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Covid-19 virus variants identified so far are due to viral genetic diversity, genetic evolution, and variable infectivity, suggesting that high infection rates and high mortality rates may be contributed by these mutations. And it has been reported that the targeting strategies for innate immunity should be less vulnerable to viral evolution, variant emergence and resistance. Therefore, the most effective solution to Covid-19 infection has been proposed to prevent and treat severe exacerbation of patients with moderate disease by enhancing human immune responses such as NK cell and T cell. In previous studies, we demonstrated for the first time that gamma-PGA induced significant antitumor activity and antiviral activity by modulating NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Especially intranasal administration of gamma-PGA was found to effectively induce protective innate and CTL immune responses against viruses and we found out that gamma-PGA can be an effective treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 through phase 2b clinical trial. In this study, the possibility of gamma-PGA as a Covid-19 immune modulating agent was confirmed by animal experiments infected with Covid-19 viruses. After oral administration of gamma-PGA 300mug/mouse once a day for 5 days in a K18-hACE2 TG mouse model infected with SARS-CoV-2 (NCCP 43326;original strain) and SARS-CoV-2 (NCCP 43390;Delta variant), virus titer and clinical symptom improvement were confirmed. In the RjHan:AURA Syrian hamster model infected with SARS-CoV-2 (NCCP 49930;Delta variant), 350 or 550 mug/head of gamma-PGA was administered orally for 10 days once a day. The virus for infection was administered at 5 x 104 TCID50, and the titer of virus and the improvement of pneumonia lesions were measured to confirm the effectiveness in terms of prevention or treatment. In the mouse model infected with original Covid-19 virus stain, the weight loss was significantly reduced and the survival rate was also improved by the administration of gamma-PGA. And gamma-PGA alleviated the pneumonic lesions and reduced the virus titer of lung tissue in mice infected with delta variant. In the deltavariant virus infected hamster model, gamma-PGA showed statistically significant improvement of weight loss and lung inflammation during administration after infection. This is a promising result for possibility of Covid-19 therapeutics along with the efficacy results of mouse model, suggesting gammaPGA can be therapeutic candidate to modulate an innate immune response for Covid-19.
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Introduction: Healthcare workers, including physical therapists, have some of the most important roles in the healthcare system, as observed during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Physical therapists encounter emotionally and physically vulnerable patients, experience emotional labor, and are exposed to conditions that can lead to job stress and musculoskeletal disorders. We aimed to examine the relationships between physical therapists' emotional labor, its effect on perceived job stress, and the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: We conducted a 30-day survey among 230 physical therapists working in various settings from October 2 to November 1, 2019. Questionnaires, including questions on musculoskeletal symptoms, perceived job stress, and emotional labor, were administered to the participants. Results: The emotional labor sub-factors "overload and conflict in customer service" (β=0.201, p>0.001), "emotional inconsistency and impairment" (β=0.199, p>0.001), and "organizational support and protection system" (β=0.298, p>0.001) affected the job stress sub-factors "physical environment" (β=0.105, p>0.020), "insufficient compensation" (β=0.072, p<0.05), and "relational conflict" (β=-0.083, p>0.024). These job stress sub-factors affected musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: To prevent the long-term consequences of work-related strain, physical therapists should receive support for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and developing effective methods of communication with patients. Encouragement of activities for psychological rejuvenation and sharing emotional difficulties with colleagues is also desirable. Moreover, it is necessary to establish a direct line of grievance communication between physical therapists to hospitals. © 2023 The Author(s).
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Improving load forecasting is becoming increasingly crucial for power system management and operational research. Disruptive influences can seriously impact both the supply and demand sides of power. This work examines the impact of the coronavirus on power usage in two US states from January 2020 to December 2020. A wide range of machine learning (ML) algorithms and ensemble learning are employed to conduct the analysis. The findings showed a surprising increase in monthly power use changes in Florida and Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, in contrast to New York, where usage decreased over the same period. In Texas, the quantity of power usage rises from 2% to 6% practically every month, except for September, when it decreased by around 1%. For Florida, except for May, which showed a fall of roughly 2.5%, the growth varied from 2.5% to 7.5%. This indicates the need for more extensive research into such systems and the applicability of adopting groups of algorithms in learning the trends of electric power demand during uncertain events. Such learning will be helpful in forecasting future power demand changes due to especially public health-related scenarios. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
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Background: Viral infections such as influenza and COVID-19 pose a serious threat to human health, which increases the demand for a new approach to enhance the host immunity. Previous studies showed that exercise activities could enhance the anti-viral neutralizing antibody titers after vaccination. We developed a novel digital device, SAT-008, as a mobile application based on an algorithm to regulate physical activity which are related to boosting innate and adaptive immune systems against virus. SAT-008 aimed to improve the activity of immune cells and the immune response in the body, which can be induced by software -designed -intensity levels of daily physical activities. Method(s): A randomized, open-label, and controlled study was conducted for 13 weeks (Oct 20 to Jan 21). A total of 42 healthy adults aged 24 to 46 years were recruited for this study and 32 among them served for analysis. Subjects were administered a single-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine. The control group maintained daily life without using SAT-008, while the experimental group used SAT-008 during the study. Result(s): Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed a significant increase in neutralizing antibody titers of antigen subtype B Yamagata lineage after 4 weeks of vaccination and antigen subtype B Victoria lineage after 12 weeks of vaccination (P < 0.05), whereas the controls did not reach a significant level in any antibody titer. In the case of type 'A' influenza, there was no significant difference in neutralizing antibody titers between control and experimental groups. Stimulated NK cells of subjects in the control group decreased significantly between 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the vaccination (P < 0.05) while the subjects in the experimental group slightly increase the NK activity between 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the vaccination, however, there was no significance. The interaction effect was observed between control and experimental groups at weeks 4 and 12 by subsequent analysis (P < 0.05). Conclusion(s): We conclude that a novel approach using the digital device may play an important role to enhance the host immune system to act as a vaccine adjuvant against viral diseases such as influenza.
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Case report Introduction: Various immediate or delayed types of cutaneous adverse reactions such as local site reaction, urticaria, mobilliform rash, elayed large local reactions, etc. have been noted after COVID-19 vaccination, which were usually treatable with times. Here we report 13 patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) developed after COVID-19 vaccination. Cases: Of the 13 CSU patients, four were male and mean age was 42+/-9 years (range: 28-56). Twelve patients were vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, and one was with Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine. 7 patients (53.8%) were developed CSU after their first vaccination, 5 patients (38.5%) were after 2nd booster shot, and one (7.7%) were after third booster shot. Mean latent period was 7+/-6 days (range: 1-20). Mean duration of CSU were 22+/-8 weeks. Nine patients (69.2%) who refractory to 3-or 4-fold increase of H1-antihistamines took omalizumab treatment, all of whom reached well-or completely controlled status. Five of them (55.6%) achieved well-controlled status within 1 month, while 4 of them achieved well-controlled after 3 months. 1 of them took cyclosporine in addition to 300mg/4 weeks to reach well-controlled status. Conclusion(s): COVID-19 vaccination can be a cause of CSU. CSU after COVID-19 vaccination can be intractable to treatment with 4-fold increase of H1-antihistamines. Omalizumab works well to control CSU after COVID-19 vaccination.
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For the extended duration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, reports emerged that mother-to-child transmission rates were low. However, the pandemic protocols including strict isolation, testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and negative pressure isolation remained in Korea. Recently, the guideline for the management of neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 have been revised based on guidelines in other countries. Here, we introduce this newly developed guideline and review the foreign guidelines that were used for reference.Copyright © 2022 The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
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To achieve carbon emission reduction target (CERT) by 2030 and carbon-neutrality in 2050, it is important to actively reduce the emission gap in the private building sector. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war are threatening the green remodeling policy (GRP) worldwide. Therefore, this study analyzed energy consumption savings, GHG emission reduction, and net present value when applying green remodeling to a private building to predict whether or not the current GRP could achieve 2030 CERT and 2050 carbon-neutrality. The main findings are as follows. First, yearly electricity and gas consumption of 84.97 m2 type households can be reduced by 6.19% and 15.58% through green remodeling. Second, based on the energy saving, yearly GHG emission can be reduced about 0.34tCO2eq. Third, the economic feasibility of green remodeling cannot be achieved via the current policy, and NPV17 decreases up to USD-51,485 depending on the credit loan interest rate and the green remodeling interest subsidy program. In other words, it is difficult to reach 2030 CERT and 2050 carbon-neutrality via the current policy. Therefore, the South Korean government is required to reorganize financial policies, establish active systems, increase public awareness of the policy, and improve energy efficiency technology. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
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This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) during the initial 5 and 10 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compared with an initial rSO2 and mean rSO2 during entire CPR to predict the futility of resuscitation for patients without of-hospital-cardiac arrest (OHCA). This was a prospective study involving 52 adult patients presenting in OHCA and whose cerebral rSO2 values were measured until either CPR was terminated or sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was achieved. Receiver operating characteristics analyses were used to evaluate which time and type of measurement is better to predict non-ROSC. The area under the curve (AUC) of each rSO2 value according to measurement time (overall, initial 5 minutes and 10 minutes) were the highest value of 0.743, 0.724, and 0.739, mean values of 0.724, 0.677 and 0.701 and rSO2 (Changes in values of regional cerebral oxygen) value of 0.722, 0.734 and 0.724, respectively, while all of the initial values had a poor AUC (<0.7) and also were not statistically significant. The optimal cut-off value of each rSO2 values during overall, initial 5 minutes and 10 minutes were the highest value of 26% (sensitivity, 53.9% specificity, 92.3%), 24% (sensitivity, 56.4% specificity, 92.3%), and 30% (sensitivity, 61.5% specificity, 84.6%), mean value of 15.2%, 15.3% and 16%, respectively. None of the patients with a persistent rSO2 <=18% during the overall period achieved ROSC. Initial 5 minutes and 10 minutes cerebral rSO2 values an out-of-hospital-cardiac arrest (OHCA) are a better predictor in deciding the futility of CPR, compared to initial and overall measurements.Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by MRE Press.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, thermal screening cameras were installed everywhere. These cameras observe many thermal faces. These thermal face data are generally used to monitor strange temperatures for COVID-19 screening or to maintain social distancing. Big data of Thermal face generated everywhere should be used in the more practical functions. We proposed a method to measure non-contact breathing signals using thermal face data. In addition, breathing signals data estimated from thermal face data was converted to DICOM waveform Information Object Definitions (IODs) for interoperability management of medical data. The proposed method was tested on a golden reference (chest belt) with a mean accuracy of 93.52 %. a proposed method that can extract breathing signals using thermal screening cameras that are widely available around the world and manage data as healthcare interoperability information can show important potential in the public, telemedicine field in the future. © 2022 IEEE.
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Recently, artists and fans meet more often online owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, fans need to engage closely with artists and enjoy rich content. FlumeRide is a mobile application that helps artists and fans meet and greet through video calls. Beyond simply connecting the two, it provides detailed features similar to that fans experience in face-to-face meetings. We first investigated the overall contexts and challenges faced by fans during online meet-and-greets and derived the design elements. Then, we designed and implemented a system that supports various communications and contents in situations before, during, and after the conversation between fans and artists. FlumeRide incorporates various features to support communications in highly immersive and efficient ways, such as chat, video calls, streaming, and recordings. Our user study results demonstrate that FlumeRide enables fans to have private video calls with artists and experience rich interactions. Author
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The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of frontline medical staff complaining of problems such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia, thereby requiring urgent psychological support. Nurses are particularly exposed to various stressors and difficult environments, witnessing patients' pain, frustration, and death, while helping them recover. Music is known to be effective in inducing psychological stability by activating brain waves, relaxing the body, and alleviating negative reactions. This study examines how musical activities affect embitterment and psychological well-being among nurses and nursing students who suffer from various psychological difficulties. This study finds that musical activity helps nurses' psychological stability by lowering their embitterment index and increasing their psychological well-being. Further, the greater the music listening time is, the higher is the psychological well-being, indicating the necessity of increasing the music listening time and encouraging more musical activities for the psychological stability of nurses in the future. © The Author(s) 2023.
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For the extended duration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, reports emerged that mother-to-child transmission rates were low. However, the pandemic protocols including strict isolation, testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and negative pressure isolation remained in Korea. Recently, the guideline for the management of neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 have been revised based on guidelines in other countries. Here, we introduce this newly developed guideline and review the foreign guidelines that were used for reference. © 2022 The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
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Traditionally, time was a crucial factor in determining competitiveness in the air cargo market. This study demonstrates that products whose value changes drastically over time could increase the air transport demand. This study represents that the shipper having products with enormous time sensitivity is more willing to endure the higher fare, indicating the possibility that time-sensitive products will drive the air cargo market's growth. This study also provides empirical evidence for the influence of time factors by showing that time-sensitive products are being transferred from sea to air transport based on ICN and South Korean data. The analysis results are as follows. First, an emerging type of cargo, not a traditional type of cargo, has a significant effect on increasing air transport share. The emerging type of items appeared before Covid-19, and Covid-19 has accelerated their growth. Second, even if airfares increase relatively, the proportion of air transportation does not decrease. It seems to be the result that an emerging type of cargo with higher time sensitivity significantly affects the recent increase in air freight volume. Demand increases in an emerging type of cargo, more sensitive to time, can affect the rise in the air transport share, restricting the negative effect from a relative increase in air freight rates. Last, Covid-19 significantly affects the increase in air transport share. In this regard, this study provides practical implications for the recent growth drivers of the air cargo market. Especially in addition to variables traditionally considered to impact air freight volumes, such as income and price, this study suggests changes in transport items as a growth driver for the recent air cargo market. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd
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Rationale: Asthma remains a significant comorbidity among children with food allergy (FA). Longitudinal data on the course of asthma in this population, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, is lacking. This study aims to describe asthma management and control among children with FA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Children with FA (≤12 years old at enrollment) were enrolled into FORWARD, a prospective, observational cohort study. Data from participants with FA and asthma who completed a 12-month and 24-month post-enrollment asthma therapy assessment were included (n=125). Surveys were administered between January 2019 - July 2022, which includes the onset and duration of COVID-19. Responses to the same questions at the two time points were analyzed using tests of exact symmetry. Results: Compared to the 12-month survey, caregivers at the 24-month survey more frequently reported that their children were not using their inhaler for quick relief (1.6% vs. 9.4%, p = 0.008) and were using their medication incorrectly (3.2% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.003). They less frequently reported that they were unsure whether their medications were useful (3.2% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.016). A similar distribution was observed when non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White participants were compared. No significant differences were evident when comparing symptoms. Conclusions: The symptom burden of asthma remained stable even during the pandemic. However, during this time, children with asthma were less likely to need a rescue inhaler and to be adherent to their maintenance regimen. Further longitudinal research on asthma management is necessary to better understand the potential impact of COVID-19.
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BACKGROUND: Most medical students entering clerkships have limited understanding of clinical reasoning concepts. The value of teaching theories of clinical reasoning and cognitive biases to first-year medical students is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the value of explicitly teaching clinical reasoning theory and cognitive bias to first-year medical students. METHODS: Using Kolb's experiential learning model, we introduced dual process theory, script theory, and cognitive biases in teaching clinical reasoning to first-year medical students at an academic medical center in New York City between January and June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, instruction was transitioned to a distance learning format in March 2020. The curriculum included a series of written clinical reasoning examinations with facilitated small group discussions. Written self-assessments prompted each student to reflect on the experience, draw conclusions about their clinical reasoning, and plan for future encounters involving clinical reasoning. We evaluated the value of the curriculum using mixed-methods to analyze faculty assessments, student self-assessment questionnaires, and an end-of-curriculum anonymous questionnaire eliciting student feedback. RESULTS: Among 318 total examinations of 106 students, 254 (80%) had a complete problem representation, while 199 (63%) of problem representations were considered concise. The most common cognitive biases described by students in their clinical reasoning were anchoring bias, availability bias, and premature closure. Four major themes emerged as valuable outcomes of the CREs as identified by students: (1) synthesis of medical knowledge;(2) enhanced ability to generate differential diagnoses;(3) development of self-efficacy related to clinical reasoning;(4) raised awareness of personal cognitive biases. CONCLUSIONS: We found that explicitly teaching clinical reasoning theory and cognitive biases using an experiential learning model provides first-year medical students with valuable opportunities for developing knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy related to clinical reasoning.
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For the extended duration of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, reports emerged that mother-to-child transmission rates were low. However, the pandemic protocols including strict isolation, testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and negative pressure isolation remained in Korea. Recently, the guideline for the management of neonates born to mothers with COVID-19 have been revised based on guidelines in other countries. Here, we introduce this newly developed guideline and review the foreign guidelines that were used for reference. Copyright © 2022 The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.
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The suppression of cytokine storm in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients can be treated with monoclonal antibody therapy against CD3 for T cell receptor inhibition. An optimized liquid phase as a CD3 antibody-magnetic nanoparticle (Ab-MNP) conjugate can inhibit the overactivation of T cells. We aim to ana-lyze the distribution of Fe in the spleen after acute administration of silica-conjugated amine magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (35 nm) delivered by intravenous injection. The Fe element distribution and concentration levels in spleen tissue were analyzed using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The experimental result is a difference in the concentration of Fe elements, which was 1.89×103 mg/kg in the spleen of a control mouse not administered with MNPs, whereas increases sig-nificantly to 1.93×103 mg/kg in that of a mouse administered with MNPs. Further, time kinetic analysis of bio-chemical and immunological parameters is required to confirm its suitability in bio-administration. © 2022 Journal of Magnetics.
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Purpose: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is very common nowadays in children as well as in adults, probably due to decreased exposure to sunlight. COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closure and decreased outdoor activity in children, which lead to lower chance for exposure to sunlight. It was reported that the higher level of visceral fat was associated with the lower vitamin D levels in children. The aim of this study is whether body mass index (BMI) affect serum vitamin D concentration during COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): BMI and serum 25-hydroxy cholecalciferol (vitamin D) concentration were measured in 1429 children (6 to 11 years of age) between August in 2017 and July in 2018 for pre- COVID-19, 1204 children who lived in urban area of Korea between August in 2020 and July in 2021 for post-COVID-19. Student's t-test and correlation analysis were applied to analyze the relationships between BMI and serum vitamin D concentrations. Result(s): The BMI standard deviation score (SDS) was 0.15+/-1.15 kg/m2 and 0.51+/-1.59 kg/m2 in pre-COVID-19 and post- COVID-19, respectively (p<0.01). The serum vitamin D concentrations were 16.9+/-7.0 ng/mL and 21.2+/-7.7 ng/mL in pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19, respectively (p<0.01). The BMI SDS was 0.11+/-1.27 kg/m2 and 0.56+/-1.78 kg/m2 in pre-COVID-19 and post- COVID-19 in boys, respectively (p<0.01). The serum vitamin D concentrations were 18.4+/-6.7 ng/mL and 21.6+/-7.8 ng/mL in pre- COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 in boys, respectively (p<0.01). The BMI SDS was 0.16+/-1.11 kg/m2 and 0.46+/-1.40 kg/m2 in pre- COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 in girls, respectively (p<0.01). The serum vitamin D concentrations were 16.4+/-7.1 ng/mL and 20.9+/-7.6 ng/mL in pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 in girls, respectively (p<0.01). Conclusion(s): This retrospective data suggest that the prevalence of VDD in Korean children during COVID-19 pandemic seemed to decrease, despite of increased BMI. Considering that the target group was children living in urban areas, it is thought to suggest that sufficient vitamin D were taken during COVID-19 pandemic.