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Background and Objectives: Metabolic syndrome is a growing health concern globally, and its prevalence continues to increase. This study investigated whether a marine healing program could improve metabolic syndrome indicators and mental health in adults with a metabolic syndrome and those at risk of developing it. Materials and Methods: This study enrolled 30 participants who were assigned to either the experimental or control groups. The duration of the study was set at 4 weeks. Both groups received metabolic syndrome management education, and the experimental group additionally participated in two marine healing programs. Anthropometric indicators, biochemical indicators, and mental health indicators were collected before and after the intervention. Results: The findings indicate that the experimental group had significantly lower systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and body weight, as well as higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and uric acid. Mental health indicators (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and quality of life measures) additionally showed improvement. Pre–post comparisons between the experimental group and the control group showed that the experimental group had significantly decreased by 1.05 kg in body weight, whereas the control group increased by 0.29 kg in body weight. In addition, HDL-C decreased by 0.91 mg/dL in the control group and increased by 3.7 mg/dL in the experimental group. Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that marine healing programs could improve metabolic syndrome indicators such as body weight and HDL-C better than the control treatment.

Transparent and conductive ZnO 50 nm/Au 8 nm/ZnO 50 nm tri-layer films were deposited on poly-imide films by radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering at room temperature, and then the effect of electron irradiation on the crystallization, electrical resistivity and optical properties of the films was considered with X-ray diffraction, UV-visible spectrometer, Atomic force microscope and Hall measurement system. All the films were deposited at a fixed sputtering power, Ar gas flow rate, and distance between target and substrate, while the post-deposition electron irradiation energy was varied from 300 to 900 eV. The electron irradiated films exhibited a flatter surface than the as deposited films that were not electron irradiated, and the XRD patterns also revealed that the electron irradiated films had larger grain sizes than that of as deposited films. The films electron irradiated at 900 eV also showed a higher visible transmittance of 79.8% and a lower sheet resistance of 56.0 Ω/□. Post-deposition films electron irradiated at 900 eV showed a higher figure of merit of 1.86×10-3 Ω-1 than that of the as deposited film of 1.29×10-3 Ω-1. The optical band gap was also enhanced by electron irradiation. The films electron irradiated at 900 eV showed a higher optical band gap of 4.07 eV.

Supplementary Files for the publication "Association between a marine healing program and metabolic syndrome components and mental health indicators"

The efficient strategy for waste conversion and resource recovery is of great interest in the sustainable bioeconomy context. This work reports on the catalytic upcycling of waste corrugated cardboard (WCC) into lactic acid using lanthanide triflates catalysts. WCC, a primary contributor to municipal solid wastes, has been viewed as a feedstock for producing a wide range of renewable products. Hydrothermal conversion of WCC was carried out in the presence of several lanthanide triflates. The reaction with erbium(III) triflate (Er(OTf)

Microwave irradiation assists the transformation of acid-insoluble Klason lignin into a green adhesive at a low reaction temperature (100 °C) and short reaction time (10 min).

In this study, the effect of deposition temperature of TiN thin films deposited using the thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) method was investigated. TiCl4 precursor and NH3 reactive gas were used, and the deposition rate, resistivity change, and surface morphology characteristics were compared in the deposition temperature range of 400 °C–600 °C. While resistivity decreased to 177 µΩcm as the deposition temperature increased to 600 °C, an increase in surface roughness (Rq) to 0.69 nm and a deterioration in the step coverage were identified. In order to obtain a high-quality TiN thin film with excellent resistivity and step coverage characteristics even at low deposition temperatures, the TiN thin film was post-treated with plasma in a combination of N2/He gas ratio of 3:2 to confirm the change in resistivity. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed crystallization change in the TiN thin film caused by plasma energy. As a result, the resistivity of the TiN thin film deposited at 400 °C was confirmed to be lowered by about 25%.

The catalytic condensation of furfural and 2-methylfuran was performed to produce C15 diesel precursors using sulfonated acidic carbon catalysts, including multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, carbon aerogel, activated carbon, and carbon black. Sulfonated multi-walled carbon nanotubes were prepared with mild sulfonate grafting procedure, and displayed negligible modification of their pore structures. They exhibited the highest turnover frequency, indicating that the acid strength, depicted by the pKa, determined the catalytic condensation activity. The pKa values of the catalysts needed to be less than 4 for enabling the condensation of furfural and 2-methylfuran, and catalysts with pKa values greater than 4 exhibited poor condensation. The pKa, or acid strength, was determined by the environment of the surface sulfonates, which were electronically modified to adjust the stability of the sulfonate anions to release protons.

Transparent and conductive Ti-doped In2O3 (TIO)/Ag/Ti-doped In2O3 (TAT) multilayer films were deposited on colorless poly imide (CPI) substrates by direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at room temperature. During deposition the thickness of both the top and bottom TIO layer was fixed at 30 nm, while the thickness of the Ag interlayer was varied, to 5, 10, and 15 nm, to enhance the optical, electrical and mechanical properties of the films. In the XRD analysis the TIO films did not show any characteristic peaks in the diffraction pattern. The 10 nm thick Ag inter layer showed some characteristic peaks of Ag (111), (200), (220) and (311), respectively, and the grain size of the Ag interlayer enlarged as Ag thickness increased. To investigate the most efficient Ag interlayer thickness, a figure of merit (FOM) based on the opto-electrical performance of the transparent conducting films was compared. The films with a 10 nm thick Ag interlayer exhibited a higher FOM of 1.71 × 10-2 Ω-1 than the other films. When the radius of the film's curvature was reduced to 1.7 mm, the TIO single layer films showed a 13 times increase in sheet resistance, while the TAT (30/10/30 nm) films showed an insignificant change in sheet resistance. From the observed results, it was concluded that the Ag interlayer in the TAT multilayer films enhanced the opto-electrical performance of the films and also acted as a potent bridge which assured the high flexibility endurance of the films.

A space-divided plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) system in which disk and wafer rotate at the same time was developed. In the space-divided PE-ALD system, the disk and the wafer are each independently rotated and deposited. It has the advantage that high productivity and dispersion can be improved by controlling the rotation speed of the disk and wafer. Also, it can be applied to various processes by changing the design of the upper lid slightly. In this study, a study on the deposition characteristics of SiO2 thin films was conducted using the developed spatially divided PE-ALD system. The effect of the rotation speed of the disk and wafer on the deposition rate and the uniformity characteristics of the SiO2 thin film was confirmed, and a study on the correlation with the wet etch rate was conducted.

Propylene is used for manufacturing commonly used raw materials and synthetic materials for petrochemical processes. However, it is a volatile and flammable material that poses fire and explosion risks. Nitrogen is inexpensive and can lower the propylene explosion limit because of the dilution effect when used as an inert gas. This study measures the explosion limit, minimum oxygen concentration (MOC), explosion pressure, explosion pressure rise rate, and deflagration index (Kg) values for propylene and nitrogen at 25 °C. Results showed that the lower explosion limit of the explosion range did not significantly change with an increase in pressure from 0.10 MPa to 0.25 MPa; however, the upper explosion limit increased significantly. Furthermore, the MOC decreased as pressure increased at 25 °C, while both the maximum explosion pressure and maximum explosion pressure rise rate increased, thereby increasing the explosion risk. The risk of propylene was predicted by the Kg values determined using the maximum explosion pressure rise rate and volume based on the experimental data. Therefore, through this study, we provide basic data on safety references for preventing fire and explosion accidents.

Considering the age and longer service time of firefighters who have a substantial amount of field activities, they are exposed to chemical and biological risk factors, physical and mental stress, diverse and complex work environments, and repetitive motions, which may increase the rates of gastrointestinal disorders, musculoskeletal diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, based on the regular specific health examination results for 215 firefighters who were working in the N fire department located in B metropolitan city, an analysis of occupational diseases was performed, which showed that the most common chronic disease was diabetes mellitus (28.8%), followed by hyperlipidemia (27.9%) and thoracic diseases (19.5%). This trend appears to be consistent with the incidence rates reported in a representative study of adult diseases in Korea. In addition, it was found that 82 officers maintained healthy states, while those who needed further medical inspection and those with clinical symptoms were more frequently exposed to disease when they were older and had longer service time; moreover, the fire captain and lieutenant had higher rates of disease.

The coverage of the fifth-generation network has increased steadily since the network was introduced in 2019. However, public protests around the globe against the construction of 5G network base stations have continued to occur for fear that electromagnetic (EM) waves emitted from the stations would cause adverse health effects. To identify factors that have contributed to such increased risk perception, we conducted a cross-sectional study using data obtained from a survey that assessed Korean adults' risk perception of EM wave-related objects. We found that female gender, high level of perceived exposure to EM waves, evaluation of public policies as ineffective, and high level of objective knowledge on EM waves were associated with increased risk perception. Furthermore, we found that higher ratings on a few risk characteristics such as "personal knowledge," "seriousness of the risk to future generations," "dreadfulness," and "severity of consequences" were also associated with increased risk perception as well. Bioelectromagnetics. © 2020 The Authors. Bioelectromagnetics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Bioelectromagnetics Society.

With the recent enlargement and complication of buildings, damage caused by the incidents of fires breaking out are escalating. Consequently, the use of sprinkler facilities is increasing among water-based fire extinguishing systems. Piping materials used in fire prevention systems include carbon steel (for general or pressure pipeline), CPVC, copper, and stainless-steel. Among these, the steel and CPVC pipes, which are commonly employed in fire prevention, were considered for testing the reliability of the water-based systems. This analysis was performed using the PIPENET software to perform hydraulic calculations in order to examine the flow and pressure at the terminal head when the corrosion coefficient was applied; this coefficient was applied considering the aging of pipes. Assuming a uniform pipe diameter in the steel pipes, the rated flow in the pump installed on the first floor of the basement was reduced by over 10% after 20 years had passed (C value of 90); moreover, the reduction in pressure and flow at its terminal head exceeded 30% and 16.5%, respectively. The results indicate that it is difficult to ensure the reliability of these fire prevention facilities. Furthermore, according to our estimation, considering 30 years had passed (C value of 80), the rated flow of the pump was reduced by over 15%, and the corresponding reduction in pressure and flow at its terminal head exceeded 42% and 24%, respectively.

Perovskite-supported alkaline-earth metal oxide catalysts were prepared for application in the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM). The selective production of C2+ compounds, including ethane, ethylene, acetylene, propane, and propylene, was observed at reaction temperatures

This study aims to maintain the safety of an outdoor storage tank through the fundamental case analysis of explosion and fire accidents in the storage tank. We consider an accident caused by the explosion of fire inside the tank, as a result of the gradual spreading of the residual fire generated by wind lamps flying off a workplace in the storage tank yard. To determine the cause of the accident, atmospheric diffusion conditions were derived through CCTV image analysis, and the wind direction was analyzed using computational fluid dynamics. Additionally, the amount of oil vapor inside the tank when the floating roof was at the lowest position, and the behavior of the vapor inside the tank when the floating roof was at the highest position were investigated. If the cause of the explosion in the storage tank is identified and the level of the storage tank is maintained below the internal floating roof, dangerous liquid fills the storage tank, and the vapor in the space may stagnate on the internal floating roof. We intend to improve the operation procedure such that the level of the storage tank is not under the Pontoon support, as well as provide measures to prevent flames from entering the storage tank by installing a flame arrester in the open vent of the tank.

This study examined the effects of oxygen species on the unsteady-state oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) using a lengthy catalyst bed of Na2WO4/Mn/SiO2. The reaction conditions, including the methane-to-oxygen ratio, ratio of feed gas dilution by N2, quantity of catalyst, and feed flow rate were adjusted for the continuous flow fixed bed reaction system. While the O2 gas initiated methyl radical formation from methane, the surface lattice oxygen atoms improved the dehydrogenation of paraffins to olefins without significant activation of methane. The addition of CO2 as a mild oxidizing agent was also tested and slightly improved OCM selectivity with slightly lower methane conversion were observed.

SiO2@MnOx@Na2WO4@SiO2 core–shell catalysts were prepared and their fabrication was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. The formation of Mn-based nanosheets on the silica spheres is important for the deposition of nanoscopic Na2WO4. The SiO2@MnOx@Na2WO4@SiO2 core–shell catalysts were used for the oxidative coupling of methane at a temperature of 700–800 °C at which the nanostructures were completely destroyed. Although the core–shell structures did not survive the high-temperature oxidative coupling of methane, the selective production of olefins and paraffins can be attributed to highly dispersed Na2WO4 derived from confined core–shell structures.

Biogas is a promising renewable energy source, however, it needs to be upgraded to increase its low calorific value. In this study, oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) was selected to convert it to a higher fuel standard. Prior to establishing the scaled-up OCM process, the effect of organic/inorganic binders on catalytic activity was examined. The selection of the binders and composition of the catalyst pellet influenced the pore structure, fracture strength, and catalytic activity of the catalyst pellets. It was also observed that the O2 supply from the inorganic binder is a key factor in determining catalytic activity, based on which the composition of the catalyst pellets was optimized. The higher heating value increased from 39.9 (CH4, Wobbe index = 53.5 MJ/Nm3) to 41.0 MJ/Nm3 (OCM product mixture, Wobbe index = 54.2 MJ/Nm3), achieving the fuel standard prescribed in many countries (Wobbe index = 45.5–55.0 MJ/Nm3). The reaction parameters (temperature, gas hourly space velocity, size of the reaction system, and the CH4/O2 ratio) were also optimized, followed by a sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, the catalyst was stable for a long-term (100 h) operation under the optimized conditions.

Background Along with the rapid transmission of COVID-19, adherence to preventive behaviours plays a crucial role with respect to the control of COVID-19. However, different individuals’ psychological characteristics and risk perception result in various forms of response to preventive behaviours. Based on the Health Belief Model, this study identifies the factors associated with preventive behaviours towards COVID-19 in South Korea during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2020 through an anonymous online survey. A total of 1207 people in the age bracket of 20–59 years participated in the survey. Single and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the determinants of preventive behaviours against COVID-19. Results The following factors were associated with preventive behaviours towards COVID-19: female gender (β = .124, p p = 0.010), perceived susceptibility (β = .197, p p p = .006), trust in official government website (β = .057, p = .045), trust in social networks (β = .054, p = .033), and trust in family and friends (β = .068, p = .009), with an explanatory power of 41.5% (R2 = 0.415). Conclusions To flatten the epidemic curve, it is important to understand the public’s risk perception and the motivation behind behavioural responses that aim to promote preventive behaviours among the public. Thus, this study calls for the provision of accessible and credible information sources and demonstrates a public health campaign that encourages the public’s engagement in preventive behaviours towards COVID-19.

Catalytic descriptors were studied to design optimum catalysts for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) by combining density functional theory (DFT) calculations and actual reaction experiments. SrTiO3 perovskite catalysts, selected for OCM, were modified using metal dopants, and their electronic structures were calculated using the DFT method. The CH3 adsorption energy Eads(CH3) and the oxygen vacancy formation energy Ef(vac) exhibited volcano-type correlations with the C2+ selectivity and O2-consumption for the formation of COx, respectively. The optimum catalytic activity, represented by the C2+ selectivity, was obtained for Eads(CH3) = −2.0 to −1.5 eV, indicating that overly strong adsorption of methyl radicals (or easily dissociated C H bonds of methane) and relatively insufficient oxygen supplementation to the catalyst surface improve deep oxidation to CO and CO2. Praseodymium (Pr)- and neodymium (Nd)-doped SrTiO3 catalysts confirm the DFT-predicted optimum electronic structure of the OCM catalysts.

A calcium carbonate (CaCO3)-supported Ru catalyst (Ru/CaCO3) prepared by a wet impregnation method was used for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of eugenol, a lignin model compound representing coniferyl alcohols, and was shown to surpass Ru supported on neutral (ZrO2) and basic supports (MgAlOx, hydrotalcite, and MgO) in terms of deoxygenation activity. The production of deoxygenated compounds was observed during the batch reduction of eugenol with H2 (room-temperature-equivalent pressure = 50 bar) over Ru/CaCO3 at 250 °C, and the yields of compounds with no oxygen atoms (0-O) and one oxygen atom (1-O) were determined as 25.5 and 48.2%, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the improved hydrodeoxygenation activity could be ascribed to the increased electron density of catalytically active Ru species because of electron donation from the support.