Purpose The debate about the end-of-life care decision is becoming a serious ethical and legal concern in the Far-Eastern countries of Korea, China and Japan. However, the issues regarding end-of-life care will reflect the cultural background, current medical practices and socioeconomic conditions of the countries, which are different from Western countries and between each other. Understanding the genuine thoughts of patients who are critically ill is the first step in confronting the issues, and a comparative descriptive study of these perspectives (...) was conducted by collaboration between researchers in all three countries. Methods Surveys using self-reporting paper questionnaire forms were conducted from December 2008 to April 2009 in Korea (six hospitals in two regions), China (five hospitals in four regions) and Japan (nine hospitals in one region). The subjects were patients who were critically ill who had been diagnosed as having cancer. A total of 235 participants (Korea, 91; China, 62; Japan, 52) were eventually recruited and statistically analysed. Results Most respondents had sometimes or often thought of their own death, mostly fear of ‘separation from loved ones’. They wanted to hear the news regarding their own condition directly and frankly from the physician. A quarter of them preferred making end-of-life care decisions by themselves, while many respondents favoured a ‘joint decision’ with their family members. The most favoured proxy decision maker was the spouse, followed by the children. Most admitted the necessity of ‘advance directives’ and agreed with artificial ventilation withdrawal in irreversible conditions. The most common reason was ‘artificial prolongation of life is unnecessary’. Most respondents agreed with the concept of active euthanasia; however, significant differences were sometimes observed in the responses according to variables such as patient's country of origin, age, gender and education level. Conclusion Patients in Far-Eastern countries gave various responses regarding end-of-life care decisions. Although familial input is still influential, most patients think of themselves as the major decision maker and accept the necessity of advance directives with Westernization of the society. Artificial ventilation withdrawal and even active euthanasia may be acceptable to them. (shrink)

Using the 2000-2010 South Korean historical medical dramas Heo Jun, Dae Jang Geum, and Jejoongwon as case studies, this article examines televisual reimaginations of Korean medical modernity as interpretative popular culture texts. Particularly in the areas of the anatomical sciences and surgery, modern medicine’s emancipatory potentials in these productions are set semi-fictitiously in pre-modern Joseon historical contexts. Dramaturgically challenging entrenched social hierarchies and ossified cultural taboos of Institutionalized Confucianism, these dramas’ progressive physician-protagonists emphasize the universality and impartiality of medical knowledge (...) in what is herein termed as Generative Confucianism. (shrink)

Using the 2000-2010 South Korean historical medical dramas Heo Jun, Dae Jang Geum, and Jejoongwon as case studies, this article examines televisual reimaginations of Korean medical modernity as interpretative popular culture texts. Particularly in the areas of the anatomical sciences and surgery, modern medicine’s emancipatory potentials in these productions are set semi-fictitiously in pre-modern Joseon historical contexts. Dramaturgically challenging entrenched social hierarchies and ossified cultural taboos of Institutionalized Confucianism, these dramas’ progressive physician-protagonists emphasize the universality and impartiality of medical knowledge (...) in what is herein termed as Generative Confucianism. (shrink)

Using the 2000-2010 South Korean historical medical dramas Heo Jun, Dae Jang Geum, and Jejoongwon as case studies, this article examines televisual reimaginations of Korean medical modernity as interpretative popular culture texts. Particularly in the areas of the anatomical sciences and surgery, modern medicine’s emancipatory potentials in these productions are set semi-fictitiously in pre-modern Joseon historical contexts. Dramaturgically challenging entrenched social hierarchies and ossified cultural taboos of Institutionalized Confucianism, these dramas’ progressive physician-protagonists emphasize the universality and impartiality of medical knowledge (...) in what is herein termed as Generative Confucianism. (shrink)

Forecasting blood glucose values for patients can help prevent hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia events in advance. To this end, this study proposes an intelligent ensemble deep learning system to predict BG values in 15, 30, and 60 min prediction horizons based on historical BG values collected via continuous glucose monitoring devices as an endogenous factor and carbohydrate intake and insulin administration information as exogenous factors. Although there are numerous deep learning algorithms available, this study applied five algorithms, namely, recurrent neural network, (...) which is optimized for sequence data, and RNN-based algorithms, stacked LSTM, bidirectional LSTM, and gated recurrent unit). Then, a genetic algorithm was applied to the five prediction models to optimize their weights through ensemble techniques and to yield the final predicted BG values. The performance of the proposed model was compared to that of the autoregressive integrated moving average model as a baseline. The results show that the proposed model significantly outperforms the baseline in terms of the root mean square error and continuous glucose error grid analysis. For the valid 29 diabetic patients for the multivariate models, the RMSE was 11.08, 19.25, and 31.30 mg/DL for 15, 30, and 60 min PH, respectively. When the same data were applied to univariate models, the RMSE was 11.28, 19.99, and 33.13 mg/DL for 15, 30, and 60 min PH, respectively. Both the univariate and multivariate models showed a statistically significant difference compared with the baseline at a 5% statistical significance level. Instead of using a model with a single algorithm, applying a GA based on each output of a model with multiple algorithms was found to play a significant role in improving model performance. (shrink)

Gemass ihrer grundlegenden Bedeutung wurde die Ousia- und Eidoslehre des Aristoteles uber viele Forschergenerationen hinweg intensiv diskutiert und steht immer noch im Mittelpunkt der Aristoteles-Forschung. Die Lehre bleibt jedoch nur einseitig interpretiert und verstanden. Ihre bisherige Interpretation hat sich allzu sehr auf die sogenannten Substanzbucher der Metaphysik beschrankt, ohne dabei den der Lehre wesentlichen biologischen Aspekten gebuhrende Beachtung zu schenken. Der Autor schliesst diese Forschungslucke. So wird im ersten Teil des Werkes Metaphysik Z, der Haupttext der Ousialehre, sorgfaltig kommentiert, und (...) im anschliessenden zweiten Teil werden unter Bezugnahme auf die im vorhergehenden Teil erorterte Problematik drei wichtigste biologische Schriften des Aristoteles besprochen. Dadurch wird ein wesentlicher Zusammenhang zwischen der Ousia- und Eidoslehre in der Metaphysik und der Biologie hergestellt. (shrink)

This paper is a short report about a series of picture books and manuals designed for P4C (especially Philosophy for Korean Young Children). There were not proper educational reading materials or books to help Korean young children to think by (or for) themselves and dialogue with. Dr. Sharp’s is a very helpful guidebook for young children to think by themselves, dialogue with friends, and discuss with others (peers, older or younger children, teacher and parents, etc.). However, there remain some needs (...) for consideration of Korean culture. I developed new eight picture books for young children and short manuals for parents and teachers to do ‘thinking experiments’ with children. The stories were created in the contexts of Korean young children’s daily lives and typical episodes. The community of inquiry, which Korean young children participate in, needs to consider general and special aspects, such as the relationship between peers, children-parents, and children-teachers, Confucius or new western customs, new and old generations, moral and cultural atmosphere of Korean kindergartens or childcare centers, etc. Various episodes and scenes in the picture books will revoke and encourage Korean children’s deeper or higher thinking, interesting and creative dialogues, vivid and harmonious discussions based on their own experiences and contexts of life in the community of inquiry. (shrink)

이 글은 의학교육에 전공 연계 글쓰기(WAC)를 적용할 수 있는 가능한 모형을 제시하고자 한다. 이것을 보이기 위해 먼저 의학교육에 WAC을 적용하고자 할 때 글쓰기와 연계할 수 있는 의학교육의 내용이 의료윤리와 전문직업성 교육이 될 수 있음을 보일 것이다. 다음으로 우리나라 의과대학이 가진 제약조건 아래서 의학교육에 적용할 수 있는 두 가지 유형의 WAC 모형을 재안하고, 그것의 교육 내용과 구성을 보이고자 한다. 첫째, ‘과제 연계형 글쓰기 집중’ 모형은 우리나라의 많은 대학에서 이미 적용하여 시행하고 있는 과제 연계형 글쓰기 교육과 글쓰기 집중(WI)을 융합한 형태의 글쓰기 교육이다. (...) 이것은 학술적 글쓰기의 〈요약-논평-에세이 쓰기〉의 일반적인 교육 절차를 따르고 있지만, 의료윤리, 의료법, 의료사회학 등의 의학 관련 주제에 초점을 맞추어 〈에세이 쓰기〉 과정을 강조한다. 둘째 ‘문제해결형 글쓰기’ 모형은 논리와 비판적 사고에 기초하여 의학과 의료에서 딜레마 상황 또는 두 입장이 충돌하는 사례를 분석하고 평가하는 글쓰기 교육이다. 이 모형은 ‘사고실험’과 ‘사례 보고서’로 구분할 수 있다. 전자는 철학과 윤리학에서 전통적으로 사용하고 있는 생각하는 기법이고, 후자는 의학의 임상 사례 분석과 유사한 형태의 분석과 평가의 기법을 가지고 있다. 마지막으로, 두 유형의 글쓰기 교육이 가진 장점과 한계를 제시하고 의학교육에 글쓰기 교육을 연계하기 위해 요구되는 사항들을 제시한다. (shrink)

The current study examined the validity of HEXACO personality traits (at the broad trait-level and narrow facet-level) and Self-Control as predictors of counterproductive academic behavior (CAB; at the overall level and specific dimensional level) among college students. We collected data from 483 undergraduate students in South Korea who completed self-report measures of HEXACO personality traits, Self-Control, CAB. Results showed that Conscientiousness (_r_ = −.23) and Honesty-Humility (_r_ = −.25) were significantly correlated with CAB and that Self-Control provided incremental validity over (...) HEXACO personality traits in predicting CAB. The correlations of Conscientiousness and Self-Control with CAB were consistently negative at the facet-level. However, within each HEXACO trait, there was some variability in the strength (and sometimes, the direction) of the relationships between the facet traits and CAB dimensions. Additionally, hierarchical multiple regression analysis results showed that Self-Control provided incremental validity for predicting CAB beyond prediction provided by the HEXACO personality traits. The results provide further support for personality and Self-Control as meaningful predictors of counterproductive academic behavior in college. (shrink)

Despite widespread discussion of the impact of corporate social responsibility activities on consumer perceptions, little research has examined how consumers cope with CSR-based crisis response messages as a bolstering strategy. To fill this gap, we propose a framework integrating situational crisis communication theory with the persuasion knowledge model, applying the model to an experiment with a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects factorial design. In Study 1, we found interaction effects between CSR motives and crisis type on word-of-mouth intention and (...) purchase intention. In addition, inferences about CSR motives interacted with perceptions about CSR history on purchase intention. In Study 2, we replicated study 1 and found that crisis responsibility mediated the main effect of crisis type on behavioral intentions, but neither the main effect of CSR motives and CSR history nor the interactions effects among those variables were mediated by crisis responsibility. Our results indicate that consumer inferences from a company’s CSR-based crisis communications play a significant role in increasing consumer behavioral intentions in two situations: when a crisis is accidental and when a CSR history is short. Ethical and theoretical implications are discussed. (shrink)

This study investigates the effects of cultural orientation and the degree of disdain for robots on the preferred conversational styles in human-to-robot interactions. 203 participants self-reported on questionnaires through a computer-based online survey. The two requesting situations were intended to simulate the participants' interactions with humanoid social robots through an Internet video-phone medium of communication. Structural equation modeling was performed to examine the mediating role of mechanistic disdain between multicultural orientation and conversational constraints. The findings reveal that between the two (...) dimensions of multicultural orientation, only open-mindedness inversely influences mechanistic disdain. Mechanistic disdain, in turn, negatively affects three face-related conversational constraints, thereby leading to a lesser concern for robots' feelings, for minimizing impositions on robots, and for avoiding robots' negative evaluations. The implications of our findings on humans' relations with virtual robot entities and on the future development of humanoid robots are discussed. (shrink)

This study investigates the effects of cultural orientation and the degree of disdain for robots on the preferred conversational styles in human-to-robot interactions. 203 participants self-reported on questionnaires through a computer-based online survey. The two requesting situations were intended to simulate the participants’ interactions with humanoid social robots through an Internet video-phone medium of communication. Structural equation modeling was performed to examine the mediating role of mechanistic disdain between multicultural orientation and conversational constraints. The findings reveal that between the two (...) dimensions of multicultural orientation, only open-mindedness inversely influences mechanistic disdain. Mechanistic disdain, in turn, negatively affects three face-related conversational constraints, thereby leading to a lesser concern for robots’ feelings, for minimizing impositions on robots, and for avoiding robots’ negative evaluations. The implications of our findings on humans’ relations with virtual robot entities and on the future development of humanoid robots are discussed. (shrink)