• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.133-149
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• 2003

As the world becomes a global village, national conferences become more frequent, and the language of choice to mediate the exchange of information is English. Accordingly, the purpose of this research is to find several methods to prepare L2 students for English communication at conferences. Various studies about discourse markers can be found in this study. Discourse markers are indicators of fluency in spoken language, and indicators of improvement from features of spoken English to more typical forms of formal writing. In this study the presentation styles of native speakers and Asian non-native speakers are compared, and the difference between efficient and non-efficient speakers at conferences are discussed. As a study of conference English teaching and learning method, this research targets suggestion and application of discourse markers for L2 speakers. As a result, the fact that discourse markers are very important in effective writing and conference English is found and accordingly we can see that developing the ability to use discourse markers in writing and speaking are essential for L2 speakers.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.166-175
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• 2016

Purpose: Decision-making by dental and medical experts can be influenced by their biases, interests, and experiences, and academic arguments about controversial issues may additionally be considered indirect experiences capable of affecting decision-making. This study reports on the use of interactive communication devices to evaluate preferences and flexibility in decision-making among dental care providers who attended two distinct academic conferences. Methods: Two debates were presented by a team of two lecturers at two academic conferences (focusing on periodontology and implant dentistry, respectively) and the audience members of each session were surveyed. Before each lecture, two case modules about the diagnosis and treatment of multirooted molar lesions were provided, and interactive communication devices were used to collect responses about decision-making preferences in treatment planning immediately before and after a debate about treatment strategies. Results: In total, 81 and 84 completed answers from both conferences were obtained for the first and second case modules, respectively. The preferred treatment plan differed significantly according to the focus of the conference, and a tendency emerged for the clinicians participating in each conference to express uniform preferences. However, attending the debates resulted in significant changes in decision-making preferences regardless of the conference focus or the characteristics of the participants. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that providing continuing education via debates on controversial issues may be effective in widening conceptual knowledge and reducing biases among experts in the dental and medical fields.

• Educational Technology International
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.45-68
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• 2006

Living in the Information Age, schools and teachers are expected to utilize new information technology in education to make teaching more effective. In Japan, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has been strongly implementing policies to promote information education (IE) in schools since 1988. According to a survey in 2005 (Japan MEXT, 2005), 100% of high schools in Japan at present have computers and the Internet connections. However, videoconferencing systems have only been introduced only in a small number of schools. This paper is the result of a pilot research to see the effects of using a videoconferencing system in a Japanese high school. The purpose of the research was to clarify the effects of introducing videoconferencing system in a Japanese high school and of utilizing it for conferences with other schools abroad on the studies of global issues. The target students were in the 12th Grade in the year 2006. The counterpart school was an Australian high school in Sydney and the conferences were held in English. International discussions on global warming were conducted between the Japanese and Australian students. Affective competence and cognitive competence were measured using questionnaires and worksheets given to students both before and after the videoconferences. The results showed that both cognitive and affective competences rose after each videoconference. Not only the students who actively participated in the conference but also those who were in the audience showed positive effects. In the field of international cooperation on global issues, especially, the effects were large. These results suggest that in order to teach global issues in which international effort and cooperation are needed, direct contacts with foreign students are effective in increasing student cognitive and affective competences. On the other hand, as English was the main communication tool in the conferences, Japanese students faced a certain difficulty in communication. Also, teachers, especially English teachers, were required to make great efforts to assist students in preparing for the conferences. The effectiveness of an international videoconference depends largely on students' English skills and teachers' efforts.

• Journal of Convergence Society for SMB
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.21-25
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• 2014

Group communications are becoming popular in Internet applications such as video conferences, on-line chatting programs, games, and gambling. Secure and efficient group communication is needed for message integration, confidentiality, and system usability. However, the conventional group key agreement protocols are too much focused on minimizing the computational overhead by concentrating on generating the common group key efficiently for secure communication. As a result, the common group key is generated efficiently but a failure in authentication allows adversaries to obtain valuable information during the group communication. After achieving the secure group communication, the secure group communication should generate the group key efficiently and distribute it to group members securely, so the balance of security and system usage must be considered at the same time. Therefore, this research proposes the software architecture model of a secure and efficient group communication that will be imbedded into networking applications.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.51-65
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• 2015

Case management is becoming increasingly more important in the field of social welfare. The purpose of this study was to examine the practice of case management at community child centers and to identify factors influencing their performance. In addition, this study also analysed the performance level of case management at each stage and the factors influencing the level at each stage. For the purpose of this study, data obtained from about 181 community child center workers in Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongsangnamdo were analyzed. According to the results of the analysis, in Model 1 which represents the category of socio-demographic and personal factors, three factors namely gender, experience in case management, and interpersonal skills were found to be significantly influential and they have an explanatory power of 21.5%. Under the category of organizational factors in Model 2, four factors were found to be influential: experience in case management, interpersonal skills, availability of case management guidelines, and holding case conferences. These factors account for 33% explanatory power, 11.5% higher than that of Model 1. In Model 3 which represents the third category of community network literacy, three factors namely interpersonal skills, availability of case management guidelines, and ability to utilize networks were found to influence case management at community child centers, and they have an explanatory power of 43.4%, 10.4% higher than that of Model 2. For the practice of social welfare, these findings have the implication that community child center workers need to improve their interpersonal skills by cultivating communication skills, collaborative problem-solving skills, conflict-management skills, and other relevant skills. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide specific guidelines for case management, to have regular case conferences, to establish a community network, and to reinforce cooperation and mutual support among institutions within the network.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.79-86
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• 2013

Departments of family medicine at some general hospitals find it difficult to hold regular conferences because they have a small number of faculty members. The recent technological development of videoconferencing has made it possible for these small departments to regularly participate in the conferences held by departments with a larger number of faculty members. The objective of this study was to show the level of satisfaction with and acceptance of our videoconferencing system. One presenting site and four receiving sites participated in the videoconferences, which were held every Monday for three weeks. There were no significant differences in the levels of satisfaction with the videoconferences between faculty at the presenting site and faculty at the receiving sites. In contrast, residents at the receiving sites rated most items related to satisfaction with the videoconferences lower than residents at the presenting site. There were no changes between the pre-test and post-test scores of residents both at the presenting site and at the receiving sites. Despite its limitations, the advantages of joint-videoconferencing among several departments of family medicine were comfort level, time-saving, increasing the number of participants, promoting discussion, and provoking thought.

• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.33-44
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• 2019

This paper discussed the factors that necessitated information networking, types of networks, benefits of information networking, library information networking and the University of Port 0Harcourt library network initiatives. Information networking is a process of communication, exchange of ideas, resource sharing and collaboration between individuals, organizations, institutions and libraries and it is facilitated by ICTs and the internet for improved accessibility. It has been brought about by information explosion, rapid advancement in information communication technologies, inadequate funding and increased demand for quality information. Networks can be classified into local, national, regional, and international networks and are formed to serve different categories of user communities. Benefits of information networking include resource sharing, on-line conferences and participation in programmes at distant centers, collaboration among scholars in different countries. Communication flow through the internet, social media, and electronic mail. Library information networking started with the interlibrary loan which has metamorphosed into library consortia in which groups of libraries partner to coordinate activities, share resources and combine expertise. The University of Port Harcourt Library network initiatives started with an e-granary (a CD ROM) and the establishment of a local area network. The library subscribes to more than 10 electronic databases. Information networking has greatly improved the sharing of resources in acquisition and dissemination of information resources since no single institution can acquire the overwhelming number of information resources in their various formats.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.915-934
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• 2020

Software refactoring is a process to restructure an existing software code while keeping its external behavior the same. Currently, various refactoring techniques are being used to develop more readable and less complex codes by improving the non-functional attributes of software. Refactoring can further improve code maintainability by applying various techniques to the source code, which in turn preserves the behavior of code. Refactoring facilitates bug removal and extends the capabilities of the program. In this paper, an exhaustive review is conducted regarding bad smells present in source code, applications of specific refactoring methods to remove that bad smell and its effect on software quality. A total of 68 studies belonging to 32 journals, 31 conferences, and 5 other sources that were published between the years 2001 and 2019 were shortlisted. The studies were analyzed based on of bad smells identified, refactoring techniques used, and their effects on software metrics. We found that "long method", "feature envy", and "data class" bad smells were identified or corrected in the majority of studies. "Feature envy" smell was detected in 36.66% of the total shortlisted studies. Extract class refactoring approach was used in 38.77% of the total studies, followed by the move method and extract method techniques that were used in 34.69% and 30.61% of the total studies, respectively. The effects of refactoring on complexity and coupling metrics of software were also analyzed in the majority of studies, i.e., 29 studies each. Interestingly, the majority of selected studies (41%) used large open source datasets written in Java language instead of proprietary software. At the end, this study provides future guidelines for conducting research in the field of code refactoring.

• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.51-58
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• 2022

The article emphasizes the features of the modern education system in Poland, reveals the peculiarities of improving the professional competence of a specialist in Poland through the implementation of multimedia technologies. Various forms of innovations implemented in improving the professional competence of a specialist are listed: improvement (rationalization), modernization, innovation. The forms of professional improvement through the introduction of computer technologies in general and multimedia technologies, in particular, primarily include various professional courses, qualification, preparatory, methodological conferences, seminars, postgraduate studies, foreign and state internships. At the same time, the main direction is self-education. The subject of professional improvement in the application of computer technologies by specialists is the updating of existing knowledge, exchange of professional experience, planning, as well as discussion of innovative works in which specialists participate. Professional growth of specialists can occur both during work and in higher education institutions during their studies. Modernization of computer technologies, especially multimedia ones, is a necessary condition for the functioning of specialists in modern society, since specialists are at the center of the educational process, during the improvement of professional competence. The main functions of the educational process necessary for improving the professional competence of specialists through the implementation of multimedia technologies are revealed. These functions not only contribute to the professional improvement of specialists, but also affect their solutions and optimize the maintenance of contacts between specialists. The importance of creating conditions that are consistent with the modern needs of innovative education is emphasized.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.226-234
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• 2021

Purpose: The accessibility of medical facilities for cancer patients affects both their comfort and survival. Patients in rural areas have a higher socioeconomic burden and are more vulnerable to emergency situations than urban dwellers. This study examined the feasibility and effectiveness of a cancer care model integrating a regional cancer center (RCC) and public health center (PHC). Methods: This study analyzed the construction of a safety care network for cancer patients that integrated an RCC and PHC. Two public health institutions (an RCC in Gyeongnam and a PHC in Geochang County) collaborated on the development of the community care model. The study lasted 13 months beginning in February 2019 to February 2020. Results: The RCC developed the protocol for evaluating and measuring 27 cancer-related symptoms, conducted education for PHC nurses, and administered case counseling. The staff at the PHC registered, evaluated, and routinely monitored patients through home visits. A smartphone application and regular video conferences were incorporated to facilitate mutual communication. In total, 177 patients (mean age: 70.9 years; men: 59%) were enrolled from February 2019 to February 2020. Patients' greatest unmet need was the presence of a nearby cancer treatment hospital (83%). In total, 28 (33%) and 44 (52%) participants answered that the care model was very helpful or helpful, respectively. Conclusion: We confirmed that a combined RCC-PHC program for cancer patients in rural areas is feasible and can bring satisfaction to patients as a safety care network. This program could mitigate health inequalities caused by accessibility issues.