Background: Infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19 and MERS pose a major threat to healthcare workers' physical and mental health. Studies exploring the positive changes gained from adapting to traumatic events, known as post-traumatic growth, have attracted much attention. However, it is unclear which factors or experiences lead to PTG among HCWs. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to investigate factors associated with PTG among HCWs who experienced the MERS outbreak in South Korea, and fully describe their experience of (...) developing PTG.Methods: Quantitative data from 78 participants were collected using psychometric tools for Psychological distress, Resilience, and Support for coping, and Post-traumatic growth. Qualitative interviews were conducted with seven nurses. Data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method according to the sub-themes of resilience, which was the main factor associated with PTG.Results: We found resilience to have a significant impact on PTG. Thus the qualitative interviews were analyzed using the core concepts of resilience. Qualitative interviews with nurses illustrated how participants experienced the development of resilience in terms of its sub-factors: hardiness, persistence, optimism, and support.Conclusion: HCWs who endured the MERS outbreak showed high levels of PTG, and the analysis of the interview data provided a fuller understanding on the experience of remaining resilient and developing PTG. These results provide practical and pragmatic information helpful for developing intervention strategies and protocols that can help HCWs transform adversity into growth and development. (shrink)

This study assessed the demographic characteristics of Koreans engaged in leisure sports activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the differences in their preventive health behaviors and constraints on leisure activities. For this study, the demographic characteristics of 544 leisure sport participants, who were recruited on a nationwide basis, were examined through an online survey. Then, comparisons between groups were performed using independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and multivariate analysis of variance. Women who participated in both indoor and outdoor leisure (...) sports showed higher adoption of health prevention behaviors than their male counterparts, and married individuals who participated in indoor leisure sports showed higher adoption of health prevention behaviors than unmarried participants. Moreover, individuals who participated in both indoor and outdoor leisure sports by themselves had many interpersonal constraints overall, and the group of married individuals who participated in indoor leisure sports showed structural constraints. In conclusion, leisure sports participants have adopted many health prevention behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this had led to some interpersonal constraints. These results indicate that, in the case of future pandemics, personal and institutional efforts will need to be made to promote participation in leisure sports and prevent excessive social isolation. (shrink)

As humanoid social robots are developed rapidly in recent years and experimented in social situations, comparing them to humans provides insights into practical as well as philosophical concerns. This study uses the theoretical framework of communication constraints, derived in human–human communication research, to compare whether people apply social-oriented constraints and task-oriented constraints differently to human targets versus humanoid social robot targets. A total of 230 students from the University of Hawaii at Manoa participated in the study. The participants completed a (...) questionnaire, which determined their concern for the five communication constraints (feelings, non-imposition, disapproval, clarity, and effectiveness) in situations involving humans or robots. The results show people were more concerned with avoiding hurting the human’s feelings, avoiding inconveniencing the human interactive partner, and avoiding being disliked by the human and less concerned with avoiding hurting the robot’s feelings, avoiding inconveniencing the robot partner, and avoiding being disliked by the robot. But people did not differ in their concerns of the two task-oriented constraints (clarity and effectiveness) in response to humans versus humanoid robots. The results of the research suggest that people are more likely to emphasize the social-oriented constraints in communication with humans. (shrink)

Humor is a contextual phenomenon that exists in all societies, although the impact of humor may differ across different cultures. The data for this research was collected using an ethnographic approach, incorporating participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Based in three different South Korean organizations, this research offered the opportunity to interact in depth with workers of varying ages, genders, hierarchical levels, and organizational roles. Observations were complimented by 46 in-depth interviews and ad hoc follow-up discussions. This paper adopts a Confucian (...) perspective to understand the perception and use of workplace humor in these South Korean organizations. Confucian philosophy emphasizes the value of formality within society in order to maintain respectful relationships between individuals. We suggest that humor is used in these South Korean workplaces to support traditional Confucian values of harmony and hierarchy, and the changing cultural values in these workplaces influence humor perceptions in complex ways. The Confucian value of harmony maintained through the idea of hierarchy creates pressure for organizational members, to accept and cope with contentious humor in the workplace. In particular, the clash between the need to maintain harmonious relationships in the workplace (through obedience towards superiors) and the desire to reject some types of humor highlights issues for younger organizational members. Internal conflict creates distress for younger employees who may hold more Westernized values and this affects their emotional, psychological well-being. This study presents a cross-cultural perspective to organizational humor, and suggests that humor may not always be a positive experience for organizational members, but instead may create psychological distress in some employees. (shrink)

To orchestrate behaviors for survival, multiple psychological components have evolved. The current theories do not clearly distinguish the distinct components. In this article, we provide a unified theoretical framework. To optimize survival, there should be four components; (1) “need”, an alarm based on a predicted deficiency. (2) “motivation”, a direct behavior driver. (3) “pleasure”, a teacher based on immediate outcomes. (4) “utility”, a teacher based on final delayed outcomes. For behavior stability, need should be accumulated into motivation to drive behavior. (...) Based on the immediate outcome of the behavior, the pleasure should teach whether to continue the current behavior. Based on the final delay outcome, the utility should teach whether to increase future behavior by reshaping the other three components. We provide several neural substrate candidates in the food context. The proposed theoretical framework, in combination with appropriate experiments, will unravel the neural components responsible for each theoretical component. (shrink)

Efficient management of low energy states is vital for cells to maintain basic functions and metabolism and avoid cell death. While autophagy has long been considered a critical mechanism for ensuring survival during energy depletion, recent research has presented conflicting evidence, challenging the long‐standing concept. This recent development suggests that cells prioritize preserving essential cellular components while restraining autophagy induction when cellular energy is limited. This essay explores the conceptual discourse on autophagy regulation during energy stress, navigating through the studies (...) that established the current paradigm and the recent research that has challenged its validity while proposing an alternative model. This exploration highlights the far‐reaching implications of the alternative model, which represents a conceptual departure from the established paradigm, offering new perspectives on how cells respond to energy stress. (shrink)

One’s ‘Asianness’ signifies to the white dominant group, that s/he is a foreigner and consequently a second-class citizen. Asian American women have been perceived to be the perpetual foreigner. The understanding of the foreigner within the book of Ezra brings to light how foreign women were treated, excluded and forced to move away. As more immigrants come into North America, we need to learn ways to welcome them fully and not as second-class citizens or the Other.

Intelligent machines are no longer distant fantasies of the future or solely used for industrial purposes; they are real “living” things that operate similarly to humans with verbal and nonverbal communication capabilities. Humans see in such technology the horrifying dangers and the bliss enabled by the saving power. Entrenched in the emotions of hope and fear concerning intelligent machines, humans’ attitudes toward intelligent machines are not free of expectations, judgments, strategies, and selfish agendas. As the discovery of the New Worlds (...) has led to the development of an understanding of self as distinct from the other, narratives on intelligent robots have taken on similar forms of colonial discourse: contradictory manifestations of ethnocentrism (anthropocentrism) and exoticism. Similar to colonial encounters, the racialized Mechanical _Other_ operates like any other marginalized group. Colonial discourse often regards the mechanical _Other_ as both inferior yet exotic, which usually produces a mixed sense of blessing and curse, ambivalence composed of both desire and aversion. In these representations of machinic _otherness,_ one should not miss the fundamental injustice of creating the “Machinic Other” and imposing humans’ viewpoints. The field must expand the purview of intelligent machines to consider the larger historical and cultural forces shaping our understanding of who we are as reflected in the mirror of intelligent machines. (shrink)

As the artificial intelligence of computers grows ever-more sophisticated and continues to surpass the capacities of human minds in many ways, people are forced to question alleged ontological categories that separate humans from machines. As we are entering the world which is populated by non-enhanced and enhanced humans, cyborgs, robots, androids, avatars, and clones among them, the desire for evolutionary mastery of the natural world has taken on the two main directions: merging with machines in disembodied forms or embodied forms. (...) As a path to breaking past the discontinuity between humans and machines and enter into a world beyond the “fourth” discontinuity, machines are viewed as an evolutionary step toward the “perfection” or “immortality” of humans. However, this popular, instrumental views of machines, stemming from the existential death anxiety and the hope for transcending mortality, reveals the karmic dilemma of desiring or grasping something. We shall discuss the possibility that machines can present, ultimately, a revolutionary step rather than an evolutionary step toward understanding “who we are.” The path toward a continuity with machines lies not in our desire for merging with the robots, but in recognizing the arbitrary nature of all such identity categories. This radical understanding of the self-identity can be seen as a facet of enlightened experience. (shrink)

Our narratives about intelligent machines reprise the same modes in which humans have historically dealt with "other" groups of humans, especially during the era of colonialism. Addressing unconscious assumptions involving race, gender, hierarchy, power, imperialism, and capitalism in the post-colonial world, this book argues that cultural narratives regarding intelligent machines have much to do with colonial attitudes and mindsets. Human attitudes toward intelligent machines, colored by such ideological and cultural biases, cumulatively manifest themselves as cultural narratives of a racialized Machine (...) Other. This book explores how examining the emotions underlying our narratives about intelligent machines can provide insights into the human psyche and be a catalyst for authentic encounters with intelligent machines. It will beckon you to question long-held assumptions, confront the complexities of AI and racial dynamics, and embark on a quest for deeper understanding of yourself. (shrink)

Traditional Western Christology, focussed on the maleness of Christ, has skewed and limited Christian understandings of God away from female images of the divine and towards masculine language and imagery. The creation of a male norm within the Western Christian tradition has marginalized women of all colours and cultures. Asian North American women have struggled not only to make new sense of 'God-language', but also to harmonize traditional Christian claims with the world-view and culture of the East. Since Christian feminists (...) have attempted to recover a more positive God-language by use of the concept of Sophia Wisdom, this article suggests that an effective strategy would be for Asian women to inculturate the language of Sophia into Eastern philosophical categories. This could be achieved by way of harmonization with the Buddhist concept of wisdom, prajna. (shrink)

This study investigates: the changes in three major health-related factors—physical activity, non-physical-activity health behavior, and depressive symptoms, and how changes in physical activity were associated with changes in one’s depressive symptoms among young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults while controlling non-physical-activity health behavior and sociodemographic characteristics among young, middle-aged, and older adults before and after the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown in the United States. A total of 695 participants completed an online questionnaire via MTurk, and participants were asked to recall (...) their physical activity, depressive symptoms, and non-physical-activity health behavior status in January and May of 2020. The IPAQ-SF was used to evaluate individuals’ physical activity, while the CES-D-10 was used to assess depressive symptoms. Covariates included non-physical-activity health behavior and sociodemographic factors. A Bayesian significance testing of changes was used to examine significant changes in physical activity, non-physical-activity behavior, and depressive symptoms in each age group while Bayesian regression analysis was employed to examine how the changes in physical activity were associated with respondents’ depressive symptoms while controlling for individual NHB and sociodemographic characteristics. The results showed that the participants tended to maintain their physical activity levels after the lockdown despite significant increases in sitting time among young and older adults. Decreases in moderate physical activity frequency were associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms. Although young and middle-aged cohorts experienced fewer differences in depressive symptoms compared to their counterparts in the older group, we found no significant heterogeneity effects in the relationships of interest across all age groups. Considering different influences of physical activity on depressive symptoms depending on different levels of activity and ages, more randomized clinical trials with program-based intervention studies should be conducted with different physical activity programs for different age populations. (shrink)

BackgroundIt has been well investigated that nature exposure intervention can restore directed attention and improve subsequent cognitive performance. The impairment of decision-making skills in mentally fatigued soccer players was attributed to the inability of attention allocation. However, nature exposure as the potential intervention to counter mental fatigue and improve the subsequent decision-making skill in soccer players has never been investigated.ObjectsThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of nature exposure intervention on decision-making skills among mentally fatigued university soccer players. Moreover, different (...) durations of nature exposure were also evaluated.MethodsA random control between-subject design was adopted. Players were randomly assigned into six groups with three different durations of the experimental group compared with the corresponding control group. All players were first mentally fatigued by performing a 45-min Stroop task; then, they viewed virtual photos of natural or urban scenes; and finally, they performed a soccer decision-making task.ResultsThe subjective ratings of mental fatigue were significantly higher following the Stroop task. Only Exp 3 significantly improved decision-making reaction time compared with Con 3. Moreover, the accuracy slightly increased in Exp 3 after the intervention.ConclusionIn line with attention restoration theory, nature exposure significantly improved decision-making skills in mentally fatigue university players. However, the duration must be 12.50 min for each stimulus to stay longer to attract involuntary attention. (shrink)

People today live within the context of a globalized world with people of many cultures and religions living together. This intermixing of peoples, cultures, societies and religions creates the opportunity for different religions and thoughts to combine into new perspectives and develop a more relevant Christianity. The basic tenets of Asian culture, religion and thought can instruct and develop theology so that theology can remain relevant to our modern world. In particular, the Asian understanding of Chi can nurture a stronger (...) theological perspective of the Holy Spirit. This paper will examine Chi and illustrate the similarities it shares with the Holy Spirit to work towards a pneumatology which will encourage people to live harmoniously and peacefully with one another. (shrink)

Cover Photograph: Resolving developmental genetics in the fourth dimension: an illustration (by Kwang‐Hyun Cho himself) of the principle of dynamic network motifs in Drosophila development. Hitherto largely considered in terms of time‐invariant networks, drosophila development is viewed in the article by Man‐Sun Kim, Jeong‐Rae Kim, and Kwang‐Hyun Cho as the result of networks of gene interactions that change during the course of development. Using this paradigm, pivotal developmental events can be correlated with particular changes from one constellation of gene interactions (...) to a different one, and the method allows the identification of certain network motifs that are not identifiable using static approaches. Features article: “Dynamic network rewiring determines temporal regulatory functions in the Drosophila melanogaster development processes”, see pages 505 – 513. (shrink)

This study examines the participation and interaction of relevant individuals in the process of developing an accounting standard for South Korea’s emission trading scheme (ETS). Despite the enormous accounting implications of such schemes, there is a paucity of research on the development and application of ETS accounting. Ulrich Beck’s and Anthony Giddens’s risk society framework is utilised to scrutinise the process of setting accounting standards—from the agenda-setting stage all the way to the final publication of the standard. In this case (...) study, we take an interpretive approach in analysing the rich data collected through face-to-face interviews with prominent standard-setters, accounting experts and representatives of industry and government. Participant observation and relevant documents were also considered. The findings highlight the political nature of accounting standard-setting and identify the risks and responsibilities of the key agents in the process along with the means of sub-political action taken to influence decisions. We reveal that the agents involved in standard-setting attempted to balance their anthropocentric priorities with ecocentric responsibilities and prioritised the production of a standard with minimal impact on economic, reputational, and operational risk. Having authority as a standard-setter, referring frequently to precedents and, perhaps most importantly, engaging actively with the stakeholders throughout the process seem to have contributed to a widely accepted standard, which can serve as a benchmark for future attempts to factor in ETSs. (shrink)

This study investigated the characteristics of neural oscillation and functional connectivity in college students engaging in binge drinking using resting-state electroencephalography. Also, the associations of visual memory, evaluated by the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, and neural oscillation with FC during the resting state were investigated. The BD and non-BD groups were selected based on scores of the Korean version of the Alcohol use disorders Identification Test and the Alcohol Use Questionnaire. EEG was performed for 6 min while the participants rested (...) with eyes closed. The theta, lower-alpha, and upper alpha powers did not differ between the BD and non-BD groups. Concerning FC, the BD group exhibited stronger theta coherence than that of the non-BD group, and in the lower and upper alpha bands, the BD group showed stronger coherence in some areas but weaker coherence in others compared with the non-BD group. However, these significant results were not observed after Bonferroni correction. The BD group showed significantly lower delayed recall scores on the RCFT than did the non-BD group. A positive correlation between the left prefrontal-parietal-occipital midline connection and performance on the delayed recall of the RCFT was observed in the BD group. The present results could suggest that binge drinkers have alterations in brain FC, which may be related to their visual memory deficits. (shrink)

Research on recruitment shows that jobseekers display positive attitudinal and behavioral responses to potential employers' corporate social responsibility (CSR), while corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) works contrariwise. However, few studies have examined how jobseekers react to companies that show the two attributes in an inconsistent way. This study investigates how jobseekers' perceptions of a company, shaped by its CSR history, are changed based on its recent CSR/CSI practices. It also examines how jobseekers' moral traits affect their perceptions of and behavioral intentions (...) toward the company, influenced by the (in)consistency of its CSR. The results of a scenario-based experiment with 203 subjects show that jobseekers perceive a company with a strong (vs. weak) CSR history as warmer and infer that its CSR motive is genuine. However, when they obtain information about the company's recent CSI practices, they tend to perceive that the motivation of the previous CSR is not genuine and are less likely to be attracted by the company. This tendency is amplified when the jobseekers have a strong propensity to belong to ethical organizations. This research contributes to the literature on the effects of the (in)consistency of a company's CSR on its external stakeholders. (shrink)

본 논문은 에마뉘엘 레비나스(Emmanuel Levinas)와 주디스 버틀러(Judith Butler)를 종합적이고도 전면적으로 대면하려는 기획의 첫 번째 작업으로서, 레비나스에 대한 버틀러의 이해를 살피는 데 목적이 있다. 윤리 담론이 급진적인 정치 이론에서 수행하는 역할에 대해 회의적이었던 초기의 입장과 달리, 버틀러는 2000년 이후의 저작에서부턴 본격적으로 윤리를 정치적 문제의 중심에, 비판적 이론의 중심에 두고 자신의 사유를 전개해나간다. 이때 그녀가 참조한 대표적인 철학자가 레비나스다. 버틀러가 레비나스를 따라 윤리를 강조한다고 해서, 즉 그녀의 소위 ‘윤리로의 전환’이 정치의 포기나 도덕 만능주의를 의미하는 것은 결코 아니다. 버틀러에서 윤리는 정치의 대체물 혹은 (...) 대립물이 아니다. 그녀는 정치를 떠나 윤리로 이동하려한 것이 아니다. 도리어 그녀는 윤리를 통해 정치로 나아가려 한다. 레비나스에 대한 버틀러의 관심도 정확히 이에 값한다. 버틀러는 레비나스 철학의 핵심 개념 중 하나로 ‘얼굴’ 개념을 지목하고 이를 자신이 강조하는 ‘의존성’, ‘불확실성’, ‘취약성’ 개념과 연결 지을 뿐 아니라, 그녀 자신이 ‘유대주의적 비폭력의 윤리’라 명명한 것의 의미를 구체화하는 데 활용하고자 한다. 그렇다고 버틀러가 레비나스의 사유에 동의하기만 한 것은 아니다. 오히려 그 반대다. 버틀러는 레비나스가 강조하는 타자의 얼굴을, 그러니까 고유하고 대체 불가능한 그 특성을 현실 속의 타자로 정치화하고 그럼으로써 레비나스 사유의 한계를, 더 정확히는 레비나스가 어떻게 그 자신을 배반하게 되는지를 보여주려 한다.BR 레비나스에 대한 버틀러의 이해와 전유를, 또 이를 관통하는 버틀러의 기획과 그녀의 새로운 정치철학을 이 짧은 한 편의 논문에서 모두 다루기는 어려울 것이다. 그리하여 본 논문에서는 레비나스에 대한 버틀러의 이해를 확인하는 데 집중하기로 한다. 구체적으로는 얼굴, 주체와 타자의 관계로서의 책임, 레비나스의 문제, 이 3가지 주제에 대한 버틀러의 사유를 확인할 것이다. 이런 일은 레비나스에 대한 버틀러의 주된 인식을, 또 거기서 변화 발전하는 버틀러의 입장을 이해하는 데 도움이 될 것이며, 종국적으로는 버틀러의 사유에서 레비나스가 차지하는 위치, 그러니까 레비나스 윤리학을 통한 그녀의 정치철학의 면모를 확인하는 데 기여할 것이다. (shrink)

Cross-sector relationship building is an important strategy in corporate social responsibility initiatives, and communicating cross-sector relationships on social media can help raise the visibility of collaborative relationships. A noticeable gap in the literature is how social media enables and constrains the formation patterns of cross-sector connections. To understand how businesses communicate their relationships with government agencies and nonprofits about social issues on social media, we propose a theoretical framework that centers public attention as a critical resource and considers different sectors' (...) interests in the COVID-19 issue. We tested this framework with a nationally representative sample of 1,980 organizations on Twitter. The analysis reveals that the increase in public attention to the COVID-19 issue was accompanied by a greater likelihood of cross-sector ties. Specifically, firms severely affected by COVID-19 were more likely to build ties with government agencies, and the increase in public attention also drove firms to build more ties with nonprofits, especially advocacy nonprofits. Our findings suggest managers of social media communication should observe the volatile public attention and design communicative strategies accordingly. (shrink)

BackgroundDue to causing inability of self-regulation and executive functions such as directed attention and visual searching for relevant information, mental fatigue impairs skilled performance in various sports. On the other hand, natural scenes could improve directed attention, which may considerably benefit visual searching ability and self-regulation. However, nature exposure as a potential intervention to improve skilled performance among mentally fatigued athletes has not been discussed thoroughly.PurposeTo propose the potential intervention for the impairment of skilled performance among mentally fatigued athletes and (...) generate a framework for future studies.MethodsA narrative review was applied to search broadly across disciplines, retrieving literature from several databases.ResultsThirty-three works of literature including 39 experiments were obtained. Finally, a conceptual framework was built regarding the effect of nature exposure intervention on skilled performance in athletes for future studies.ConclusionThree theories could be potentially integrated to be a conceptual framework and explain the mechanism of preventing prior mental exertion. Future studies could examine more on the duration of the intervention. (shrink)

As people struggle to come to terms with cultural pluralism, there is growing recognition of bicultural or multicultural persons and their potential communication patterns. Prior conceptualizations of multicultural identity focused on the idea that people can blend multiple cultures in their minds or switch between representations of cultures as ways to be good towards the Other. This approach may sound sensible, but there is the inescapable injustice embedded in any formulation of the other, and not only the Other but also (...) the other of the Other. The very openness of a genuinely multicultural identity precludes the establishment of such things as ethnic, racial or cultural ‘identities’. The fundamental propositions of this article are that multicultural identity can be seen as different ways of being in the world, which is a facet of enlightened experience by coming into being of ‘intuitive intelligence’ that ‘self/personhood/identity’ is an illusion; the acquisition of multicultural identity is a natural process of human growth, one that does involve a radical shift of personal perspectives, maturation of vision. Ultimately, I suggest a radical rethinking and reversal of the essentialist view of multicultural identity and present multicultural identity as an awareness event transcending one’s cultural identity. It is time for a paradigm shift. (shrink)

The modern times proclaimed ‘God’s death’ and the post‐modern times did ‘the death of Man/Subject. And recently our society suffers from ‘the death of the humanities’. The death appearing along with is ‘the death of philosophy’. What on earth does the notice of death of philosophy mean by in the life of human beings living in the modern times? This writer is groping for the point to revive the modern significance of philosophy facing the tragic situations called ‘Death’ through the (...) inquiry of the rendezvous between philosophy and therapy. This writer will study the features of the philosophical therapy in philosophizing in the ancient times, firstly in the relation of philosophy and therapy, secondly the soul as the subject and object of mind‐therapy, thirdly the self‐awareness (gnôthiseautón) as the way of mind‐therapy, fourth the self‐care (epimeleia heautou) as the goal of mind‐therapy, and finally the dialogue as the method of mind‐ therapy, during which I am going to form a solid foundation instead to study the spirit of philosophical therapy dwelling in philosophizing. (shrink)