ABSTRACT
Using digital technology to adapt to their host country is an integral part of social inclusion for migrant and refugee populations. However, researchers have not empirically examined how digital technology use may affect subjective well-being among migrant populations. This study aimed to examine the association between increased digital technology use, technological self-efficacy, and subjective well-being. Using the 2020 Digital Divide Survey in Korea, our sample consists of 6520 native South Koreans and 699 North Korean migrants aged 18 years and older. We examined the three-way interaction of technological self-efficacy and being North Korean migrants in the relationship between the increase in the use of five types of digital technology, technological self-efficacy, and subjective well-being, using hierarchical linear regressions. North Korean migrants were statistically lower than South Korean natives in all types of increased digital technology use. Moderation analysis showed that technological self-efficacy positively moderated the relationship between increased digital technology use and subjective well-being. A three-way interaction showed that this relationship was stronger in North Korean migrants for three types of utilization, networking, information sharing, and life services. Considering the potential benefits of technological self-efficacy for North Korean migrants and what psychosocial digital technology education would be considered. © The Author(s) 2023.
ABSTRACT
Since the global shock caused by COVID-19, interest in immune-enhancing materials is rapidly increasing, therefore, the development of novel materials is necessary from the industrial and health perspectives. In this study, we selected Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner Seed Extract (NSE) and evaluated immune enhancement effect by using RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. NSE significantly up-regulated production of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species without affecting cell viability in RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, NSE exhibited an increase of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression in RAW 264.7 cells. The enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay results showed that NSE-treatment significantly enhanced production of interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, we observed that NSE significantly up-regulated phosphorylation of p65, I kappa B kinase α/β, and I kappa B (IκB) α as well as down-regulation of IκB α expression in RAW 264.7 cells. Our findings indicate that NSE could be the potential health-functional food material with capacity of improving immunity via Nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway. © 2023, Korean Society for Applied Biological Chemistry. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The current study attempts to compare anti-Asian discourse before and during the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing big data on Quora, one of the most frequently used community-driven knowledge sites. We created two datasets regarding "Asians” and "anti-Asians” from Quora questions and answers between 2010 and 2021. A total of 1,477 questions and 5,346 answers were analyzed, and the datasets were divided into two time periods: before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted machine-learning-based topic modeling and deep-learning-based word embedding (Word2Vec). Before the pandemic, the topics of physical difference and racism were prevalent, whereas, after the pandemic, the topics of hate crime, the need to stop Asian hate crimes, and the need for the Asian solidarity movement emerged. Above all, the semantic similarity between Asian and Black people became closer, while the similarity between Asian people and other racial/ethnic groups was diminished. The emergence of negative and radical language, which increased saliently after the outbreak of the pandemic, and the considerably wider semantic distance between Asian and White people indicates that the relationship between the two races has been weakened. The findings suggest a long-term campaign or education system to reduce racial tensions during the pandemic. © The Author(s) 2022.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Following assessment of the effectiveness and feasibility based on the results from a two-year population-based nationwide prospective multi-center trial, the Korean government implemented a national lung cancer screening program using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for high-risk smokers in 2019. Methods: National Health Insurance Corporation selected high risk targets who are current smokers aged 54 to 74 years with 30 packs per year or more smoking history on the basis of national health-screening database. (Figure 1). Those eligible were offered lung cancer screening by invitation letters in every two years. Screening units provide LDCT using radiation less than 3mGy by at least 16-row multi-detector CT scanners. Screening results were reported by Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS). The examinee received results by mail or e-mail;after then, counseling on results and mandatory smoking cessation counselling were provided by certified doctors. National Cancer Center monitored participation rates, post-counseling rates and statistics of screening result for quality control. Screening positive rate is defined as proportion of Lung-RADS category 3 and 4 nodules. Results: The participation rate gradually increased from 24.8% among 332,244 eligible targets in 2019, 25.9% in 2020, to 38.7% among 310,260 targets in 2021, however, the proportion of examinees who participated in post-counseling decreased from 46.3% in 2019 to 32.7% in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Figure 2). The positive rates slightly decreased from 9.2% in 2019 to 8.7% in 2021. The variation in positive rates of screening units showed a tendency to decrease (in 2019, the 1st quartile was 4.3%, and the 3rd quartile was 12.9%;and in 2021, 5.2% and 12.5% respectively). Conclusions: National lung cancer screening program has been implemented successfully in Korea with controlling screening positive rates not so high. Controlling false negatives and strengthening post-screening management including smoking cessation counselling needs to improve. [Formula presented] [Formula presented] Keywords: National Lung Cancer Screening, Quality control
ABSTRACT
The growth of the bio-industry is establishing itself as a new growth engine in place of semiconductors, chemicals, and automobiles, the three major industries that have traditionally driven the Korean economy. While the ICT market, which was leading the rapid growth of the Korean economy, is maturing and the mid- to late-stage industry is stagnating, the bio industry is emerging as a next-generation growth engine. Issues in the bio sector due to continuous threats of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and aging population not only incur direct financial costs but also lead to social problems, so it is time for active intervention by the state. As Korea's fast catch-up strategy, which has led to rapid growth in the 1980s, faces limitations due to the rise of China and other underdeveloped countries, it is necessary to foster key personnel for innovative economic growth. Although it has focused on simple technology development, it is shifting to strategic technology management, and the demand for professional technology management personnel necessary for this is continuously increasing. In this situation, the importance of strategic technology management is growing when technology-intensive such as the bio-industry field, the risk of R&D is high, and the intermediate performance of R&D stages is important. Therefore, this study reviewed previous studies to summarize the understanding of the bioindustry and the necessity of technology management. Accordingly, a demand survey was conducted on bio-related industries to establish industry-specific education necessary for fostering professional technology management personnel in the bio-industry. In addition, it is intended to provide implications by analyzing the results and presenting a plan to establish education below technical management personnel specializing in the bio-industry. © 2022 IJETAE Publication House. All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
Social distancing and the expansion of the digital environment due to the impact of COVID-19 are raising the need for digital literacy among the elderly for overall social participation such as mutual communication, health care, and education. The purpose of this study was to identify the correlation between digital literacy, loneliness, quality of life, and health promotion behaviors among the elderly aged between 65 and over and under 75 years. The data collection for this study was from May 1 to June 1, 2021, after approval from the C University Bioethics Review Committee using online questionnaires for 159 young-old elderly living in Korea. This study was a descriptive correlation study to understand the relationship between these variables for the young-old elderly. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS WIN/25.0. The general characteristics were frequency, mean, and standard deviation, the difference of variables according to the general characteristics was analyzed by t-test and one-way ANOVA, and post-analysis was analyzed by Scheffe's test. The correlation between each variable was analyzed using Pearson's correlation. The subjects' digital media literacy was positively correlated with quality of life and health promotion behavior. Loneliness was inversely correlated with quality of life and health-promoting behavior. Quality of life was positively correlated with health-promoting behavior. Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that digital literacy education programs for the elderly in the future are necessary to reduce the elderly's feeling of loneliness and improve the quality of life and health promotion behaviors. © 2022 The Authors.
ABSTRACT
SETTING: Five referral hospitals, South Korea.OBJECTIVE: To assess epidemiological changes in TB before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.DESIGN: This was a multicentre cohort study of 3,969 patients diagnosed with TB.RESULTS: We analysed 3,453 patients diagnosed with TB prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2016-February 2020) and 516 during the pandemic (March-November 2020). During the pandemic, the number of patients visits declined by 15% from the previous 4-year average, and the number of patients diagnosed with TB decreased by 17%. Patients diagnosed during the pandemic were older than those diagnosed before the pandemic (mean age, 60.2 vs. 56.6 years, P < 0.001). The proportion of patients to have primary TB at a younger age (births after 1980) among those diagnosed with TB was significantly lower during the pandemic than before (17.8% in 2020 vs. 23.5% in 2016, 24.0% in 2017, 22.5% in 2018, 23.5% in 2019; P = 0.005).CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a reduction in the number of visits to respiratory departments, leading to fewer patients being diagnosed with TB. However, our results suggest that universal personal preventive measures help to suppress TB transmission in regions with intermediate TB burden.