• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.20 no.12
• /
• pp.1225-1230
• /
• 2014

This paper investigates the group average-consensus and group formation-consensus problems for first-order multi-agent systems. The control protocol for group consensus is designed by considering the positive adjacency elements. Since each intra-group Laplacian matrix cannot be satisfied with the in-degree balance because of the positive adjacency elements between groups, we decompose the Laplacian matrix into an intra-group Laplacian matrix and an inter-group Laplacian matrix. Moreover, average matrices are used in the control protocol to analyze the stability of multi-agent systems with a fixed and undirected communication topology. Using the graph theory and the Lyapunov functional, stability analysis is performed for group average-consensus and group formation-consensus, respectively. Finally, some simulation results are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control protocol for group consensus.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.434-441
• /
• 2015

In this paper, we propose an inverse optimal distributed protocol for the formation and velocity consensus of nonholonomic mobile robots. The communication among mobile robots is described by a simple undirected graph, and the mobile robots' kinematics are considered. The group of mobile robots driven by the proposed protocols asymptotically achieves the desired formation and group velocity in an inverse optimal fashion. The design of the protocols is based on dynamic feedback linearization and the proposed linear quadratic (LQ) inverse optimal second-order consensus protocol. A numerical simulation is given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

• Information Systems Review
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.141-163
• /
• 2011

The advancement of information technologies including the Internet has affected the way of social information processing as well as brought about the paradigm shift to the information society. Accordingly, it is very important to study the process of social information processing over the digital media through which social information is generated, distributed, and led to social consensus. In this study, we analyze the mechanism of social information processing, identify a process model of social consensus and institutionalization of the results, and finally propose a set of information processing characteristics on the internet media. We deploy the ethnographic approach to analyze the meaning of group behavior in the context of society to analyze two major events which happened in Korean society. The formation process of social consensus is found to consist of 5 steps: suggestion of social issues, selective reflection on public opinion, acceptance of the issues and diffusion, social consensus, and institutionalization and feedback. The key characteristics of information processing in the Internet is grouped into proactive response to an event, the changes in the role of opinion leader, the flexibility of proposal and analysis, greater scalability, relevance to consensus making, institutionalization and interaction. This study contributes to the literature by proposing a process model of social information processing which can be used as the basis for analyzing the social consensus making process from the social network perspective. In addition, this study suggests a new perspective where the utility of the Internet media can be understood from the social information processing so that other disciplines including politics, communications, and management can improve the decision making performance in utilizing the Internet media.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.132-143
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of psychodrama group counselling, and to determine its applicability as a nursing intervention for the promotion of mental health of clients in their developmental stages. Methodological triangulation was used for research design. For quantitative study, quasi experimental study design with nonequivalent control group was used to test the effects of psychodrama group counselling. For each experimental and control group convenient samples of 15 nursing students were selected, and observed from May to Nov. 2000. For experimental group, the treatment was given for 2 hours each week, totaling 20 hours. The questionnaire consisted of 24 items of physical symptoms from CMI. 40 items of Spielberger Anxiety Scale, and 21 items of Beck Depression Scale. Reflective journal was written by the experimental group. The data were analyzed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U test. For the qualitative study, the contents of the reflective journal were analyzed into categories and classifications. The results of the study were as follows; 1. There was a significant difference on physical health status between the experimental and the control group 2. There was a significant difference between two groups on the mean scores of mental health before and after psychodrama group counselling. 3. The qualitative analysis of reflective journal resulted in 4 categories and 13 classifications, which was reflected by the experience of the psychodrama group counselling. The four categories were self introspection, psychological support, improvement of interpersonal relationship and self development. The thirteen classifications are self-discovery, discovering others, emotional catharsis, positive thinking, formation of consensus, comforting, being free, being comfortable, understanding, maturing personal relationship, acquiring self-confidence, new challenges, and planning for the future. Based on the study findings, the psychodrama group counselling had promoted not only physical but also mental health of nursing students. The characteristics identified by the study suggested the applicability of psychodrama group counselling as an effective measure of nursing intervention for clients.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.228-234
• /
• 2019

Background The management of flexor tendon injuries has evolved in recent years through industrial improvements in suture materials, refinements of repair methods, and early rehabilitation protocols. However, there is no consensus on the ideal suture material and technique. This study was conducted to compare the tensile strength, repair time, and characteristics of 4-strand cruciate, modified Kessler, and 4-strand horizontal intrafiber barbed sutures for flexor tenorrhaphy with a 12-mm suture purchase length in an animal model. Methods The right third deep flexors of 60 adult Leghorn chicken feet were isolated and repaired with a 12-mm suture purchase length. The tendons were randomly assigned to three groups of equal number (n=20 each). Groups 1 and 2 received 4-strand cruciate and modified Kessler repair with conventional suture materials, respectively. A 4-strand horizontal intrafiber barbed suture technique was used in group 3. The repaired tendons were biomechanically tested for tensile strength, 2-mm gap resistance, and mode of failure. Repair times were also recorded. Results The maximum tensile strength until failure was $44.6{\pm}4.3N$ in group 1, $35.7{\pm}5.2N$ in group 2, and $56.7{\pm}17.3N$ in group 3. The barbed sutures were superior to the other sutures in terms of the load needed for 2-mm gap formation (P<0.05). Furthermore, the barbed sutures showed the shortest repair time (P<0.05). Conclusions This study found that 4-strand horizontal intrafiber barbed suture repair with a 12-mm purchase length in a chicken flexor tendon injury model showed promising biomechanical properties and took less time to perform than other options.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.193-212
• /
• 2013

This paper aims to identify factors to elevate the effectiveness of a high school mathematics teacher's training program focused on the construction of test items, and to make a blueprint for the training program development of high school mathematics teachers. This study created and executed a teacher's training program, and then twice applied focus group interviews with the teachers who participated in the program. As a result, this study identifies four factors that elevate the effectiveness of a high school mathematics teacher's training program focused on the construction of test items: the structure of the training program that allows teachers to concentrate on constructing test items, the recognition and revision of their habits related to the construction of test items, the formation of a consensus among the participants, and self-reflection on the teachers' specialties in the construction of the test items.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.235-240
• /
• 2002

Streptomycetes is a group of Gram-positive soil bacteria that growas a branching vegetative mycelium leading to the formation of spores, and display a physiological differenti-ation related to the synthesis of many secondary metabolites including antibiotics. Their complex life cycle and multicellular differentiation require various levels of regulation and types of signal transduction systems including eukaryotic-type serine/threonine protein kinases and prokaryotic-type histidine/aspartic acid protein kinases. Akt kinase that was found in cells is a sorine/threonine kinase controlling signal pathway for multi-tude of important cellular events. The activation or inactivation of Akt kinase in the cell is one of the critical regulatory points to deliver cell proliferation, differentiation, survival or apoptosis signal. To find the regula-tory protein homologous to Akt in Streptomyces, the fluorescien-labeled synthetic peptide (FITC-TRRSR-TESIT) was designed from the consensus sequence of target proteins for Akt kinase. From the difference of the mobility between the nonphosphorylated and phosphorylated synthetic peptides on Agarose gel electro-phoresis, the Akt-phosphorylating activity was monitored. The cell-free extract prepared from Streptomyces griseus IFO 13350 and the Akt homologous protein was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and many steps of column chromatographies such as, DEAE-Sepharose, Mono Q, Resource Phenyl-Soporose and Gel permeation column chromatographies. As a result, the protein phosphorylating the fluorescien-labeled Akt substrate was identified and it's molecular weight was estimated as 39 kDa on SDS-PAGE.

• Journal of vocational education research
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.77-103
• /
• 2017

The purposes of this study are 1) to analyse the importance and performance of the success factors in steps of Formation process Of Cooperation NetWork(FoCNW) of educational institutions and businesses, and 2) to draw the success factors that need improvement. To achieve these purposes a survey research was conducted with a group of 1,098 (professors, teachers and workers in charge of cooperation at universities, technical colleges, vocational high schools and businesses which are equipped with a cooperation system), and 339 questionnaires were analyzed. The major results of the study are as follows. Firstly, while cooperation workers showed high recognition on the importance of success factors in steps of FoCNW, their performance of those factors was relatively low. Secondly, both the recognition of importance and performance of success factors in steps of FoCNW was higher in educational institutions than in businesses. Thirdly, the success factors in need of improvements from both educational institutions and businesses are 'collecting outer information and consulting' and 'publicizing cooperation competency', 'setting cooperative activities (programs) and contents of agreements', 'managing cooperation quality formally', 'drawing plans for sustainable cooperation improvement' and 'diffusing cooperation network'. The success factors in need of improvements from educational institutions are 'perceiving necessity of and forming consensus on cooperation' and 'deciding and supporting the worker in charge of cooperation', and 'participating and sharing of organization members'. The success factors in need of improvements from businesses are 'deciding goals and performance strategies', 'developing mutual understanding and checking possibility of cooperation with potential partners', and 'evaluating cooperation activities and their outcomes and providing feedback' and 'adjusting contents of agreements and deciding whether to maintain cooperation'. Therefore, efforts from each partner to improve those factors and support from related organizations are necessary.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.25-42
• /
• 2022

The purpose of this study is to present directions and programs for exchange and cooperation between libraries of South and North Korea. Specifically, it is to present the direction of exchange and cooperation programs in the library area and to present library exchange and cooperation programs that can be promoted in the [tight period], [reconciliation and cooperation period], and [South and North confederation period] through research methods of literature review, Focus Group Interviews (FGI), and expert advice. In this study, exchange and cooperation programs were divided into three projects that should be prepared by South Korean libraries, by direct exchange and cooperation between South and North Korean libraries, and by conducting with third countries or international organizations. Along with the conducting program periods, 8 major programs and 33 unit tasks were also proposed. Conclusions and suggestions suggested the need for sector-by-sector, step-by-step exchange and cooperation, establishment of systems to promote effective exchange and cooperation, establishing the formation of consensus within libraries, finding field-oriented agendas, and developing education programs of North Korea libraries for librarians.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.227-248
• /
• 1990

The study was conceived in relation to a concern over the growing gap between the needs of chronic patients and the availability of care from the current health care system in Korea. Patients with agonizing chronic pain, discomfort, despair and disability are left with helplessly unprepared families with little help from the acute care oriented health care system after discharge from hospital. There is a great need for the development of an alternative means of quality care that is economically feasible and culturally adaptible to our society. Thus, the study was designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of home heath care as an alternative to bridge the existing gap between the patients' needs and the current practice of health care. The study specifically purports to test the effects of home care on health expenditure, readmission, job retention, compliance to health care regime, general conditions, complications, and self-care knowledge and practices. The study was guided by the operations research method advocated by the Primary Health Care Operations Research Institute(PRICOR) which constitutes 3 stages of research : namely, problem analysis solution development, and solution validation. The first step in the operations research was field preparation to develop the necessary consensus and cooperation. This was done through the formation of a consulting body at the hospital and a steering committee among the researchers. For the stage of problem analysis, the Annual Report of Seoul National University Hospital and the patients records for last 5 years were reviewed and selective patient interviews were conducted to find out the magnitude of chronic health problems and areas of unmect health care needs to finally decide on the kinds of health problems to study. On the basis of problem analysis, the solution development stage was devoted to home care program development asa solution alternative. Assessment tools, teaching guidelines and care protocols were developed and tested for their validity. The final stage was the stage of experimentation and evaluation. Patients with liver diseases, hemiplegic and diabetic conditions were selected as study samples. Discharge evaluation, follow up home care, measurement and evaluation were carried out according to the protocols of care and measurement plan for each patient for the period of 6 months after discharge. The study was carried out for the period from Jan. 1987 to Dec. 1989. The following are the results of the study presented according to the hypotheses set forth for the study ; 1. Total expenditures for the period of study were not reduced for the experimental group, however, since the cost per hospital visit is about 4 times as great as the cost per home visit, the effect of cost saving by home care will become a reality as home care replaces part of the hospital visits. 2. The effect on the rate of readmission and job retention was found to be statistically nonsignificant though the number of readmission was less among the experimental group receiving home care. 3. The effect on compliance to the health care regime was found to be statistically significant at the 5% level for hepatopathic and diabetic patients. 4. Education on diet, rest and excise, and medication through home care had an effect on improved liver function test scores, prevention of complications and self - care knowledge in hepatopathic patients at a statistically significant level. 5. In hemiplegic patient, home care had an effect on increased grasping power at a significant level. However. there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the level of compliane, prevention of complications or in self-care practices. 6. In diabetic patients, there was no difference between the experimental and control groups in scores of laboratory tests, appearance of complications, and self-care knowledge or self -care practices. The above findings indicate that a home care program instituted for such short term as 6 months period could not totally demonstrate its effectiveness at a statistically significant level by quantitative analysis however, what was shown in part in this analysis, and in the continuous consultation sought by those who had been in the experimental group, is that home health care has a great potential in retarding or preventing pathological progress, facilitating rehabilitative and productive life, and improving quality of life by adding comfort, confidence and strength to patients and their families. For the further studies of this kind with chronic patients it is recommended that a sample of newly diagnosed patients be followed up for a longer period of time with more frequent observations to demonstrate a more dear- cut picture of the effectiveness of home care.