Suchergebnisse

This paper examines the regarding veterans' affairs in many aspects: administration, commemoration, health, and the pensions offered to veterans in and South Korea. It is interesting to note that the differences between these two countries with very different histories, cultures, and values affect their policies and the programs provided for veterans and their family members. The war history of Australia involved engagement outside Australia. Therefore those who are eligible for veterans ' benefits are those who were engaged in war service overseas. Korea's history of conflict took place mostly inside Korea. Korea experienced many internal problems, such as colonial rule by Japan, the Korean War, and revolutions against autocracy and dictatorship. In Australia, the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) administers the welfare of their veterans. The budget is about 5.4-5.5 % of total government expenditure. In Korea, the Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affairs (MPVA) takes care of veterans, but the status of this ministry is a little bit lower than the other Ministries. The budget allotted this Ministry is 1.7% of government spending. In Australia, the days for commemorating those who sacrificed their lives for national security are ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. The deeds of all veterans, regardless of whether or when they served, are all celebrated together on these days. In Korea, there are more commemorative days, and in some cases, different days have been set aside to remember different conflicts in. Broadly, the month of June is the Patriots and Veterans' Month. In terms of Health Treatment, all disabilities resulting from armed conflict are treated free of charge in both countries, although the systems are different. Australia offers health treatment cards to veterans. With these cards, veterans can get medical treatment free of charge or at a reduced rate at public hospitals or government selected hospitals. In Korea, however, there are special Patriots' and Veterans' Hospitals provided. At these hospitals, veterans get treatment free of charge or at a reduced rate. In regards to Pensions, veterans and their partners are eligible for Service Pensions. However, in Korea, the partner does not receive a pension unless she is widowed. However, the payment may extend to the parents of veterans, and even to their daughters-in-law. Many programs, and especially the Pension systems of both countries, tend to be complicated; this is because they have been set up to satisfy the needs of many different veterans. However, making such a comparison is meaningful, as it provides a chance to take a look at the programs and policies from a different point of view, recognizing their respective strengths and weaknesses. Although there are many differences between the programs and policies of the two countries, both national Governments have been trying, and will continue to try to improve their veterans' policies, as they are aware of the importance of the roles that these returned soldiers play in the society. They are the very symbol of national security and pride.

Abstract Background The roles of the tuberculin skin test (TST) and QuantiFERON ® -TB Gold In-Tube assay (QFT-IT) in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis (TB) are not clear in young adults. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the TST and QFT-IT in smear-negative TB among young adults with no underlying disease. Methods We prospectively enrolled 166 young participants 20-29 years of age with suspected active TB in a military hospital of South Korea. The TST and QFT-IT were performed for all participants. Results Of the 143 patients included in the analysis, active TB was diagnosed in 100 (69.9%). There were 141 male patients, none of whom had immunosuppressive disease. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of TST were 94% (95% CI, 87-98%), 88% (95% CI, 74-96%), 95% (95% CI, 88-98%), and 86% (95% CI, 72-94%), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the QFT-IT were 93% (95% CI, 86-97%), 95% (95% CI, 81-99%), 98% (95% CI, 92-99%), and 84% (95% CI, 69-93%), respectively. No significant differences were found between the TST and QFT-IT in any statistic. Conclusions Both the TST and QFT-IT showed high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating active TB from other diseases. The diagnostic accuracy of these two tests did not differ significantly when applied to this clinical population of young, immunocompetent adults in whom neonatal BCG vaccination was common, there was no history of previous TB and in whom suspicion of TB was high. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00982969

This cross-cultural study investigated country differences in the relationship between maternal parenting styles and two important developmental outcomes of students – high school achievement and self-esteem. 634 undergraduates resident in three countries (China 207, Turkey 196, USA 231) where socio-cultural orientation and previous research suggest that normative family relationships would be different, were selected. We predicted that in the three countries, different maternal parenting styles would be prevalent and would foster positive development in terms of their congruence with the prevailing individualistic or collectivist ethic of the country. Students completed Buri's Parent Authority Questionnaire (which yielded scores on maternal authoritarian, authoritative and permissive parenting), Rosenberg's selfesteem scale, and reported on their high school achievement. Results showed country differences in the prevalence of the three maternal parenting styles, and some differences in the way each parenting style was related to student outcomes. Nevertheless, most differences were not those predicted. In particular, the Chinese findings were unexpected, as the Chinese mothers were the most authoritative, and were the only group for whom authoritarian parenting was negatively associated with high school achievement. Reasons for the unpredicted results are discussed as well as the need for changes in the conceptualization of parenting to accommodate diverse and diversifying cultures. Some novel findings from Turkey suggest the advantages of studying parenting in a wider range of countries to reveal the variety of family processes that contribute to positive child development.

Alginic acid is a polysaccharide obtained from brown algae, and its oligosaccharide has various functions such as antiviral, antitumor, immunoregulation, and antioxidant. However, because of its high viscosity, numerous studies have degraded the alginic acid by enzymes to improve its utilisation. In the present work, we characterised Sargassum fulvellum enzymatic extract (SFEE) using polysaccharide-degrading enzyme obtained from Shewanella oneidensis PKA 1008, and investigated its anti-inflammatory potential. S. fulvellum powder and crude enzyme were mixed at a ratio of 1:1 (v/v), and reacted at 30°C for 0 - 48 h to obtain the optimum degrading time. The changes in pH, colour, reducing sugar, and viscosity of SFEE were determined. The anti-inflammatory activity of SFEE was confirmed by measuring the expression level of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and L-1β) in RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. The reducing sugar content was found to increase 2.75-fold at 24 h as compared to that at the initial reaction point, but pH and viscosity decreased significantly with increasing reaction time. SFEE showed a high inhibitory effect on the levels of NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines. SFEE thus has great potential for development as a functional food and therapeutic material owing to its anti-inflammatory effect.