• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.76-86
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• 2019

Objective: This study was performed to explore the possibility that each oocyte and its surrounding cumulus cells might have different genetic expression patterns that could affect human reproduction. Methods: Differential gene expression analysis was performed for 10 clusters of cumulus cells obtained from 10 cumulus-oocyte complexes from 10 patients. Same procedures related to oocyte maturation, microinjection, and microarray analyses were performed for each group of cumulus cells. Two differential gene expression analyses were performed: one for the outcome of clinical pregnancy and one for the outcome of live birth. Results: Significant genes resulting from these analyses were selected and the top 20 affected pathways in each group were analyzed. Circadian entrainment is determined to be the most affected pathway for clinical pregnancy, and proteoglycans in cancer pathway is the most affected pathway for live birth. Circadian entrainment is also amongst the 12 pathways that are found to be in top 20 affected pathways for both outcomes, and has both lowest p-value and highest number of times found count. Conclusion: Although further confirmatory studies are necessary, findings of this study suggest that these pathways, especially circadian entrainment in cumulus cells, may be essential for embryo development and pregnancy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2019.05a
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• pp.133-136
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• 2019

Recently, many industrial devices are facing protocol compatibility problems with external monitoring and control systems. This paper designed an industrial communication gateway that can support the transformation of industrial communication protocol using multi-layered communication module. Industrial communication gateways have a structure that connects individual communication modules using rs485 serial communication to multiple layers. Each communication module consisted of analog data card, a digital data card LAN, and a CAN-enabled card. The main board processor used Atmega micro-processor, and the rs485 serial slot was placed to have a multi-layer communication module structure. These additive layer type communication modules support analog and digital I/O functions and LAN and CAN for wide use in industrial communication control and monitoring.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.353-381
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• 2019

The general world model for homogeneous and isotropic universe has been proposed. For this purpose, we introduce a global and fiducial system of reference (world reference frame) constructed on a (4+1)-dimensional space-time, and assume that the universe is spatially a 3-dimensional hypersurface embedded in the 4-dimensional space. The simultaneity for the entire universe has been specified by the global time coordinate. We define the line element as the separation between two neighboring events on the expanding universe that are distinct in space and time, as viewed in the world reference frame. The information that determines the kinematics of the geometry of the universe such as size and expansion rate has been included in the new metric. The Einstein's field equations with the new metric imply that closed, flat, and open universes are filled with positive, zero, and negative energy, respectively. The curvature of the universe is determined by the sign of mean energy density. We have demonstrated that the flat universe is empty and stationary, equivalent to the Minkowski space-time, and that the universe with positive energy density is always spatially closed and finite. In the closed universe, the proper time of a comoving observer does not elapse uniformly as judged in the world reference frame, in which both cosmic expansion and time-varying light speeds cannot exceed the limiting speed of the special relativity. We have also reconstructed cosmic evolution histories of the closed world models that are consistent with recent astronomical observations, and derived useful formulas such as energy-momentum relation of particles, redshift, total energy in the universe, cosmic distance and time scales, and so forth. The notable feature of the spatially closed universe is that the universe started from a non-singular point in the sense that physical quantities have finite values at the initial time as judged in the world reference frame. It has also been shown that the inflation with positive acceleration at the earliest epoch is improbable.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.222-229
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Aging is an imperative problem for many countries in this century, and presents several challenges for the maintenance of good nutritional status. This study aims to assess the impact of socio-demographic factors, lifestyle and health status on the nutritional status among the elderly in Taiwan. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Taiwan. Data were obtained from the Mei Jau Health Management Institution, which is a private health evaluation provider with multiple health screening centers in Taiwan and Asia. This study included 7947 adults aged 65 years or above. The data were extracted between 2001 to 2010. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric data, biochemical data and dietary intake information. RESULTS: Among the 7947 participants with mean age of 70.1 (SD = 4.5) years, 20.2%, 6.6%, 10.5% and 52.5% experienced underweight, protein malnutrition, anemia and inadequate dietary intake in the past month, respectively. Age was negatively correlated with body weight (r = -0.19, P = 0.02), body mass index (r = -0.41, P < 0.001), albumin level (r = -0.93, P < 0.001) and hemoglobin level (r = -0.30, P = 0.008). Age above 70 years, gender, unmarried status, retirement, lack of education, low family income, smoking, alcohol drinking, sleep duration of 6-8 hours, vegetarian diet, multiple medications, comorbidity and dysphagia were positively associated with malnutrition in older adults. CONCLUSIONS: Underweight and inadequate dietary intake are prevalent among the elderly in Taiwan. Vegetarian diet, multiple medications, comorbidity, dysphagia and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol drinking and sleep duration of 6-8 hours are risk factors for undernutrition in older adults.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.213-221
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• 2019

The present study aims to investigate the effects of mobile phone use on aviation students' English language learning. Considering that affective factors have impacts on English language learning, this study focuses on confidence, motivation, and anxiety in English learning. For the current study, 46 college students were recruited. The participants were divided into one experimental group (n = 24) and one control group (n = 22) at random. During 16 weeks, the experimental group joined in chat via mobile phone while the control group did not. To understand the participants' experience of mobile phone use and to compare the attitudes towards English language learning, a survey was performed. Major findings are as follows: The experimental group showed more positive attitudes towards English learning than the control group did. Specifically, the participants who engaged in chat via mobile phone became more confident and motivated to learn English but less anxious about English learning. These results provide insights into the engagement in chat via mobile phone for aviation students' English learning. This study also suggests ways how CTL at universities can support their students' English language learning using mobile phones.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.196-205
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• 2019

Ni-rich layered oxides $Li(Ni_xCo_yMn_z)O_2$ (x + y + z = 1) have been extensively studied in recent times owing to their high capacity and low cost and can possibly replace $LiCoO_2$ in the near future. However, these layered oxides suffer from problems related to the capacity fading, thermal stability, and safety at high voltages. In this study, we use surface coating as a strategy to improve the thermal stability at higher voltages. The uniform and conformal $Al_2O_3$ coating on prefabricated electrodes using atomic layer deposition significantly prevented surface degradation over prolonged cycling. Initial capacity of 190, 199, 188 and $166mAh\;g^{-1}$ is obtained for pristine, 2, 5 and 10 cycles of ALD coated samples at 0.2C and maintains 145, 158, 151 and $130mAh\;g^{-1}$ for high current rate of 2C in room temperature. The two-cycle $Al_2O_3$ modified cathode retained 75% of its capacity after 500 cycles at 5C with 0.05% capacity decay per cycle, compared with 46.5% retention for a pristine electrode, at an elevated temperature. Despite the insulating nature of the $Al_2O_3$ coating, a thin layer is sufficient to improve the capacity retention at a high temperature. The $Al_2O_3$ coating can prevent the detrimental surface reactions at a high temperature. Thus, the morphology of the active material is well-maintained even after extensive cycling, whereas the bare electrode undergoes severe degradation.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.75-82
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• 2019

In the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution when ICT and convergence are emphasized, companies want talented people with a wide range of complex problem solving competencies, system competencies as well as major knowledge. This study examined the difference in perceived competency needed for future accounting officers using 166 valid questionaries prepared with 4 factors based on previous researches. The result shows that the workers, who majored in accounting and have more than 5 years of company experience, and the CEOs think the social competence is the most important while the accounting professors think the major competence is the most important qualification. These results indicate that, in order to reflect the industrial needs, the colleges should change their accounting major curriculums to provide various competences such as the social competence in addition to the basic major competence.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.489-500
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• 2019

The purpose of the study was to explore the smoking and non-smoking experiences of male adolescents in high school. Data were collected through focus group interviews with 16 participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Six themes emerged as a result of the analysis. "Imitating adults with curiosity" delineates first smoking experiences of participants. "Repulsion of cigarettes after first smoking" describes changes in participants' attitude toward smoking after first experience and "Resumed smoking" illustrates re-smoking process to be a peer group and test the taste of cigarettes. "Environmental risks of adolescents smoking" depicts adolescents easily exposed to cigarettes. "Conflicts between smoking and quitting smoking" describes repeated tries to quit smoking and re-smoking processes. Lastly "Reasons of non-smoking for non-smoking adolescents" illustrates the reasons for their non-smoking. Smoking and non-smoking experiences of male high school students' are different from those of female students and adults. Based on the results of the study, programs for preventing smoking and non-smoking education should be designed and executed for male adolescents to improve their health.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.365-373
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting the quality of life of elderly who live alone according to gender. The participants in this study were 959 elderly living alone from a total of 22,948 individuals studied in the 2013-2015 Korean national health and nutrition examination survey. IBM SPSS 23.0 was used to analyze the data. There were significant differences between the two groups in age, level of education, and amount of calorie intake. Economic status, presence of arthritis, presence of restrict activity, subjective health status had an influence on quality of life in men with an explanatory power of 50.5% (p < .001). Presence of back pain, subjective health status, suicidal ideation had an influence on quality of life in women with an explanatory power of 41.4% (p < .001). Therefore, in order to improve the quality of life of elderly living alone, it is necessary to provide appropriate intervention depending on gender.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.167-178
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• 2019

This research examined how the experience factors and environmental factors of experience store impact the perceived value of the brand and whether the perceived value enhance revisit intention. We collected 258 survey responses and formed structural equation modeling. The results indicated that education experience and esthetics experience had positive impacts on emotional value, while entertainment experience had a positive impact on functional value. Among environment factors, lighting, employee service and layout of the store had positive impacts on functional value, while lighting and employee service had positive impacts on emotional value. Both of the functional value and emotional value enhanced the revisit intention of customers. The results of this study are expected to provide useful information about consumers to the companies managing offline experience stores.