• Information Systems Review
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.173-198
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• 2016

Financial distress can damage stakeholders and even lead to significant social costs. Thus, financial distress prediction is an important issue in macroeconomics. However, most existing studies on building a financial distress prediction model have only considered idiosyncratic risk factors without considering systematic risk factors. In this study, we propose a prediction model that considers both the idiosyncratic risk based on a financial ratio and the systematic risk based on a business cycle. Ultimately, we build several IT artifacts associated with financial ratio and add them to the idiosyncratic risk factors as well as address the imbalanced data problem by using an oversampling technique and synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) to ensure good performance. When considering systematic risk, our study ensures that each data set consists of both financially distressed companies and financially sound companies in each business cycle phase. We conducted several experiments that change the initial imbalanced sample ratio between the two company groups into a 1:1 sample ratio using SMOTE and compared the prediction results from the individual data set. We also predicted data sets from the subsequent business cycle phase as a test set through a built prediction model that used business contraction phase data sets, and then we compared previous prediction performance and subsequent prediction performance. Thus, our findings can provide insights into making rational decisions for stakeholders that are experiencing an economic crisis.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.29-51
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• 2010

The diversity of Southeast Asia can be also represented at the tremendous number of ethnic groups residing throughout its various regions even beyond national boundaries. What does it mean by the composite of numerous peoples? It has triggered a lot of problems in a nation or overall Southeast Asia. Among them, the most serious one seems to be ethnic conflicts having damaged national integration and caused political, economical, and social instability. In that respect, Karen people have been a minority group situated in the most chronic dispute in Myanmar. Since 1947 some of the Karen equipped with armed forces have been fighting against the military government currently ruling Myanmar. As the result, the refugees over 200,000 population had moved to the mountain camps located at neighboring Thailand, attracting a lot of attention throughout international societies. According to 1931 census by British colonial government, the Karen have the greatest numbers in population as minority and include 16 subgroups including Karenni(Kayah) and Pa-O seemingly excluded from its category in contemporary point of view. It means that Karen people should not be regarded as an ethnic group, and in fact do not show a homogeneous identity under the title of Karen. Given the situation, we need to reconsider the category of Karen. What does the Karen mean in a real sense? Previous studies on the Karen had been performed mainly by anthropologists or missionaries such as Marshall(1922), Hamilton (1976), Hanson Tadaw(1959), Smeaton(1920), Keyes(1979), Hayami (1992; 2004), etc. Most of them examined the Karen as a group and ignored the possibilities of representing the divergent identities vis-à-vis their subgroups. Therefore, they have focused on the myth to convert Karen people to Christianity, although the Christian Karens are less than 20% of total population. As a result, I argue that they would fail to define the real meaning of Karen. It has been caused us to recognize the Karen as a meaningless total entity to be accepted by all means. According to their arguments, the difference among Karen's subgroups is just dealt with the trivial matters that do not affect the ethnic boundary itself, still maintaining the ethnic identity as Karen. As we shall see on this thesis, this is never the case. My thesis aims at uncovering and scrutinizing the real meaning of the category of Karen. For the purpose of it, I will consider Karen people as a linguistic group from the beginning as shown in 1931 census. I argue that the Karen have been affected or exposed by various conditions or environments throughout the harsh history having happened on the areas of current Myanmar and Thailand, leading the vicissitudes of their ethnic identities.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.21
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• pp.9453-9458
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States. Differences in survival of breast cancer have been noted among racial and ethnic groups, but the reasons for these disparities remain unclear. This study presents the characteristics and the survival curve of two racial and ethnic groups and evaluates the effects of race on survival times by measuring the lifetime data-based half-normal model. Materials and Methods: The distributions among racial and ethnic groups are compared using female breast cancer patients from nine states in the country all taken from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry. The main end points observed are: age at diagnosis, survival time in months, and marital status. The right skewed half-normal statistical probability model is used to show the differences in the survival times between black Hispanic (BH) and black non-Hispanic (BNH) female breast cancer patients. The Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard ratio are used to estimate and compare the relative risk of death in two minority groups, BH and BNH. Results: A probability random sample method was used to select representative samples from BNH and BH female breast cancer patients, who were diagnosed during the years of 1973-2009 in the United States. The sample contained 1,000 BNH and 298 BH female breast cancer patients. The median age at diagnosis was 57.75 years among BNH and 54.11 years among BH. The results of the half-normal model showed that the survival times formed positive skewed models with higher variability in BNH compared with BH. The Kaplan-Meir estimate was used to plot the survival curves for cancer patients; this test was positively skewed. The Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard ratio for survival analysis showed that BNH had a significantly longer survival time as compared to BH which is consistent with the results of the half-normal model. Conclusions: The findings with the proposed model strategy will assist in the healthcare field to measure future outcomes for BH and BNH, given their past history and conditions. These findings may provide an enhanced and improved outlook for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer patients in the United States.

• Journal of Ethics
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• no.77
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• pp.73-112
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• 2010

This study aims to explore the character and problem of multicultural society in Korea in terms of the concept of moral panics. Its major issues are dealt with as follows: Firstly, this essay will apply two concepts of culture in multiculturalism - the pattern of meaning and a study of perfection- to three degrees of multicultural members: by individual, by groups and by a society as a whole. In this approach, moral panics of multicultural society in Korea have been manipulated by the secondary definitions like Korean government and media. In this study, however, the resource of the panics would be seen as nationalism in Korean history. To remove it in this essay, the conception of the pattern of meaning, which makes members understand others outer their norms, should be harmonized with that of a study of perfection by which they have identities. Secondly, the main subject of multiculturalism in Korea should at least be majority (groups)-Korean, not minority (groups)-foreigners. A stereotype of foreigners by majority is an image distorted by nationalities and races. People, for example, with the white skin from advanced countries are recognized as superior, while those born in the countries of Southeast Asia are, consciously or unconsciously, discriminated and have low positions due to socio-economic stratification in Korea. In this sense, a study of multicultural society in Korea should go forward to the inner direction to majority, because it is one of the real moral panics in Korea. In conclusion, it is important that there must be a study of identity which we can have of others in multicultural studies of Korea. It enables us to meet the conception of diversity. In that Korean government and media have neglected the danger of nationalism, it is also necessary that this study have any foundation of morality in ethics, which can give useful alternatives to the given polices of the secondary definitions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.113-125
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• 2010

This study is purpose to trace a genealogy of Rainbow stripe in 30 ethnic costumes in East Asia. And with through comparative views between Korean and the other minority that is shown a bilateral relation of rainbow stripe in their costume, we make sure the unique character of rainbow stripe in Korean traditional costume. The stripe in the costumes was generally used on sleeves with 3~6 patches. There were 10 types of methods for making the stripe including sewing. Weaving and sewing with trimming was also frequently used either and the stripe by weaving with multicolored yarns were mostly found in the southern region of china. Black, blue and red were frequently used in the costume as a main color that was contrasted with rainbow stripe and especially, black was mostly used. Korean preferred bright colors as a main color. Contents of the genealogy of the multicolored stripe in ethnic costume in East Asia are followed. The 28 ethnic groups who used the stripe in their dress except Korean, the Mans, Mongo people and Tibetan were located in the southern region of East Asia. And the other ethnic groups distributed in the northwest and northeast region of East Asia. The distribution of the rainbow stripe in the costume could be grouped into two sections: the southern region people and Korean-the Mongol people-the Tus- the Zangs group. And the latter group was shown strong relation with the culture of Korean's rainbow stripe costume. 11 ethnic peoples including Korean, the Vis, the Miaos, the Tus, the Mongol people, the Chaoxians, the Zangs, the Lahus, the Jinuos, the Hanis, the Luobas and the Dulongs, were saliently used the stripe in their costume. The stripe in Japanese costume was judged that was not a kind of the rainbow stripe was shown the other ethnic groups, was a color arrangement by layered dress or geometrical pattern. From above, we could recap a particular characteristic of the rainbow stripe in Korean traditional costume. Many colors were used in the stripe and bodies than the other ethnic people and the color was bright. In many cases, a color of patch at the point of armhole was red and Black color was not used in the stripe. The width of patch was a relatively narrow and regular. It has shown that the rainbow stripe in Korean traditional costume was organized independently.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.75-85
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• 2007

Objectives: The aim of this study was to find out the attitude of Korean women towards IVF surrogacy which is not yet regulated by the law. Methods: We evaluated with a questionnaire, in how far IVF surrogacy was accepted in different groups of Korean women. Total 300 questionnaires were sent out to women who visited our infertility clinic, and to the nurses and office workers of our hospital. Among them, 246 questionnaires were returned, and 211 of them (85.7%) were complete and analyzed. The responders were 58 unmarried women and 153 married women including 60 infertile patients. Results: Only 17 (8.1%) women believed that IVF surrogacy was an acceptable treatment for infertile women without uterus (eg. MRKH or hysterectomized patients), and 125 (59.2%) women chose the adoption. There were no significant differences in response amongst different age group, marital status, or in relation to income level or educational level, or infertility status. A significantly higher level of acceptance was noted only in religious groups, especially in Christians. Most of responders (66.5%) chose unrelated and unknown women as a desirable host, and 28.4% of responders chose the sister or sister-in-law. Conclusions: Overall the different groups were critical towards IVF Surrogacy in Korea, irrespective of the infertile patient group. Despite the established clinical ability to have her own genetic child in women without uterus, this survey reveals that only minority supports the IVF surrogacy. So we need the survey with large, randomized population and then make a regulation about the IVF surrogacy in law.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.181-211
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• 2009

Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing minority groups in the United States. One of the stereotypes associated with Asians is that they are more likely to choose careers in science, medicine, and engineering rather than social science, inclusive of social work, mass communication, or humanities (Leong & Serafica, 1995; Tang et al., 1999). This occupational stereotyping of Asians is not just a myth in that only a few Asians choose social work as a career (Lennon, 2005; NASW, 2006). Few studies exist on Asian Americans who do not choose Asian stereotypical career choices, such as social work. Acknowledging this lack of research, the present study was developed to explore the relationships between factors that may influence Asian Americans who choose social work as their career. Based on Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994), it was hypothesized that acculturation and family immigration status influenced parental involvement, disapproval by significant others as a perceived career barrier among Asian American social workers. A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. The sample was derived from the members'database of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). A total of 900 were randomly chosen among 1,802 of Asian American social workers in the NASW database, and 370 Asian American social workers participated in this study with 41 percent of a return rate. Quantitative data were collected through standardized measurements: Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (Suinn, Rickard-Figueroa, Lew, & Vigil, 1987); Career Barriers Inventory Revised (Swanson, et al., 1996); and eight items from Tang et al.'s (1999) Asian American Career Development Questionnaire. The data were collected through a combined method of an online survey with option of a paper mail-return questionnaire. Results of the study found significant group differences among family immigration status groups on parental involvement, and perceived likelihood and hindrance of disapproval by significant others. The group of the 2nd generation reported the highest scores of parental involvement among the family immigration status groups. Also, Asian American social workers who represented the 3rd and higher generation of immigration reported lowest perceived likelihood and hindrance scores of disapproval by significant others. However, there was no significant multivariate effect of acculturation on parental involvement, and perceived likelihood and hindrance of disapproval by significant others. Implications and limitations of this study, as well as suggestions for future research, are discussed.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.902-915
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• 2007

This study examines decorative features found in the traditional costume of the Miao, one of the minority groups in China, and adapts them for the development of modern Korean-style fashion designs in order to present visual sample data and to introduce techniques. As for the research method, both literature and visual data are examined: the former includes Miao-related books and theses; the latter, pictures from various documents and real-life data in the possession of Seoul Women's University. The study result is as follows: 1. The basic structure of Miao costume is consist of a Caftan-type upper garment and an accentuated lower garment, pleats skirt although they are decorated luxuriously with various techniques such as delicate embroidery and dyeing. 2. Details and trimmings in modern shapes are developed and presented by adding modern materials to satin, twists, cross-stitch embroidery, stripe patterns, geometrical patchwork, machine pleats and smoking, trimmings of fringe & feather, and the border line decoration of coloration, braids, piping, embroidery, belts tied and wound with colorful threads. 3. Detachable accessaries such as front reinforcement strips, back reinforcement strips, belts, decorative aprons and patchwork skirts are developed and designed by adapting highlighted layered effects. 4. The silver decoration used as an necessary by the Miao is suitable for modern fashion design in futuristic sense. Various techniques and decorative features of Miao costume display their true value all the more in modern fashion stream in which ethnic trends draw much attention.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.53-66
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was considered in order to identify the factors affecting healthcare utilization by Asian immigrants in the United States. Methods: From February to April 2011, a descriptive survey study was conducted in a convenience sample of 250 Korean and Asian Indian immigrants aged between 40 and 64 in the Triangle area of North Carolina. An author-developed instrument was used to assess predisposing, enabling, and need factors according to Anderson's Behavioral Model of Health Services. Utilization Data analysis was performed by $X^2$-test, t-test, and binary logistic regression. Results: Participants' healthcare services experiences were significantly different when they had a longer stay in the U.S., had been employed, had higher income, were Asian Indians, had better English-speaking skills, better health status, more knowledge of health system and health insurance, had higher satisfaction with the healthcare system, and when they were taking prescribed medications and having health insurance. The strongest association with experience of healthcare services was having health insurance with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 15.37 (95% CI 4.95-47.71, p<.001) and self-reported English proficiency (OR=1.99, 95% CI 1.00-3.96, p=.05). Conclusion: Intervention strategies to increase accessibility to healthcare services should focus on these significant predictors.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.346-357
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• 2020

During the follow-up period after surgery for spinal dysraphism, a certain portion of patients show neurological deterioration and its secondary phenomena, such as motor, sensory or sphincter changes, foot and spinal deformities, pain, and spasticity. These clinical manifestations are caused by tethering effects on the neural structures at the site of previous operation. The widespread recognition of retethering drew the attention of medical professionals of various specialties because of its incidence, which is not low when surveillance is adequate, and its progressive nature. This article reviews the literature on the incidence and timing of deterioration, predisposing factors for retethering, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, surgical treatment and its complications, clinical outcomes, prognostic factors after retethering surgery and preventive measures of retethering. Current practice and opinions of Seoul National University Children's Hospital team were added in some parts. The literature shows a wide range of data regarding the incidence, rate and degree of surgical complications and long-term outcomes. The method of prevention is still one of the main topics of this entity. Although alternatives such as spinal column shortening were introduced, re-untethering by conventional surgical methods remains the current main management tool. Re-untethering surgery is a much more difficult task than primary untethering surgery. Updated publications include strong skepticism on re-untethering surgery in a certain group of patients, though it is from a minority of research groups. For all of the abovementioned reasons, new information and ideas on the early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of retethering are critically necessary in this era.