• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.235-243
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• 2023

As next-generation sequencing has been developed and used widely, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) has rapidly emerged as the first choice of tools to validate global transcriptome profiling. With the significant advances in RNA-seq, various types of RNA-seq have evolved in conjunction with the progress in bioinformatic tools. On the other hand, it is difficult to interpret the complex data underlying the biological meaning without a general understanding of the types of RNA-seq and bioinformatic approaches. In this regard, this paper discusses the two main sections of RNA-seq. First, two major variants of RNA-seq are described and compared with the standard RNA-seq. This provides insights into which RNA-seq method is most appropriate for their research. Second, the most widely used RNA-seq data analyses are discussed: (1) exploratory data analysis and (2) pathway enrichment analysis. This paper introduces the most widely used exploratory data analysis for RNA-seq, such as principal component analysis, heatmap, and volcano plot, which can provide the overall trends in the dataset. The pathway enrichment analysis section introduces three generations of pathway enrichment analysis and how they generate enriched pathways with the RNA-seq dataset.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.65-78
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• 2023

Objective : In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of family-centered intervention conducted with caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in South Korea through a systematic literature review. Methods : Previous studies published from 2011 to 2021 were searched through RISS, KISS, and DBpia. The search terms applied included "autism spectrum" OR "general developmental disorder" OR "high-functioning autism" OR "Asperger's" AND "parent education" OR "family-centered intervention" OR "parent coaching" OR "parent training" OR "family participation." A total of 11 experimental studies were chosen based on the selection criteria. Results : According to the findings on the general characteristics of the study participants, intervention strategies, and effects of the intervention, it was observed that the majority of children with ASD who participated in the study were preschool-aged, and the majority of participating caregivers were mothers. The effects of family-centered interventions were evident in both children and parents. In children, the most significant effects were observed in interaction and communication skills. In parents, a reduction in parenting stress and an improvement in parenting efficacy were observed. The intervention strategies employed in the study varied, with sensory integration intervention, responsive communication, and interaction-centered intervention being the most commonly used, followed by developmental-centered intervention, positive behavior support (PBS), and parent-mediated intervention based on pivotal response treatment (PRT). Conclusion : The results of this study are significant in that they confirm that family-centered intervention is effective not only in improving the functioning of children with autism spectrum disorder, but also in reducing parenting stress and enhancing parenting efficacy, and provide evidence for clinical use.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2024

RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) is a technique used for providing global patterns of transcriptomes in samples. However, it can only provide the average gene expression across cells and does not address the heterogeneity within the samples. The advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology have revolutionized our understanding of heterogeneity and the dynamics of gene expression at the single-cell level. For example, scRNA-seq allows us to identify the cell types in complex tissues, which can provide information regarding the alteration of the cell population by perturbations, such as genetic modification. Since its initial introduction, scRNA-seq has rapidly become popular, leading to the development of a huge number of bioinformatic tools. However, the analysis of the big dataset generated from scRNA-seq requires a general understanding of the preprocessing of the dataset and a variety of analytical techniques. Here, we present an overview of the workflow involved in analyzing the scRNA-seq dataset. First, we describe the preprocessing of the dataset, including quality control, normalization, and dimensionality reduction. Then, we introduce the downstream analysis provided with the most commonly used computational packages. This review aims to provide a workflow guideline for new researchers interested in this field.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.53-67
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• 2024

Objective : This study aimed to identify common activities with similar participation levels between community-dwelling individuals in the United States (US) and South Korea (Study 1), and analyze the changes in activity participation patterns across the adult lifespan in South Korea (Study 2). Methods : We administered the online survey-based Activity Card Sort version 3 (ACS-3) to adults living in the US and South Korea. In Study 1, we computed the average participation level and visualized 100 activities of the ACS-3 from both the US and Korean samples. The average participation level across the four age groups in Study 2 was calculated and visualized to understand the changes in patterns of involvement across the four ACS-3 domains in a Korean sample. Results : In Study 1, data from 161 Americans and 163 Koreans were analyzed. Of the 100 activities, 48 (instrumental: 20; leisure: 13; fitness/health: 6; social: 9) demonstrated similar levels of participation between the two samples. In Study 2, data from 420 Koreans were analyzed and a tendency for decreased participation with age was found in all domains, except for the instrumental domain. Conclusion : Common daily activities may be used as a means of intervention across cultures in occupational therapy. Protective approaches and support are recommended to optimize older adults' participation in daily life.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.69-84
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• 2024

Objective : This study aimed to categorize the lifestyles of older adults into two types - healthy and unhealthy, and use machine learning to identify the personal values that influence these lifestyles. Methods : This cross-sectional study targeting middle-aged and older adults (55 years and above) living in local communities in South Korea. Data were collected from 300 participants through online surveys. Lifestyle types were dichotomized by the Yonsei Lifestyle Profile (YLP)-Active, Balanced, Connected, and Diverse (ABCD) responses using latent profile analysis. Personal value information was collected using YLP-Values (YLP-V) and analyzed using machine learning to identify the relative importance of personal values on lifestyle types. Results : The lifestyle of older adults was categorized into healthy (48.87%) and unhealthy (51.13%). These two types showed the most significant difference in social relationship characteristics. Among the machine learning models used in this study, the support vector machine showed the highest classification performance, achieving 96% accuracy and 95% area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The model indicated that individuals who prioritized a healthy diet, sought health information, and engaged in hobbies or cultural activities were more likely to have a healthy lifestyle. Conclusion : This study suggests the need to encourage the expansion of social networks among older adults. Furthermore, it highlights the necessity to comprehensively intervene in individuals' perceptions and values that primarily influence lifestyle adherence.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.54-68
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• 2024

Purpose : This study aimed to explore the clinical experiences of occupational therapists who have transitioned from adult to child occupational therapy to provide a basis for developing programs to facilitate rapid clinical adjustment for transitioning occupational therapists. Method : Telephone interviews and Colaizzi's phenomenological research method were employed. The interviewees were six occupational therapists with at least three years of clinical experience who had transitioned from hospital-based adult occupational therapy to sensory integration-focused children's occupational therapy. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed with the participants' consent. Results : The analysis of the interview transcripts yielded 3 categories, 7 themes, and 17 meanings. The three categories were the challenges facing transitioning occupational therapists in clinical practice, the strengths gained from their post-transition clinical experiences, and the facilitators needed before the transition to ensure quick clinical adjustment. Conclusion : Training and institutional arrangements must be in place to ensure that adult occupational therapists transitioning to sensory integration-focused child occupational therapy can quickly adapt clinically and professionally to their new environments.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.231-238
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• 2024

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major seafood-borne pathogen commonly detected in marine environments. In Korea, V. parahaemolyticus-induced foodborne illnesses account for 7.5% of bacterial pathogen-related food poisonings. Moreover, the amount of antimicrobial agents used in aquatic cultures is continuously increasing. In this study, we isolated V. parahaemolyticus from seafood samples and performed antimicrobial susceptibility tests using the microbroth dilution method. Furthermore, using whole-genome sequencing, we identified antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence genes, and sequence types (STs). We could isolate V. parahaemolyticus from 47 (59.5%) of the 79 seafood samples we purchased from retail markets in Seoul and Chungcheong provinces. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests revealed that 2 and all of the 47 isolates were ampicillin-resistant (4.3%) and susceptible to all tested antimicrobial agents (100%), respectively. The genotype analysis revealed that all isolates carried beta-lactam-, tetracycline-, and chloramphenicol-associated antimicrobial resistance genes. However, we could detect fosfomycin resistance only in one isolate. Concerning the virulence genes, we detected T3SS1 and T3SS2-associated genes in all and one isolate, respectively. However, we could not detect the tdh and trh genes. Of the 47 isolates, 17 belonged to 15 different STs, including ST 658 with 3 isolates. The rest 30 isolates were identified as 25 new STs. The results of this study support the need for operating a continuous monitoring system to prevent foodborne illnesses and the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes in V. parahaemolyticus.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.205-212
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• 2023

Among cardiac diseases, arrhythmias can lead to serious complications such as stroke, heart attack, and heart failure if left untreated, so continuous and accurate ECG monitoring is crucial for clinical care. However, the accurate interpretation of electrocardiogram (ECG) data is entirely dependent on medical doctors, which requires additional time and cost. Therefore, this paper proposes an arrhythmia recognition module for the purpose of developing a medical platform through the analysis of abnormal pulse waveforms based on Lifelogs. The proposed method is to convert ECG data into image format instead of time series data, apply visual pattern recognition technology, and then detect arrhythmia using CNN model. In order to validate the arrhythmia classification of the CNN model by image type conversion of ECG data proposed in this paper, the MIT-BIH arrhythmia dataset was used, and the result showed an accuracy of 97%.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.23-36
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• 2024

Objective : This study investigated the mediating effect of social networks on the relationship between social networking service (SNS) dependence and healthy lifestyle among university students. Methods : Data from 374 university students were collected via online surveys. Sociodemographic data, SNS dependence, social networks, and healthy lifestyle were assessed. Mediation analysis using bootstrapping was conducted to examine the mediating effect of social networks on the relationship between SNS dependence and healthy lifestyle. Results : A total of 374 university students participated in this study. The average age of the participants was 21.8 years (standard deviation = 2.1), and 70.3% were females. Mediation analysis revealed that SNS dependence had a direct effect on healthy lifestyle (β = -.078, standard error [SE] = .052, p = .128), which was not statistically significant. However, a statistically significant indirect effect was observed through social networks (β = -.052, SE = .020, p = .011). The total effect of SNS dependence on a healthy lifestyle was significant (β = -.130, SE = .053, p = .014). Conclusion : Social networks play a critical role in promoting a healthy lifestyle. Health professionals should prioritize interventions to address SNS dependence and leverage social networks to encourage healthier behaviors.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.94-99
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• 2024

Recently, wind power has been gaining attention as a highly efficient renewable energy source, leading to various technological developments worldwide. Typically, wind power is operated in the form of large wind farms with many wind turbines installed in areas rich in wind resources. However, in developing countries or regions isolated from the power grid, off-grid small wind power systems are emerging as an efficient solution. To efficiently operate and expand off-grid small-scale power systems, the development of real-time monitoring systems is required. For the efficient operation of small wind power systems, it is essential to develop real-time monitoring systems that can actively respond to excessive wind speeds and various environmental factors, as well as ensure the stable supply of produced power to small areas or facilities through an Energy Storage System (ESS). The implemented system monitors turbine RPM, power generation, brake operation, and more to create an optimal operating environment. The developed small wind power system can be utilized in remote road lighting, marine leisure facilities, mobile communication base stations, and other applications, contributing to the development of the RE100 industry ecosystem.