• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.12-17
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• 2023

This study investigates the effects of online English writing instruction on university students' writing performance and their anxiety. A total of 34 participants completed the pre- and post- writing tests as well as the surveys regarding perceived anxiety toward English writing. Reflection papers and interviews were employed to triangulate the results of the questionnaires. Quantitative analysis of learners' writing outcomes and surveys revealed that online writing instruction helped improve students' writing skills and reduce writing anxiety. The interviews and reflection papers demonstrated that learners found the writing instruction helpful in reducing somatic anxiety, avoidance behavior, and cognitive anxiety. The current study suggests that adopting non-face-to-face online writing instruction aids EFL students in developing their writing and alleviating writing anxiety.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.122-132
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• 2005

CVE(Collaborative Virtual Environment) is the virtually shared area where people cannot come together physically, but wish to discuss, collaborate on, or even dispute certain matters. In CVEs, in habitants are usually represented by humanoid embodiments, generally referred to as avatars. But most current graphical CVE systems fail to reflect the natural relationship between the avatar's gesture and the conversation that is taking place. More than 65% of the information exchanged during a person to person conversation is carried on the nonverbal band. Therefore, it is expected to be beneficial to provide such communication channels in CVEs in some way. To address this issue, this study proposes a scheme to represent avatar's gestures that can support the CVE users' communication. In the first level, this study classifies the non-verbal communication forms that can be applicable to avatar gesture design. In the second level, this study categorizes the body language according to the types of interaction with verbal language. And in the third level, this study examines gestures with relevant verbal expressions according to the body parts-from head to feet. One bodily gesture can be analyzed in the description of gesture representation, the meaning of gesture and the possible expressions, which can be used in gestural situation.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.34-40
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to translate the original English version of tampa scale for kinesiophobia for temporomandibular disorders (TSK-TMDs) for cultural equivalency into Korean language and to evaluate the reliability of the Korean version of the TSK-TMD among symptom free subjects. Methods: The original version of TSK-TMD was translated and cross-culturally adapted following international guidelines. A total 90 subjects (50 women, 40 men) were participated to fill out the questionnaire. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability with a one- or two-week time interval were evaluated. Results: The internal consistency of TSK-TMD of the original and the modified 12-item TSK-TMD were 0.866, and 0.858, respectively using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. And the internal consistency of activity avoidance (AA) and somatic focus (SF) subscale were 0.838 and 0.807 assessed with Cronbach's alpha indicating excellent reliability. Test-retest reliability of the original TSK-TMD measured by the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.764, and coefficients value of the 12-question TSK-TMD was 0.752. Test-retest reliability of AA subscale was 0.722 and SF subscale was 0.677 measured by ICC. Conclusions: The Korean version of the TSK-TMD questionnaire was found to be a reliable instrument and successfully translated to Korean language. There are no significant differences between overall and modified version of TSK-TMD. It can be used as a valuable instrument for the analyses of the psychosocial aspects of the TMD patients in Korea.

• Journal of English Language & Literature
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.639-666
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• 2010

Meditation on Christ's body is peculiar to late medieval female mysticism. The somatic meditation on Christ basically derives from the Incarnation, but the female mystics focused more on the Passion and the Eucharist, i.e., Christ's bleeding and feeding. Then, female body structure and the gender role of nurturing were combined to make facile her imitatio Christi, because the female body was aptly identified with Christ's body. The blood flowing in the side of Christ was often in medieval graphics and texts identified with a mother's milk for a baby to suck. Wound and food, suffering and nourishing, were inseparable in Christ's and the female mystics' body. Thus, in late medieval female mystical practice, it is important to note, first, female mystics' bodily pain was not to be cured but endured; second, that not only did a female mystic eat Christ's body, but her own body was to be "eaten" by poor neighbors, just as Christ gave his own body to be eaten by believers. As Christ's body is punctured, so does the female body have open holes, and as Christ is food, so is the female body. This female meditation on Christ's body developed the notion of "divine motherhood" to be accepted and enjoyed quite literally by the female mystics in late medieval times. Yet, in a sense, the female mystics' meditating on Christ's feminine function of nourishing can be considered as their accepting and interiorizing the socially constructed female gender role and thus lacking in subversive power. Nevertheless, this meditative practice at least functioned to redeem the female body which had typically been labelled inferior and even dirty. Through Christ's feminized body, the female mystics rehabilitated their bodily dimension, presenting it to be shared by male believers. Capitalizing on the gender stereotype of womanhood itself, they converted female weakness to power.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.3-17
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• 2017

Background: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a common and painful complication of acute herpes zoster. In some cases, it is refractory to medical treatment. Preventing its occurrence is an important issue. We hypothesized that applying nerve blocks during the acute phase of herpes zoster could reduce PHN incidence by attenuating central sensitization and minimizing nerve damage and the anti-inflammatory effects of local anesthetics and steroids. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of using nerve blocks to prevent PHN. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov and KoreaMed databases without language restrictions on April, 30 2014. We included all randomized controlled trials performed within 3 weeks after the onset of herpes zoster in order to compare nerve blocks vs active placebo and standard therapy. Results: Nine trials were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Nerve blocks reduced the duration of herpes zoster-related pain and PHN incidence of at 3, 6, and 12 months after final intervention. Stellate ganglion block and single epidural injection did not achieve positive outcomes, but administering paravertebral blockage and continuous/repeated epidural blocks reduced PHN incidence at 3 months. None of the included trials reported clinically meaningful serious adverse events. Conclusions: Applying nerve blocks during the acute phase of the herpes zoster shortens the duration of zoster-related pain, and somatic blocks (including paravertebral and repeated/continuous epidural blocks) are recommended to prevent PHN. In future studies, consensus-based PHN definitions, clinical cutoff points that define successful treatment outcomes and standardized outcome-assessment tools will be needed.