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This paper aims to minimize damage and protect people through efficient response in the event of a disaster in urban areas, focusing on civil defense training facilities with an urban disaster prevention function and on vulnerable social groups, who can suffer more damage in the event of disaster. The influential factors in the relationship between civil defense training facilities and the vulnerable social group were verified by multiple regression. As a result, a significant influence relationship was found targeting the group with physically vulnerable characteristics such as the elderly, disabled, and children. Therefore, it is necessary to expand defense training facilities by region, giving priority to the physically vulnerable group in order to minimize disaster damage and facilitate appropriate crisis management.

Background: To prepare for future work stoppages in the medical industry, this study aimed to identify the effects of healthcare worker strikes on the mortality rate of patients visiting the emergency department (ED) at six training hospitals in Daegu, Korea. Methods: We used a retrospective, cross-sectional, multicenter design to analyze the medical records of patients who visited six training hospitals in Daegu (August 21–September 8, 2020). For comparison, control period 1 was set as the same period in the previous year (August 21–September 8, 2019) and control period 2 was set as July 1–19, 2020. Patient characteristics including age, sex, and time of ED visit were investigated along with mode of arrival, length of ED stay, and in-hospital mortality. The experimental and control groups were compared using t-tests, and Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-square test, and Fisher exact tests, as appropriate. Univariate logistic regression was performed to identify significant factors, followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: During the study period, 31,357 patients visited the ED, of which 7,749 belonged to the experimental group. Control periods 1 and 2 included 13,100 and 10,243 patients, respectively. No significant in-hospital mortality differences were found between study periods; however, the results showed statistically significant differences in the length of ED stay. Conclusion: The ED resident strike did not influence the mortality rate of patients who visited the EDs of six training hospitals in Daegu. Furthermore, the number of patients admitted and the length of ED stay decreased during the strike period.

(1) Background: The present study investigated the agreement between the Azure Kinect and marker-based motion analysis during functional movements. (2) Methods: Twelve healthy adults participated in this study and performed a total of six different tasks including front view squat, side view squat, forward reach, lateral reach, front view lunge, and side view lunge. Movement data were collected using an Azure Kinect and 12 infrared cameras while the participants performed the movements. The comparability between marker-based motion analysis and Azure Kinect was visualized using Bland–Altman plots and scatter plots. (3) Results: During the front view of squat motions, hip and knee joint angles showed moderate and high level of concurrent validity, respectively. The side view of squat motions showed moderate to good in the visible hip joint angles, whereas hidden hip joint angle showed poor concurrent validity. The knee joint angles showed variation between excellent and moderate concurrent validity depending on the visibility. The forward reach motions showed moderate concurrent validity for both shoulder angles, whereas the lateral reach motions showed excellent concurrent validity. During the front view of lunge motions, both the hip and knee joint angles showed moderate concurrent validity. The side view of lunge motions showed variations in concurrent validity, while the right hip joint angle showed good concurrent validity; the left hip joint showed poor concurrent validity. (4) Conclusions: The overall agreement between the Azure Kinect and marker-based motion analysis system was moderate to good when the body segments were visible to the Azure Kinect, yet the accuracy of tracking hidden body parts is still a concern.

The Gangwon-do Province in Korea features abundant limestone areas and numerous limestone caves; however, few studies have conducted systematic research on the limestone caves in this area. In this study, we observed and explored the biota of three undisclosed caves located in Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do Province (Jangamgul Cave, Baramgul Cave, and Ssanggul Cave) to further understand their ecology. As a result, a total of four phyla, 12 classes, 30 orders, 77 families, and 125 species of cave organisms were discovered, including three phyla, 11 classes, 23 orders, 51 families, and 77 species in Jangamgul Cave; four phyla, 10 classes, 23 orders, 43 families, and 52 species in Baramgul Cave; and three phyla, nine classes, 20 orders, 41 families, and 54 species in Ssanggul Cave. Several threatened species such as Plecotus auritus (Linnaeus, 1758), designated as Class 2 endangered wildlife in Korea, Onychodactylus fischeri (Boulenger, 1886), designated as a least concern (LC) species by the IUCN, and Galloisiana sp., described as an extant species of the relict insect were found in this study. Our results are significant in providing information on the distribution of cave organisms living by adapting to the cave environment.

The Seocheon Tidal Flat is an important staging and wintering site for the Far East Russian population of Swan Goose (

To investigate the foraging preferences of the Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) from the Janghang wetlands located in Han River estuary in South Korea, we elucidated their diet compositions using DNA extracted from their fecal samples. Samples were collected from the Janghang wetlands from June 2013 to January 2015. For dietary analysis, we amplified the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) regions, followed by cloning and sequencing. We were able to detect 20 families and 35 genera of plants from 77 fecal samples, showing that water deer in the Janghang wetlands mainly preferred Salicaceae (27.5%), Fabaceae (17.5%), and Poaceae (14.2%). In winter, the relative frequency of woody plant detection (81.3%) was much higher than that in other seasons. Our results suggest that Korean water deer in Janghang wetlands browse or graze depending on the locally-available plants species in their habitat as intermediate feeders. Non-invasive approaches using fecal samples could be applied to study food webs of various species and ecosystems for conservation and management of wildlife.

PURPOSE : The aim of this study was to identify the epidemiological characteristics of paediatric eye injury in a large metropolitan city based on age group and sex. METHODS : This prospective, multicentre, observational study used data extracted from the eye injury registry for tertiary teaching hospitals in Daegu, South Korea, between August 2016 and July 2018. Children aged < 16 years were classified as infants, pre-schoolers, school children, and adolescents based on their age group. RESULTS : This study included 502 patients; most eye injuries occurred among boys (n = 349, 69.5%) and school children (n = 168, 33.5%). Unstructured play (n = 268, 53.4%) was the most common cause of eye injury, followed by sports (n = 69, 13.7%) and home activities (n = 52, 10.4%). Among adolescent boys, eye injuries were mostly caused by sports activities (n = 49, 37.7%), including soccer and basketball. Only 1 out of 69 children wore protective eyewear during sports activities. Eye injuries occurred most often in school (n = 63, 41.2%) during adolescence and at home (n = 270, 53.8%) in most other age groups. CONCLUSION : Eye injuries were more common in boys. Boys and girls had relatively higher proportion of eye injuries during sports and home activities, respectively. In infants to school children, eye injuries mainly occurred at home and by unstructured play, whereas in adolescents, they mostly occurred at school and during sports activities. To prevent eye injuries sustained during sports in adolescents, wearing personal protective equipment during high-risk exercise in schools or sports facilities is recommended.

Many studies have attempted to find measures for control of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) caused by Microcystis, Anabaena, and other bloom-forming plankton species. We have investigated allelopathic inhibition of the submerged macrophyte Myriophyllum spicatum on four phytoplankton species of two taxonomic groups: Chlorophyta Selenastrum capricornutum, Scenedesmus obliquus, and cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa (different strains for toxic, non-toxic, the North Han River originated (NHR) and colonies) and Anabaena circinalis. Inhibitions of unicellular cyanobacteria M. aeruginosa were over 50% for three consecutive days from the 3rd to the 5th day of the coexistence. M. spicatum even inhibited M. aeruginosa at a high initial concentration (1.1 mg L−1 Chl-a). Moreover, M. aeruginosa in a mixture of four phytoplankton species (S. capricornutum, S. obliquus, M. aeruginosa and A. circinalis) was selectively inhibited by M. spicatum. The inhibition of toxic, non-toxic, and NHR of Microcystis by M. spicatum were not significantly different. Colonial cyanobacteria strains were mostly not inhibited by M. spicatum.

Objective Early defibrillation is crucial for the survival of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This study aimed to examine the trends and associated factors regarding public awareness and willingness to use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) through citywide surveys. Methods Three-round surveys were conducted in February 2012 (n=1,000), December 2016 (n=1,141), and December 2018 (n=1,001) among citizens in Daegu, South Korea, who were aged ≥19 years. The subjects were selected through a three-stage quota sampling. Awareness and willingness to use an AED were assessed in the three groups. The primary outcome was willingness to use AEDs. Results Of 3,142 respondents, 3,069 were eligible for analysis. The proportion of respondents who knew how to use AEDs increased from 4.7% in 2012 to 20.8% in 2018. Of the respondents in 2012, 2016, and 2018, 39.7%, 50.0%, and 43.2%, respectively, were willing to use an AED. Factors associated with willingness to use AEDs were male sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.75), cardiopulmonary resuscitation training experience in the previous 2 years (AOR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.43-2.28), recognition of the Good Samaritan law (AOR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.13-1.86), and awareness of how to use an AED (AOR, 4.40; 95% CI, 3.26-5.93). Conclusion To increase willingness to use AEDs, education in AED use and the Good Samaritan law, along with re-education to maintain knowledge of AED use, should be considered.

Background. Timely treatment is important for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak may have caused delays in patient management. Therefore, we analyzed the prognosis and the time spent at the prehospital and hospital stages in managing patients diagnosed with AIS during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods. This retrospective study evaluated patients diagnosed with AIS in the emergency department (ED) at five medical centers in Daegu city between February 18 and April 17 each year from 2018 to 2020. Data on the patients’ clinical features and time spent on management were collected and compared according to COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 summaries. Results. From a total of 533 patients diagnosed with AIS, 399 patients visited the ED before COVID-19 and 134 during the COVID-19 outbreak. During the COVID-19 outbreak, compared with pre-COVID-19, AIS patients had poor National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores at the initial hospital visit (6 vs. 4, p = 0.013 ) and discharge (3 vs. 2, p = 0.001 ). During the COVID-19 outbreak, the proportion of direct visits to hospitals through public emergency medical services (EMS) increased, and the onset of symptoms-to-ED door time via the public EMS was delayed (87 min vs. 68 min, p = 0.006 ). Conclusions. The prognosis of AIS patients during the COVID-19 outbreak was worse than that of pre-COVID-19 patients with delays at the prehospital stage, despite the need for timely care.

Self-conscious emotions, like shame and pride, are thought to have an evaluative component in which the self is posited against a set of standards, rules, and goals of society. This study compares the two methods used to examine self-conscious emotions: a self-report questionnaire, the Test of Self-Conscious Affect in Children (TOSCA-C), and a direct observation of behaviors in response to particular tasks, developed by Lewis, Alessandri and Sullivan (1992). 126 young children participated in both tasks at ages 6 and 7. For the observation data, we found that the tendency to be self-evaluative in terms of success were not related to be self-evaluative in failure, and individual consistency across age was found for self-conscious emotions but not for the primary emotions. The questionnaire data showed that children who scored high in shame also scored high in failure, and there were no consistencies across age. There were weak, inconsistent associations between shame measured by the questionnaire technique and sadness observed in the experiment.

The effects of quantum corrections on electron conductivity in bilayer graphene have been studied under various temperatures and gate voltages to seek the origin of the restrictions in electron conductions. Although previous studies suggested the enhanced intervalley scattering effect to be the major reason behind the restriction on electron transport, tested samples in this work exhibited the weak localization effect due to much weaker intervalley scattering rates. The enhancement of inelastic scattering near Dirac point are further tested to show the reason behind the inconsistency. It is successfully shown that the amount of electron-hole puddles, and thus, screening effects could enhance intervalley scattering near Dirac point.

Quantum capacitance (Cq), which arises from the lack of charge carriers in low dimensional metallic materials, can be used to explore intrinsic properties of materials such as their density of states or residual carrier density when properly extracted. Here, Cq is extracted from the measured total capacitance of graphene-based devices using a dual-gated FET configuration with an oxidized aluminum/aluminum top-gate at room temperature. Acquired Cq is well in agreement with a theory for ideal graphene except for near Dirac point. The discrepancy in values near Dirac point is then adjusted by considering extra residual carrier density induced from charged impurities at finite temperature. The modified theory with residual carriers shows a great agreement with Cq measurements with the extracted residual carrier density of n* = 3.58 × 1011 cm−2.

Motorcycles are widely used in various workplaces. Motorcycle use for occupational purposes continues to increase owing to growing e-commerce. Here, we aimed to highlight the importance of occupational motorcycle injuries by analyzing their epidemiologic characteristics and outcomes. We analyzed retrospective data from the Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance program from 2012 to 2018. Motor vehicle injuries involving riders aged ≥16 years were included. Patients were divided into occupational motorcycle and non-occupational motorcycle injury groups based on whether or not the injury occurred during work time. General characteristics, injury details, and clinical outcomes such as injury severity and in-hospital mortality were analyzed. Of the 37,194 study patients, 24.2% (8,991) experienced occupational motorcycle injuries. The number of injuries in both groups increased yearly, as did the proportion of occupational injuries among total injuries. In both the groups, patients aged 20–29 years had the highest proportion of injuries. Regarding collision pattern and injury counterpart, side-to-side collisions and injuries involving small four-wheel vehicles were the most frequent. Alcohol intake was significantly lower, while helmet usage was higher in the occupational motorcycle injury group. Moreover, patients with occupational motorcycle injuries had lower injury severity, admission rate, and in-hospital mortality. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, increasing age, time of the injury, alcohol intake, not using a helmet, and collision with a human or animal were associated with higher odds of severe injury. Patients with occupational injuries had higher helmet usage, lower injury severity, lower mortality, and lower admission rate than did patients with non-occupational injuries. Injury severity was associated with the time of injury, collision with other living objects, alcohol consumption, and helmet usage.

Supplemental Material for Hyper-Realistic Advanced Surgical Skills Package with Cut Suit Simulator Improves Trainee Surgeon Confidence in Operative Trauma by Edward Chao, MD, Anna Liveris, MD, Tricia Yusaf, MD, Gabriela Batista, Dajelyn Diaz, Juan Cruz, MICP, Alex-Sungbae Lee, RRT, Jessica Pohlman, MPA, Med, Kiah Andrews, Marko Bukur, MD, Sheldon Teperman, MD, and Michael J. Klein, MD in The American Surgeon.