searches were conducted in PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Embase databases up to August 2021 using terms such as "cystic fibrosis," "intestine," "calprotectin," and "inflammation." Only articles published in English and human studies were selected. The primary outcome was the level of FC in patients with CF. The secondary outcome was the relationship between FC and clinical severity. Statistical analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Of the initial 303 references, only six articles met the inclusion criteria. The mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) level of FC was 256.5 mg/dL (114.1-398.9). FC levels were significantly associated with pancreatic insufficiency (mean, 243.02; 95% CI, 74.3 to 411.6; p=0.005; I2=0), pulmonary function (r=-0.39; 95% CI, -0.58 to -0.15; p=0.002; I2=60%), body mass index (r=-0.514; 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.69; p<0.001; I2=0%), and Pseudomonas colonization (mean, 174.77; 95% CI, 12.5 to 337.02; p=0.035; I2=71%). While FC is a reliable noninvasive marker for detecting gastrointestinal inflammation, it is also correlated with the severity of the disease in patients with CF.

Crimean Citizen Journalism: Genesis and Trends in Communication Network

  • Iuksel, Gaiana Z.;Sydorenko, Natalііa M.;Dosenko, Anzhelika K.;Sytnyk, Oleksii V.;Dubetska, Oksana O.
    • International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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    • v.22 no.2
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    • pp.63-74
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    • 2022
  • Repressive measures in the Crimea against the Ukrainian media and the ban on the entry of international and Ukrainian monitoring missions created the conditions for the function of providing information to be performed by representatives of civil society. Such a phenomenon was called Crimean citizen journalism and became a post-occupation phenomenon characteristic of the Crimean information sphere. The journalists' activities are aimed at reporting on human rights violations and repression against Ukrainian citizens who find themselves in conditions of information bans and restrictions. Crimean citizen journalism, which connects the peninsula with the mainland of Ukraine, is monothematic in nature, and its emergence has become a form of nonviolent resistance to the occupation of Crimea. The purpose of the study is to cover the characteristic features, the development of common Crimean citizen journalistic movement features as a social phenomenon, a phenomenon that arose after the occupation through the identification of a modern journalist portrait. The study uses the general scientific method of empirical research as the main one, the sociological method of a questionnaire survey, as well as the methods of classification, generalisation, observation, statistical calculation. An analysis of a survey of Crimean citizen journalists demonstrates the existence of an active, mobile community in Crimea that seeks to provide information and human rights nonviolent resistance to the occupation.

Unsupervised Transfer Learning for Plant Anomaly Recognition

  • Xu, Mingle;Yoon, Sook;Lee, Jaesu;Park, Dong Sun
    • Smart Media Journal
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    • v.11 no.4
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    • pp.30-37
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    • 2022
  • Disease threatens plant growth and recognizing the type of disease is essential to making a remedy. In recent years, deep learning has witnessed a significant improvement for this task, however, a large volume of labeled images is one of the requirements to get decent performance. But annotated images are difficult and expensive to obtain in the agricultural field. Therefore, designing an efficient and effective strategy is one of the challenges in this area with few labeled data. Transfer learning, assuming taking knowledge from a source domain to a target domain, is borrowed to address this issue and observed comparable results. However, current transfer learning strategies can be regarded as a supervised method as it hypothesizes that there are many labeled images in a source domain. In contrast, unsupervised transfer learning, using only images in a source domain, gives more convenience as collecting images is much easier than annotating. In this paper, we leverage unsupervised transfer learning to perform plant disease recognition, by which we achieve a better performance than supervised transfer learning in many cases. Besides, a vision transformer with a bigger model capacity than convolution is utilized to have a better-pretrained feature space. With the vision transformer-based unsupervised transfer learning, we achieve better results than current works in two datasets. Especially, we obtain 97.3% accuracy with only 30 training images for each class in the Plant Village dataset. We hope that our work can encourage the community to pay attention to vision transformer-based unsupervised transfer learning in the agricultural field when with few labeled images.

A Literature Review of Issues and Tasks by Period of Revision of Regulations Related to Convalescent Rehabilitation Wards in Japan: Focusing on Quality Evaluation

  • Lee, Minyoung;Jeon, Boyoung
    • The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.26-37
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    • 2022
  • Purpose: Japan established the convalescent rehabilitation wards, corresponding to Korea's rehabilitation medical institutions, in 2000 and developed it into the present system through continuous revisions. This study sought to analyze the issues and tasks faced by Japan segregated by the period of revision of convalescent rehabilitation ward-related medical fee regulations, through a literature review and further aimed to explore the direction of development of domestic rehabilitation medical institutions. Methods: Ten revisions of the medical fee regulations were classified into three stages based on quality evaluation: (1) the quantitative expansion stage (2000-2006); (2) quality evaluation introduction stage (2008-2014); and (3) quality evaluation maturity stage (2016-2020). Results: The following issues and tasks emerged: (1) For the quantitative expansion stage; insufficient rehabilitation within the ward, insufficient after-hour rehabilitation, insufficient connection with acute-stage hospitals and maintenance facilities, and the low ratio of specialists. (2) For the quality evaluation introduction stage; disparity in the manpower between institutions, the necessity of a 365-day rehabilitation system, avoidance of critical patients, and the problem that an increase in the amount of rehabilitation did not lead to a qualitative improvement. 3) For the quality evaluation maturity stage; cream-skimming issues in selecting patients, inappropriate evaluation of rehabilitation effects, and the necessity of follow-up measures after discharge. Conclusion: It is worth referring to the established regulations in Japan, and concurrently it is necessary to strengthen the evaluation of the structures, processes, and results when operating and evaluating rehabilitation medical institutions in Korea taking into account the side effects that could be identified in Japan.

Factors Affecting Nutrition Quotient for Elderly (NQ-E) for the Elderly in Changwon City (창원시 노인의 영양지수에 영향을 미치는 요인)

  • Seo, Eun Hee
    • The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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    • v.35 no.2
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    • pp.75-87
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    • 2022
  • The purpose of this study was to identify nutrition quotient for elderly (NQ-E) and to investigate factors affecting NQ-E of the elderly using welfare center and senior citizen's center in Changwon city. A self-administered questionnaire was conducted between June 2021 and early August 2021 for 320 elderly (≥65 years, male, n=52, female, n=268). As a result of the survey, the mean NQ-E score was 61.12, which was within the medium-high grade. The scores of balance, moderation, and dietary behavior factors were within the medium-high grade, while diversity factor was within the medium-low grade. According to the results of the Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis, NQ-E showed positive correlations with the 'with family' (p<0.01), 'education level' (p<0.01), 'health functional foods consumption' (p<0.01), 'monthly household income' (p<0.05), 'nutrition education experience' (p<0.05), 'reading nutrition labeling of health functional foods' (p<0.01), 'perception of the efficacy of health functional foods' (p<0.01), and 'the number of times of leisure activities per week' (p<0.01) and negative correlations with the 'gender' (p<0.05), 'age' (p<0.01), 'smoking' (p<0.05), and 'social frailty' (p<0.01). As a result of multiple regression analysis, 'gender' (p<0.05), 'perception of the efficacy of health functional foods' (p<0.05), 'the number of times of leisure activities per week' (p<0.05), and 'social frailty' (p<0.05) were found to be factors affecting NQ-E. Based on the results of this study, customized services by characteristic, nutrition education, and counseling for the elderly should be implemented and the development of various programs and continuous support of the community are necessary so that the elderly can carry out social exchange.

A Study on the Characteristics of Anion Exchange Membrane According to Aliphatic Alkyl Chain Spacer Length Introduced into Branched Poly (Arylene Ether Sulfone) (수지상 폴리(알릴렌 이써 설폰)에 도입된 지방족 알킬사슬 연결자길이에 따른 음이온교환막의 특성 연구)

  • KIM, HYUN JIN;YOO, DONG JIN
    • Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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    • v.33 no.3
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    • pp.209-218
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    • 2022
  • Recently, research on the development of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) has received considerable attention from the scientific community around the world. Here, we fabricated a series of AEMs with branched structures with different alkyl spacers and conducted comparative evaluations. The introduction of these branched structures is an attempt to overcome the low ionic conductivity and stability problems that AEMs are currently facing. To this end, branched polymers with different spacer lengths were synthesized and properties of each membrane prepared according to the branched structure were compared. The chemical structure of the polymer was investigated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, and gel permeation chromatography, and the thermal properties were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. The branched anion exchange membrane with (CH2)3 and (CH2)6 spacers exhibited ionic conductivities of 8.9 mS cm-1 and 22 mS cm-1 at 90℃, respectively. This means that the length of the spacer affects the ionic conductivity. Therefore, this study showing the effect of the spacer length on the ionic conductivity of the membrane in the polymer structure constituting the ion exchange membrane is judged to be very useful for future application studies of AEM fuel cells.

An Adaptive Local Management Approach Cannot Overcome Large-Scale Trends: A Long-Term Case-Study for Saxifraga hirculus Conservation

  • Marrs, Rob H.;O'Reilly, John;Rose, Rob J.;Lee, HyoHyeMi;Alday, Josu G.
    • Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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    • v.3 no.3
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    • pp.139-148
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    • 2022
  • Saxifraga hirculus is classified as a vulnerable plant species in Europe, and it is confined to base-rich flushes in the British uplands. However, a lack of available information about its conservation status hampers the development of adaptive strategies for its in-situ conservation, especially with respect to grazing. To assess the effectiveness of sheep grazing in maintaining viable populations of S. hirculus, we compared the community dynamics of the vegetation in a base-rich flush over 44 years in two plots: one sheep-grazed under business-as-usual sheep grazing densities and the other fenced to exclude grazing. The plots were established in 1972, and the abundances of all vascular plants, bryophytes, and litter were measured at six intervals until 2016. Our results showed that although the presence of S. hirculus was maintained in both plots over the 44 years, it declined and reached a minimum between 1995 and 2010, when it was close to extinction. Since 2013, Saxifraga has recovered only slightly. Interestingly, the S. hirculus response appeared to be independent of grazing treatment, but it mirrored wider changes in the vegetation composition and structure within the flush over the 44 years. These changes are similar to others reported in broader uplands that have been attributed to a combination of reduced nitrogen and sulfur deposition and global warming. Thus, the simple adaptive management approach of "just managing" sheep grazing appeared ineffectual for preserving the S. hirculus population. S. hirculus showed signs of recovery at the end of the study period within this base-rich flush.

A Case Study on Care Workers' Experiences of Coping with Falls among Community-Dwelling Elders (재가노인 방문요양보호사의 낙상관련 대처 경험에 관한 연구)

  • Lim, Sun-Young;Park, Hye-Sun;Ma, Ryewon
    • Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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    • v.9 no.3
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    • pp.99-110
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    • 2021
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the experience and meaning of falls among care workers caring for the elderly. Methods: The participants comprised 10 care workers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The data collection period was from September to November 2020, and the data were obtained through individual in-depth interviews. The collected data were analyzed using the content analysis method of qualitative research. The main interview questions were as follows: First, in the event of a fall, "can you tell us about your experience and how you dealt with the fall?; second, "can you tell us about your role and the role of family members or the center that manages falls that occur outside of nursing visits.", third, "can you tell us about the difficulties in managing falls based on your experience?", and fourth, "how are falls that occur during nursing visits managed?" Results: As a result of analyzing the experiences of nursing care workers of falls while caring for elders in their homes, five main themes were derived. These were understanding the characteristics of the elderly at home, understanding possible emergency situations, providing caring services, minimizing physical harm, and delivering clear information. Conclusion: A significant finding of this study was that care workers who visit and provide care to elders at home confirmed the need for standard guidelines on appropriate responses in the event of a fall at home and the importance of managing emergencies arising from falls among elders at home. These results highlight the need for the development of emergency response education programs, such as programs on fall care among nurses and care workers who provide care to the elderly, and for enhanced understanding of the fall risk of elders who live at home.

Free vibration analysis of FG plates under thermal environment via a simple 4-unknown HSDT

  • Attia, Amina;Berrabah, Amina Tahar;Bousahla, Abdelmoumen Anis;Bourada, Fouad;Tounsi, Abdelouahed;Mahmoud, S.R.
    • Steel and Composite Structures
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    • v.41 no.6
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    • pp.899-910
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    • 2021
  • A 4-unknown shear deformation theory is applied to investigate the vibration of functionally graded plates under thermal environment. The plate is fabricated from a functionally graded material mixed of ceramic and metal with continuously varying material properties through the plate thickness. Three types of thermal loadings, uniform, linear and nonlinear temperature rises along the plate thickness are taken into account. The present theory contains four unknown functions as against five or more in other higher order shear deformation theories. The through-the-thickness distributions of transverse shear stresses of the plate are considered to vary parabolically and vanish at upper and lower surfaces. The present model does not require any problem dependent shear correction factor. Analytical solutions for the free vibration analysis are derived based on Fourier series that satisfy the boundary conditions (Navier's method). Benchmark solutions are firstly considered to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed model. Comparisons with the solutions available in literature revealed the good capabilities of the present model for the simulations of vibration responses of FG plates. Some parametric studies are carried out for the frequency analysis by varying the volume fraction profile and the temperature distribution across the plate thickness.

Students' Knowledge, Awareness, and Pro-Environmental Behavior in Urban to Design Climate Change Book Serials

  • Sigit, Diana Vivanti;Azrai, Eka Putri;Suryanda, Ade;Epriani, Melisa;Ichsan, Ilmi Zajuli;Rahman, Md. Mehadi;Rogayan, Danilo V. Jr.
    • Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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    • v.24 no.5
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    • pp.509-517
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    • 2021
  • Background and objective: Problems currently occurred in the environment are caused by a lack of environmental awareness of the community. Biology students learn the environment in ecological learning. Students must explore environmental knowledge (EK) and are expected to have high environmental awareness (EA) and then apply their knowledge in daily life with pro-environmental behavior (PEB). There is a need for designing climate-change book serials for university students (CCBS-US) towards contextualized learning. This study aimed to determine the relationship between EK and EA and the PEB of biology students as a baseline for designing CCBS-US. Methods: The study used a quantitative descriptive method with a correlational design. Total 136 biology students from a state university in Jakarta, Indonesia served as samples of the study. Results: Research results revealed a positive relationship between EK and PEB of biology students. There was a positive relationship between EA and PEB of biology students and between EK and EA and PEB of Biology students. Moreover, 77% of students reported their EK is very high, 55% of students reported their EA is medium, and 46% of students reported their PEB is medium. Ecological learning has a vital role in shaping the EK, EA, and PEB, thus CCBS-US needs to be developed. Conclusion: The study concluded that there was a relationship between EK, EA, and PEB. The study recommends the development of CCBS-US based on the survey results.