• Journal of Korea Trade
• /
• v.23 no.8
• /
• pp.1-26
• /
• 2019

Purpose - This paper investigates the recent trade collapse, recovery, and prolonged slowdown to shed light on the discussions about whether the current slowdown is structural or cyclical. I examine structural, cyclical, and heterogeneous aspects of the recent trade trends using detailed statistics of a small open economy, South Korea, whose economic success and growth have been heavily dependent on exports. Design/methodology - I use both aggregated and disaggregated trade statistics of South Korea. I apply the following methodologies: 1) I decompose the trade growth into the extensive and the intensive margin and observe the effect of prices over time. 2) I estimate the trade-income elasticities focusing on the world's import demand, separately for goods from the world and from Korea. 3) I compare the drop in goods exports in slowdown and trade collapse, which are the two unusual periods in the recent history when world trade has substantially dropped altogether. Findings - I show that while the last drop of trade after 2015 has cyclical aspects, there is evidence that the continued slowdown from 2012 is structural: 1) the so-called 'China factor' is found in the analysis of trade-income elasticity of the world and China for imports from Korea. 2) The bilateral trade barriers between Korea and its principal trading partners are universally tightening. 3) Firm sizes, destination countries, and the mode of transactions affect disaggregated trade flows during the slowdown periods. Originality/value - This paper contributes to the debate regarding whether the current trade slowdown is structural or cyclical. I provide two concrete evidence that the export drop in 2015 stems from low oil prices: one is the divergence of Korean export value index from its export quantity index, which started in late 2014 when oil prices plunged. I also contribute to the literature by providing evidence that Korea's trade barriers with important trading partners are steadily increasing since 2012 as the protectionist measures toward Korea's export products are steeply increasing after the global financial crisis.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.300-305
• /
• 2020

Objective: The feasibility of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) trigger in normal responders is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to compare the number of mature oocytes, the number of good-quality embryos, and the live birth rate in normal responders triggered by GnRHa alone, GnRHa and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; a dual trigger), and hCG alone. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the infertility clinic of a university hospital. Data from 200 normal responders who underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection with a GnRH antagonist protocol between January 2016 and January 2017 were reviewed. The first study group consisted of patients with cycles triggered by GnRHa alone. The second study group consisted of patients with cycles triggered by both GnRHa and low-dose hCG (a dual trigger). The control group consisted of patients with cycles triggered by hCG alone. Results: The groups were comparable in terms of demographics and cycle characteristics. The numbers of total oocytes retrieved and metaphase II oocytes were similar between the groups. The total numbers of top-quality embryos were 3.2±2.9 in the GnRHa group, 4.4±3.2 in the dual-trigger group, and 2.9±2.1 in the hCG group (p=0.014). The live birth rates were 21.4%, 30.5%, and 28.2% in those groups, respectively (p=0.126). Conclusion: In normal responders, a dual-trigger approach appears superior to an hCG trigger alone with regard to the number of top-quality embryos produced. However, no clinical benefit was apparent in terms of live birth rates.

• Iberoamérica
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.59-98
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this study is to examine how the politics of 'femicide(femicidio)' or 'feminicide(feminicidio) is embodied in Latin America. To this end, I tried to grasp the political nature of these terms through the debate over the terms of 'femicide' vs 'feminicidio' and the process of establishing concepts. In Latin America, the 'Declaration on Femicide' in 2008 emphasized the responsibility of the state, and as demands for countermeasures against feminism increased, each country enacted the femicide law. However, due to the lack of mechanisms to implement the law, investigations, or punishments for the perpetrators have not been properly conducted. And femicide is becoming more serious. Recently, #NiUnaMenos, the 8M International Women's Day strike, and performances started in Chile are spreading out of Latin America, gaining sympathy around the world. Also, these actions are emerging as one of the new political movements that demand a democracy with gender equality, adding different agendas according to the situation of each region, including femicide, with strong cohesion.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.1303-1318
• /
• 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the debate on the use of medical devices between Western Medicine and Korean Medicine, as this is one of the greatest conflicts in Korea's medical profession. Judicial precedents and interpretations of authority serve as regulations because medical affairs law states that Korean Medicine practices are ambiguous. Method: We conducted a search in the Korean RISS, OASIS, and DBPIA databases using several keywords associated with medical devices, Korean Medicine, and Korean Medicine Doctors. The search period was until November 5 2021. The retrieved papers were classified according to the selection and exclusion criteria by checking the title, abstract, and text. For precedents, searches were done regarding comprehensive legal information, etc., and in the case of non-disclosure precedents, we requested access to the precedents by web-court requests. Results: A total of 80 documents were found as a result of the search, and 13 publications were included in the study. The selected publications were classified and analyzed by this research team into Korean medicine, Western medicine, and legal or state agency research. In the existing literature and judgments, the arguments that played a major role changed depending on the time the judgment was made. "Social conventions", "curriculum", "academic principles", and "health and hygiene dangers" were the key arguments. Conclusions: Further studies will be needed that can comprehensively arrange the existing literature and clinical results, and continuous study will be needed to verify that the use of medical devices by Korean medicine doctors is helpful for prognosis and accurate treatment of their patients.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.45-50
• /
• 2022

The article substantiates the feasibility of using and actively implementing innovative technologies in the practice of organizing the educational process. The need for the use of telecommunication technologies, which provide constant communication between students and the teacher outside the classroom, has been identified. Particular attention is paid to the latest approaches to the use of various forms of multimedia technologies in student education, which intensify the process of acceptance and assimilation of educational material by foreign students. The advantages of using innovative means of distance education are determined, which thanks to modern electronic educational systems allow students to receive quality higher education. Innovative technologies promote the development of cognitive interest in students, they learn to systematize and summarize the material studied, discuss and debate. In this regard, the reorientation of the system of higher education in Europe towards innovation is becoming the most important tool in ensuring the competitiveness of graduates in the labor market. In addition, the investment attractiveness of a university often depends on the innovative nature of the development of scientific, educational and practical activities of the subjects of the educational process, their inclusion in the national innovation system. The article analyzes that in the universities of the European Union in the training of specialists in the management of basic interactive methods, forms and tools are binary lecture, briefing, webinar, video conference, video lecture, virtual consultation, virtual tutorial, slide lecture, comp. utheric tests. Various classes on slide technology took active forms during the training of management specialists.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 2022

Background: The surgical strategy for single-stage resection of primary colorectal cancer (CRC) and synchronous pulmonary metastases remains a matter of debate. Methods: Perioperative data of patients who underwent single-stage resection of primary CRC and synchronous pulmonary metastases were compared to those of patients who underwent 2-stage resections. The demographic data, number of metastases, type of pulmonary and colorectal resections, operation time, blood loss, postoperative complications, morbidities, mortality, medical costs, and length of hospital stay were analyzed. Results: Twenty-two patients underwent single-stage resection of primary CRC and pulmonary metastases, while 27 patients underwent 2-stage resection. Tumor size and the number of pulmonary metastases were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The extent of pulmonary metastasectomy and abdominal procedures were similar in both groups, as was the thoracic surgical approach (video-assisted thoracic surgery vs. thoracotomy). However, open laparotomy was performed more frequently in the 2-stage group than in the single-stage group (p=0.045), which also had a longer total anesthetic time (p=0.013). The operation time, medical costs, estimated blood loss, complication rates, and severity were similar in both groups, but the length of hospital stay was shorter in the single-stage group (p<0.001). Conclusion: Single-stage colorectal and pulmonary resection shortened the overall hospital stay, with no significant changes in operation time, medical costs, hospital mortality, and morbidity. Therefore, single-stage resection could be a good surgical strategy in selected patients.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
• /
• v.22 no.8
• /
• pp.385-391
• /
• 2022

The relevance of the published study lies in the fact that since the introduction of the first Global Distribution System, new information and communication technologies have constantly been changing the tourism industry. In the context of a current digital environment, travel agencies can't avoid participating in digital transformation processes aimed at rethinking operational models, skills, and organisational structures in the regions. This publication aims to present and provide a critical overview of digitalisation processes in tourism development in the regions of the Russian Federation, as well as to reflect on the challenges to the widespread digitalisation processes in the regional tourism sector. The subject of research is digitalisation processes, as they radically transform the modern tourism industry, in the regions as well. The pragmatic research paradigm was considered the most appropriate for the study of tourism digitalisation processes in the regions, as it does not require the selection of a specific theoretical basis for data collection. The pragmatic approach forms an alternative to classical theoretical approaches and serves as a particular type of grounded theory, combining both inductive and deductive methods. No software was used for the inductive part of the analysis. The deductive part was conducted using the qualitative data analysis software Nvivo 11. Given the wide diversity of interested parties in the regional tourism digital area, a stratified purposive sampling method was preferred due to its ability to adequately represent the full picture of the phenomenon under study. The selection and stratum criteria were chosen to maximise the representation of different perspectives in the regional tourism digital area. The novelty of the study is due to the digitalisation processes, with an implication of new needs, while opening up promising opportunities for more productive tourism business in the regions of the Russian Federation. Currently, e-tourism in the Russian Federation has become a subject of lively debate among scholars and practitioners. However, the involvement of advanced digitalisation technologies in the field of information processes in the regions of the Russian Federation is of a very sporadic character.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.347-362
• /
• 2022

Current vibration serviceability assessment criteria for wind-induced vibrations in tall buildings are based largely on human 'perception' thresholds which are shown not to be directly translatable to human 'acceptability' of vibrations. There is also a considerable debate about both the metrics and criteria for vibration acceptability, such as frequency of occurrence or peak vs mean vibration, and how these might vary with the nature of the vibration. Furthermore, the design criteria are necessarily simplified for ease of application so cannot account for a range of environmental, situational and human factors that may enhance or diminish the impact of vibrations on serviceability. The dual-site VSimulators facility was created specifically to provide an experimental platform to address gaps in understanding of human response to building vibration. This paper considers how VSimulators can be used to inform general design guidance and support design of specific buildings for habitability, in terms of vibration, which allow engineers and clients to make informed decisions with regard to sustainable design, in terms of energy and financial cost. This paper first provides a brief overview of current vibration serviceability assessment guidelines, and the current understanding and limitations of occupants' acceptability of wind-induced motion in tall buildings. It then describes how the dual-site VSimulators facility at the Universities of Bath and Exeter can be used to assess the effects of motion and environment on human comfort, wellbeing and productivity with examples of how the facility capabilities have been used to provide new, human experience based experimental research approaches.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.79-88
• /
• 2009

Objectives : It has been recently shown that Piperis Longi Fructus (PLF) is involved in the reduction of eosinophil recruitment and production of Th2 cytokines in vivo. However, the main therapeutic mechanisms of PLF remains a matter of considerable debate. To investigate the therapeutic mechanisms of PLF, we examined the influence of PLF on regulatory T cells number, IgE, histamine production in vivo and Th1/Th2 cytokine balance in vitro. Methods : All mice were immunized on two different days (21 days and 7 days before inhalational exposure) by i.p. injections of 0.2 $m\ell$ alum-precipitated Ag containing 100 ${\mu}g$ of OVA bound to 4 mg of aluminum hydroxide in PBS. Seven days after the second sensitization, mice were exposed to aerosolized ovalbumin for 30 min/day on 3 days/week for 12 weeks(at a flow rate of 250 L/min, 2.5％ ovalbumin in normal saline) and PLF (150 mg/kg) were orally administered 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Splenocytes from C57BL/6 mice at 8 weeks of age were stimulated with anti-CD3 (1 mg/ml) plus anti-CD28 (1 mg/ml) antibody for 48hrs. IL-4 and IFN-$\gamma$ in the culture supernatants were measured by ELISA Results : The suppressive effects of PLF on asthma model were demonstrated by the increase the number of regulatory T cells and by reducing IgE, histamine production in vivo and modulation of Th1/Th2 cytokine balance. Conclusions : These results indicate that PLF has a deep inhibitory effects on asthma model mice by increase the number of regulatory T cells, and by reducing IgE, histamine production.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.65 no.3
• /
• pp.415-421
• /
• 2022

Objective : Seizure recurrence after the first-ever seizure in patients with a supratentorial cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is almost certain, so the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy is justified. The optimal method of management of these patients is still a matter of debate. The aim of our study was to identify factors associated with postoperative seizure control and assess the surgical morbidity rate. Methods : We retrospectively analysed 45 consecutive patients with a supratentorial CCM and symptomatic epilepsy in a single centre. Pre- and postoperative epidemiological data, seizure-related patient histories, neuroimaging results, surgery details and outcomes were obtained from hospital medical records. Seizure outcomes were assessed at least 12 months after surgery. Results : Thirty-five patients (77.8%) were seizure free at the long-term follow-up (Engel class I); six (13,3%) had rare, nocturnal seizures (Engel class II); and four (8.9%) showed meaningful improvement (Engel class III). In 15 patients (33%) in the Engel I group; it was possible to discontinue antiepileptic medication. Although there was not statistical significance, our results suggest that patients can benefit from early surgery. No deaths occurred in our study, and mild postoperative neurologic deficits were observed in two patients (4%) at the long-term follow-up. Conclusion : Surgical resection of CCMs should be considered in all patients with a supratentorial malformation and epilepsy due to the favourable surgical results in terms of the epileptic seizure control rate and low postoperative morbidity risk, despite the use of different predictors for the seizure outcome.