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PurposeThis study aimed to investigate associations of socioeconomic status (SES) with asthma exacerbation and asthma-related hospital utilization factors among children with asthma in the Republic of Korea.MethodsThis study retrospectively analyzed population-level data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, collected from 2013 through 2019. SES was classified into five categories according to the national health insurance premiums quantiles (0 [lowest] to 4 [highest]). The hazard ratios (HRs) for asthma exacerbation, emergency department (ED) visits, hospital admission, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were analyzed with respect to SES.ResultsAmong the five SES groups, SES group 0 (medical aid), had the highest tallies and proportions of children who experienced asthma exacerbations (n = 1,682, 4.8%), ED visits (n = 932, 2.6%), hospital admission (n = 2,734, 7.7%) and ICU admission (n = 14, 0.04%). Compared with SES group 4, SES group 0 had adjusted HRs of 3.73 (p = 0.0113) and 1.04 (p

Background/AimsThe benefit of oral antiviral therapy in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the general population is not well understood. We used a novel prediction method to estimate the risk of HCC in the Korean population based on various treatment guidelines.Methods : The 5-year risk of HCC following antiviral therapy was calculated using an HCC risk prediction model. A virtual cohort that represented Koreans (>40 years old) with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was established using the fifth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The antiviral indications tested were the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) and European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) guidelines as well as a new extended indication (serum HBV DNA >2,000 IU/mL regardless of serum aminotransferase level).Results : A total of 993,872 subjects were infected with HBV in the general Korean population. Over a 5-year period, 2,725 HCC cases were predicted per 100,000 persons (0.55%/yr). When the cohort was treated based on the Korean NHI, the EASL, and the newly extended indications, HCC risks decreased to 2,531 (?7.1%), 2,089 (?23.3%), and 1,122 (?58.8%) cases per 100,000 persons, respectively (p

High-quality crystals are essential to ensure high-resolution structural information. Protein crystals are controlled by many factors, such as pH, temperature, and the ion concentration of crystalline solutions. We previously reported the development of a device dedicated to protein crystallization. In the current study, we have further modified and improved our device. Exposure to external magnetic field leads to alignment of the crystal toward a preferred direction depending on the magnetization energy. Each material has different magnetic susceptibilities depending on the individual direction of their unit crystal cells. One of the strategies to acquire a large crystal entails controlling the nucleation rate. Furthermore, exposure of a crystal to a magnetic field may lead to new morphologies by affecting the crystal volume, shape, and quality.

Electrode material capacities and cycle performances must improve for large-scale applications such as energy storage systems. Numerous investigations have developed cathode materials to improve lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) performance: however, few have examined new anode materials. In this study, we synthesized a Ni-B/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composites via a simple chemical reaction method to enhance the stability of electrodes in LIBs. A well-dispersed B, as a component of Ni-B composite, shortened the diffusion distance of lithium ion and allowed for the reversible storage and release of lithium ions. The incorporation of RGO significantly enhanced the dispersion of the Ni-B particles, preventing aggregation and enhancing the electrochemical performance. The long-term cyclic capacity of Ni-B/RGO reached approximately 1200 mAh g−1 at 400 mA g−1. Moreover, well-dispersed B from the reduction of B2O3 enhanced reactions with Li ions, gradually increasing the capacity. After several cycles, Ni-B/RGO maintained its structure without volume changes and with a uniform dispersion of elements. Therefore, Ni-B/RGO exhibited high stability over long cycles, leading to high reversibility. The combination of these features renders Ni-B/RGO a promising lithium storage material for LIBs.

Background Sedentary behavior elevates cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in patients with dyslipidemia. Increasing physical activity (PA) is recommended alongside pharmacological therapy to prevent CVD, though benefits across environmental conditions are unclear. Methods and Results We analyzed data from 113 918 newly diagnosed patients with dyslipidemia (2009–2012) without prior CVD, sourced from the Korea National Health Insurance Service. Ambient particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM10 levels were collected from the National Ambient Air Monitoring System in South Korea. Changes in PA, measured in metabolic equivalents of task–min/wk before and after dyslipidemia diagnosis, were evaluated for associations with air pollution levels and CVD risk using Cox proportional hazards regression. Patients were followed from January 1, 2013, until CVD onset, death, or December 31, 2021. Among patients exposed to low to moderate PM2.5 levels (≤25 μg/m3), increasing PA from inactive to ≥1000 metabolic equivalents of tasks–min/wk was associated with a lower risk of CVD (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.70–0.97]; P for trend=0.022). In high PM2.5 (>25 μg/m3) conditions, increasing PA from inactive and decreasing PA from ≥1000 metabolic equivalents of task–min/wk was associated with reduced (P for trend=0.010) and elevated (P for trend=0.028) CVD risks, respectively. For PM10, increased PA was linked to reduced CVD risk (P for trend=0.002) and decreased PA to elevated risk (P for trend=0.042) in low to moderate PM10 (≤50 μg/m3) conditions, though benefits diminished at high PM10 (>50 μg/m3) exposures. Conclusions Promoting PA, while considering the high potential cardiovascular risk associated with air pollution, may be an effective intervention against CVD in patients with dyslipidemia.

Hydrophilic glycoproteins from the alga Capsosiphon fulvescens (Cf-hGP) enhance spatial memory and reduce depression-like behavior in aging rats. However, their effects on ethanol-induced depression-like behavior in adolescent rats and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the neuroprotective effects of Cf-hGP in mitigating depression-like behavior caused by chronic alcohol administration (2 g/kg, 4 weeks) in rats, focusing on molecular changes in the ventral hippocampus. Chronic alcohol exposure increased glucose-regulated protein 78 (an ER stress marker), while decreasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta (GSK-3β; Ser9) and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95; Ser295). Cf-hGP administration (10 mg/kg/d) reversed these effects, restoring GSK-3β and PSD95 phosphorylation. Blockade of BDNF signaling suppressed Cf-hGP’s effects, confirming its role in BDNF-mediated neuroprotection. Cf-hGP also reduced alcohol-induced depression-like behavior, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for alcohol-induced depression via modulation of ER stress and BDNF signaling pathways.

This study analyzes hospital bed capacity and resource allocation using inflow and outflow indices to identify disparities in bed utilization. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for effective healthcare management, particularly in the allocation of specialized beds such as those in intensive care units (ICU). Despite a high bed-to-population ratio, South Korea faces regional disparities in bed distribution, especially in Seoul, which accounts for 12.4% of the nation’s hospital beds. Hospital beds were categorized based on the Medical Service Act, and the Relevance Index (RI) and Commitment Index (CI) were used to assess patient flow in 2019 across different bed types and functions. Data from the “Statistical Yearbook on the Usage of Medical Service by Region” provided insights into utilization patterns in tertiary referral hospitals, general hospitals, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. The analysis revealed high RIs for tertiary referral hospitals, indicating strong patient retention and minimal outflow, whereas lower RIs for long-term care hospitals suggested underutilization. Regional analysis within Seoul found a concentration of tertiary referral hospitals in the Southeast and a shortage of ICU beds in the Northwest and Southwest regions. The Inflow and Outflow Index confirmed significant patient inflow into tertiary referral hospitals, with some areas experiencing higher outflows, particularly for long-term care beds. These findings underscore the need for strategic hospital bed capacity management, prioritizing essential beds in underserved regions. Future research should incorporate more recent data and employ direct patient flow analysis to optimize resource allocation, addressing evolving healthcare demands, such as an aging population and new infectious diseases. This study offers valuable insights for regional health policy, aiming to enhance functional hospital bed management and improve overall healthcare resource utilization.

OBJECTIVES: Responses to health-related items on the Community Health Survey (CHS) provide evidence that is used to develop community-based health policy. This study aimed to assess the test-retest reliability of selected health behavioral items on the CHS according to item category, response period, and response scale. METHODS: A sample of 159 men and women 20 to 69 years of age participated in a test-retest with an interval of 14 to 21 days. A total of 28 items relating to smoking, alcohol consumption, diet and weight control, and mental health were selected. We evaluated the test-retest reliability of the items using kappa statistics. RESULTS: Kappa values ranged from 0.44 to 0.93. Items concerning habits had higher kappa values (mean, 0.7; standard error, 0.05) than items concerning awareness or attitudes (p=0.012). The kappa value of items with two- to four-point scales was 0.63, which was higher than the value of 0.59 for items with scales involving five or more points, although this difference was not statistically significant. Different kappa values were observed for each reference period, but no statistically significant differences were noted. CONCLUSIONS: The test-retest reliability of the CHS items that we studied was associated with item category. Further study of the relationship between item category and reliability in domains other than health behaviors is required.

The present study addressed the removal of Trypan blue (TB) from water using a novel Ni-Zn-Bi-layered triple hydroxide (NZB LTH or NZB) synthesized through the co-precipitation technique. The physiochemical properties of NZB were analyzed before and after TB adsorption using XRD, BET, FESEM, FTIR-ATR, Raman, and XPS. Studies on adsorption indicate that 80 mg of NZB has a maximum TB removal effectiveness of around 96.7% at natural pH (~4.5–5.0). This study found that NZB has a maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of 5.3 mg·g−1 at dye concentrations ranging from 5 to 30 mg·L−1. When combined with various anionic dye mixtures, NZB’s selectivity studies showed that it is highly selective for the removal of TB and is also effective at removing cationic dyes. When compared to Na2SO4 and NaCl salts, NZB had a lower dye removal percentage for TB removal in the presence of Na2SO3. In an adsorption process, the interaction between the TB and NZB in an aqueous solution is caused by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, which are investigated in the adsorption mechanism. In comparison with ethanol and methanol, the recyclability investigation of NZB revealed the notable removal of TB using 0.1 M NaOH for the desorption. Therefore, the present investigation suggests that NZB is an appropriate adsorbent for the removal of TB from an aqueous solution.

In the present mini-review article, we have compiled the previously reported literature on the fabrication of MXenes and their hybrid composite materials based electrochemical sensors for the determination of phenolic compounds and counter electrodes for platinum (Pt)-free dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). MXenes are two-dimensional (2D) materials with excellent optoelectronic and physicochemical properties. MXenes and their composite materials have been extensively used in the construction of electrochemical sensors and solar cell applications. In this paper, we have reviewed and compiled the progress in the construction of phenolic sensors based on MXenes and their composite materials. In addition, co1.unter electrodes based on MXenes and their composites have been reviewed for the development of Pt-free DSSCs. We believe that the present review article will be beneficial for the researchers working towards the development of phenolic sensors and DSSCs using MXenes and their composites as electrode materials.

The global energy demand and environmental pollution are the two major challenges of the present scenario. Recently, researchers focused on the preparation and investigation of catalysts for their capacitive properties for energy storage devices. Thus, supercapacitors have received extensive interest from researchers due to their promising energy storage features and decent cyclic stability/performance. The performance of the supercapacitors are significantly influenced by the physicochemical properties of the electrocatalyst. In this review article, we have compiled the previous reports on the fabrication of MOFs-based composite materials with MXenes for energy storage and electrochemical sensing applications. The metallic and bimetallic MOFs and MOFs/MXenes materials for supercapacitor applications are reviewed. In addition, MOFs/MXenes-based hybrid composites are also compiled towards the determination of various toxic/hazardous materials, such as metal ions like copper ions, mercury ions, and picric acid. We believe that present review article may benefit the researchers working on the preparation of MOFs-based catalysts for supercapacitor and electrochemical sensing applications.