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OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have comprehensively investigated the preva-lence and various potential risk factors for de-lirium among patients with advanced cancer ad-mitted to the acute palliative care unit (APCU). Our objective was to evaluate the comprehen-sive association between delirium and various risk factors among patients with advanced can-cer in an acute palliative care setting using a pa-tient-based multicenter registry cohort.PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a multicenter, patient-based registry cohort study collected in South Korea between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. Delirium was identified using a medical record review based on the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.RESULTS: In total, 2,124 eligible patients with advanced cancer in the APCU met the inclu-sion criteria. There were 127 out of 2,124 pa-tients (prevalence, 6.0%;95% CI, 5.0 to 7.1) with delirium during admission. Delirium in patients with advanced cancer was associated with age >70 years (OR, 1.793;95% CI, 1.246 to 2.581), male sex (OR, 1.675;95% CI, 1.131 to 2.479), no chemotherapy during hospitalization (OR, 2.019;95% CI, 1.236 to 3.298), hearing impairment (OR, 3.566;95% CI, 1.176 to 10.810), underweight (OR, 1.826;95% CI, 1.067 to 3.124), current use of opioid medication (OR, 1.942;95% CI, 1.264 to 2.982), previous history of delirium (OR, 12.497;95% CI, 6.920 to 22.568), and mental illness (OR, 2.333;95% CI, 1.251 to 4.352).CONCLUSIONS: In a large-scale multicenter patient-based registry cohort, delirium was asso-ciated with old age, male sex, no chemotherapy during hospitalization, hearing impairment, un-derweight, current use of opioid medication, and a history of delirium and mental illness. Our find-ings suggest physicians should pay attention to delirium in patients with advanced cancer admit-ted to the APCU with the above risk factors.
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Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first reported at the end of 2019, is characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to multi-organ dysfunction. These symptoms may persist even after the acute phase has passed. Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (long-COVID) is a condition characterized by COVID-19 symptoms that persist for longer than two months after infection. Fatigue, muscle and joint pain, dyspnea, cognitive impairment, and anxiety are the most common symptoms of long-COVID. Given the substantial impact of COVID-19 sequelae on the quality of life of its survivors, as well as its socioeconomic burden, proactive measures are required. Current Concepts: Following the identification of long-COVID characteristics and symptoms, patient-centered care based on vaccination, COVID-19 medications, and digital healthcare is recommended. Furthermore, people who are more vulnerable to long-COVID, such as those with respiratory dysfunctions or the older adults, require more specialized and attentive management. Big data and artificial intelligence will hopefully enable a more Discussion and Conclusion: Infectious diseases threaten our lives constantly, as evidenced by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and its lingering consequences. A novel virus can emerge at any time and place, resulting in substantial clinical and economic loss. At this stage, it is crucial to establish prompt and effective strategies against long-COVID, as well as against potential pandemics.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted consumers to postpone in-store purchases and shift to online shopping, decreasing overall retail spending. As the global lockdown eases and shoppers return to offline stores and malls, shopping malls seek to facilitate in-store consumer experiences at entertainment facilities. Given the importance of entertainment facilities to the cross-selling revenue of shopping malls, we investigate the relationship between consumers' movie-watching and subsequent (hedonistic) grocery purchases. Our analysis of a panel database that includes transaction details at the consumer level shows that movie-watching is negatively correlated with consumer spending. Furthermore, consumers' psychological states induced by content and contextual factors moderate the negative effect of movie-watching;after watching a fantasy (as compared to thriller) genre or watching a movie in a less crowded theater, consumers are more likely to make hedonic purchases at the supermarket. These findings provide theoretical and managerial implications for retail operators exploring cross-selling opportunities post-pandemic. © 2023
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This study examines the case of a shopping mall in Seoul, South Korea, based on its offline retail sales data during the period of the enforcement of the COVID-19 pandemic social distancing policy. South Korea implemented strict social distancing, especially in retail categories where people eat out, due to the danger of spreading infectious disease. A total of 55 retail shops' sales data were analyzed and classified into five categories: fashion, food and beverage (f&b), entertainment, cosmetics and sport. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and exponential smoothing (ETS) models were employed, and the autocorrelation (ACF) and partial autocorrelation (PACF) of each retail category's sales data were analyzed. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was used to determine the most suitable forecasting model for each retail category. In this way, the f&b and entertainment retail categories, in which people eat out, were found to have been significantly impacted, with their 2022 sales forecasted to be less than 80% of their 2018 and 2019 sales. The fashion retail category was also significantly impacted, slowly recovering sales in 2022. The cosmetics and sport retail categories were little impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, with their retail sales having already recovered by 2022. © 2023 by the authors.
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The demand for face masks is increasing exponentially due to the coronavirus pandemic and the particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere. As a result, an enormous number of disposable mask filters have been produced and discarded, contributing to plastic waste. Underprivileged people who cannot afford to purchase commercial face masks have started making fabric masks with waste clothing;however, this material does not effectively filter viruses or PM. Therefore, in this study, a chitosan coating was applied to clothing fabrics to increase their effectiveness as face masks. The improvement in the PM removal efficiency owing to the chitosan polymer was observed for stocking, innerwear, and bamboo materials, but not for cotton. Furthermore, chitosan prepared in the form of a nanowhisker (CsW) achieved a PM 2.5 removal efficiency of 96% in a five-layer cotton fabric. In addition, a commercial biodegradable poly(lactic acid) filter was coated with CsW, which increased the PM 2.5 removal efficiency from 67% to 83%. Additionally, microbial growth was significantly suppressed in the chitosan-coated fabrics, and the degree to which it was suppressed depended on the coating concentration. The study will aid in the utilization of face mask filters that are more sustainable, efficient, and widely accessible. © 2023 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
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This study aims to analyze the main entrances of regional public hospitals responding to infectious diseases after the spread of COVID-19 and to suggest direction for entrance planning in case of future epidemics. The infection control response guidelines were examined, and eight regional public hospitals were visited to research the current entrance access procedures while interviewing hospital facility managers. The purpose of the equipment and facilities installed for infectious disease response and changes in the main entrance area were analyzed by its architectural floor plans. Problems were then derived upon examining the required elements at the entrance and the newly added infectious disease response of visitors flow and procedure. The floor plan of regional public hospitals was classified into four plan types, and the improvement direction of the entrance layout during an infectious disease epidemic was presented. The results showed that there were different responses of entrance procedure with the same plan type. In addition, the suitable entrance flow and procedure reflecting the relative differences and various aspects of each plan type was derived. This study could be used in the future as basic data for the architectural planning direction of a new hospital. © 2023 Aidnreetural Institute of Korea.
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Background: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)-like white matter disease, a rare complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a potentially life-threatening neurological disorder. The objective of this study was to report the successful treatment of post–COVID-19 ADEM with urgent immunotherapy and neurointensive management. Case Report: A 53-year-old female patient was referred to our hospital with a 2-day history of progressive mental deterioration and was diagnosed with ADEM after COVID-19. The patient's symptoms worsened despite the administration of high-dose steroids, and targeted temperature management was employed to manage brain edema. Additionally, the neurointensivist decided to use intravenous immunoglobulin early for intractable post–COVID-19 ADEM. Her mental status and neuroimaging findings showed rapid im-provement at about 3 months after admission. Conclusion: This case highlights that if the patient's symptoms worsen despite high-dose steroid administration in the acute stage, early use of intravenous immunoglobulin is expected to have a positive effect on the prognosis of patients with post–COVID-19 ADEM. © 2022 The Korean Neurocritical Care Society.
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This short story reflects on my teaching days before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. One day, I asked my students to write a reflection about the course, Language and Culture, which made me ponder my teaching. I decided to try out flipped learning pedagogy with my class at a university in South Korea. Based on my results, as both an instructor and a researcher, I would like to strongly suggest that flipped learning classrooms and activities should systematically apply best practices for successful active learning in online and offline contexts. © 2022 selection and editorial matter, Curtis J. Bonk and Meina Zhu;individual chapters, the contributors.
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The long-term pandemic caused by COVID-19 has changed many aspects of the work environment. Companies stalled to seriously consider telework and many have actually adopted it as an alternative way to work, hi fact 73.9% of overseas architect firms are using the telework while domestic architect firms shows no signs of introducing it yet. Various causes are suggested as to why the telework is not yet implemented in architectural practice even with the necessity of introduction, they are only unverified speculations and in order to understand the causes and solve the problems, a sophisticated analysis of the cause is required, hi addition, telework is not just a temporary option in pandemic situation but it needs to be established as another type of work in arcliitectiiral industiy in preparation for similar situation that may occur in the future. Therefore, this study aims to derive the impediments recognized by architect in introducing telework into domestic architect offices, and based on the results of the analysis from the derived factors, it was attempted to find a way to activate telework. Through the literature review, it is conformed that the research regarding the telework of architect office was insufficient and for this reason, telework consideration factors were derived from related studies targeting general companies. The questionnaire was prepared in consideration of the derived factors and the characteristics of the design work, and it was conducted at a time when the government's social distancing guidelines and telework recommendations were made. The study was conducted using the responses of 103 persons working in architect offices of the metropolitan area. As a result, it was confirmed that the cause of hindrace for teleworking perceived by the workers in the architect office was due to the specific characteristics of the design work, and it was confimed that the communication of visual information was the biggest hindrance factor ill the design work, hi addition, as a result of ANOVA on the questionnaire results, it was confirmed that there was a difference in the perceptions of architects about telework, and the main difference came from the work position and project experience. Afterwards. through factor analysis, specific directions were presented for three aspects: communication of design work when working from home, support within the organization, and establishment of IT infrastructure as a way to revitalize it. © 2022 Architectural Institute of Korea
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This study aims to understand the factors influencing clinical practices and experiences of nursing students in varied clinical learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. It uses an exploratory sequential mixed methods design where quantitatively, the subjects’ sense of powerlessness, self-efficacy, clinical practice satisfaction, and learning flow according to the clinical learning environment were evaluated, and qualitatively, in-depth interview and analysis of the reflections were conducted. Data analysis was performed by paired t-test and multivariate regression analysis using the SPSS 25.0 program, and qualitative thematic analysis was performed. As a result of the study, in online clinical education, it was found that the lower the sense of helplessness (p=.018) and the higher the clinical practice satisfaction (p=.004), the higher the learning commitment was, and the model composed of these variables explained 39.2% of the learning flow. In addition, the higher the satisfaction with clinical practice, the higher the learning immersion (p<.001), and the explanation power was 54.1%. As a result of qualitative thematic analysis, three central themes and six sub-themes were derived, and it was found that students experienced 'a fearful but useful experience, regret about the limited experience, and pride and high satisfaction in the nursing profession’. In the context of the spread of COVID-19, it is necessary to develop effective practical training methods to improve the quality of nursing education. © 2022, Success Culture Press. All rights reserved.
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This study examined the perceived contingent factors that affect South Korean citizens’ image of the city they reside in. The respondents in this study perceived the image of their city through two dimensions––leading and safe––during the COVID-19 era. When respondents perceived the openness and expertise of the local government, the transformational and transactional leadership of the government leader, liberal political orientation of the leader, lower degree of law compliance of the mayor, high degree of citizenship, and high level of living infrastructure and competitiveness as attributes of the city, they were more likely to perceive the city as having a “leading” image. The perceived cultural characteristics of the local government, specifically the factor of hierarchy and regulation, the perceptions of citizenship, and all three variables regarding the perceptions related to city attributes (i.e., environmental, cultural, and living infrastructures and competitiveness) positively influenced the perception of a “safe” city image. Based on the results, various theoretical and practical implications were discussed in this study. © 2022, Center for Asian Public Opinion Research and Collaboration Initiative. All rights reserved.
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Microorganisms on the surface are important contributors to produce a serious threat to global public health. These microorganisms are associated with hospital acquired infections (HAIs), resulting in high mortality rates worldwide. The U.S Center for Diseases Control and Prevention reported that about one in 25 U.S hospital patients is being diagnosed related to HAIs. 60-70% of these HAIs are related to bacterial surface contamination of hospital or medical devices. In addition, after COVID-19 outbreaks, antimicrobial surfaces become more important as the possibility of infectious virus transmission by fomites confirmed. Previous studies reports that virus remain infectious on surfaces such as plastic for 6 days and human skin for 4 days. 1 That triggered a tremendous effort to sanitize everything surfaces from the handle to the subway. 2 The microbial inactivation method using heat treatment has been used as a safe, effective, and environment-friendly method that do not use and generate harmful ozone or ions. Herein, we introduce an electro-thermal antimicrobial technology that completely kill microorganism on surface. The electro-thermal antimicrobial performance results from thermal energy generated by current flowing on a conductive carbon fiber surface. This work presents a new approach for rapid inactivation of microorganisms on the surface, which is attractive for low-cost, harmless, and energy-efficient sterilization applications. © 2021 IEEE.
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In the year of a global pandemic that brought activity to a halt for musicians around the globe, the K-pop industry proved to be an illuminating case study in how to remain vibrant despite being distanced. As a music that thrives on the Internet with its highly visual nature, K-pop has been well positioned to maintain lively audiences through diverse and innovative content amidst the lockdown environment. Indeed, high-profile group BTS flourished in the time of COVID-19, garnering the Guinness record for most viewers of a music concert live stream. At the heart of this success is an engagement with fans that continues to drive BTS's, and K-pop's, rise to mainstream visibility, revealing a participatory nature that remains its strength. This essay reflects on K-pop fandom at the intersection of social media activity intensified in the COVID-19 era, focusing on the case of BTS and the group's success in building community online.
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Background Recently, the demand for isolation rooms has rapidly increased with the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Previous studies investigated temporary isolation wards to resolve the shortage of beds. Most of the studies, however, focused on construction methods and the capability of equipment instead of experiential aspects such as medical activities and life in quarantine. This article presents design requirements and the associated example design cases based on the identified needs of medical and facility staff from a participatory design workshop. Methods A participatory design workshop was conducted with 21 medical and facility staff in a hospital specializing in infectious diseases. Two workshop sessions including MACRO-level design for overall configurations and MICRO-level design for room layouts were conducted to participants. The collected data was analyzed to derive design requirements for temporary isolation wards. To verify the relevance and applicability of the derived design requirements, we asked four designers to develop conceptual designs of new isolation wards based on the card-type design aid, which includes the details of the requirements. Results From the design workshop, five design requirements were derived: supporting the communication between the inside and outside of an isolation ward;preventing contact with the infection source;relieving emotional anxiety;relieving medical staffs’ work burden;and securing an appropriate hospital environment. During the conceptual design process using the design aids, designers created animated conceptual scenarios for isolation wards (information system using QR codes, serving robots for delivery, trash bin discharging wastes in safety, digital window, and plugin facility module). Conclusions The design requirements can be applied for new medical service design projects, which should consider experiential aspects in addition to the physical and spatial aspects in context of temporary isolation ward design. The example scenarios would be beneficial for further exploration of a new product, system, and service design for infectious diseases while considering the experiences beyond the physical configuration. © 2021. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License org/licenses/bync/ 3.0/), which permits unrestricted educational provided the original work is properly cited. All Rights Reserved.
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Liquid desiccant air conditioners contribute to sustainable living by reducing the electricity consumption. They can be driven with continuous ventilation and thus can prevent airborne transmission of infectious diseases like COVID-19. In order to develop efficient desiccant materials for liquid desiccant air conditioners, we have investigated the dehumidification capability of 21 types of ammonium salts, many of them being ionic liquids. The hygroscopicity of dicationic quaternary ammonium bis(dimethyl or diethylphosphate) is found to increase with the carbon chain length of the spacer group -(CH2)n- that bridges the two terminal cationic moieties of the dication, that is, (CH2)2 < (CH2)3 < (CH2)6. This trend remains unchanged when methyl substituents on the cation and the phosphate anion are replaced by ethyl groups. A high dehumidification capability is obtained for N1,N1,N1,N6,N6,N6-hexamethylhexane-1,6-diaminium bis(dimethylphosphate) ([HMC6][DMPO4]2) and 1,6-diethyl-1,1,6,6-tetramethylhexane-1,6-diaminium bis(diethylphosphate) ([DETMC6][DEPO4]2);their capability per gram reaches almost twice that of CaCl2, and their dehumidification rate is superior to popular solid desiccants. A favorable equilibrium water vapor pressure for the liquid desiccant air-conditioning system is attained for an 80% (w/w) aqueous solution of [HMC6][DMPO4]2. In addition, the 80% aqueous solution of [HMC6][DMPO4]2 affords no corrosive effect on steel, aluminum, and stainless steel and a very weak effect on copper. Dicationic quaternary ammonium bis(dimethyl or diethylphosphate)s are stable compounds;their aqueous solutions produce no odor after storing for over 1 year under ambient conditions. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to gain insights into the solvation structure, energetics, and transport behavior of water in aqueous solutions of [HMC6][DMPO4]2 and related salts. ©
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Introduction: Inebilizumab is approved in the USA and Japan for aquaporin 4 immunoglobulin (Ig)G seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Objective: Report final safety and efficacy data from the N-MOmentum trial of inebilizumab in NMOSD. Methods: Participants with NMOSD (aged 18+, EDSS score of ≤8, recent history of attacks) were randomized 3:1 to inebilizumab or placebo monotherapy for 28 weeks or up to attack occurrence;the randomized controlled period (RCP). Primary outcome was time to adjudicated attack. Participants could then enter the inebilizumab open label period (OLP). Final study data are presented, including attack risk and safety outcomes. Results: Of the 230 participants randomized and dosed, 216 (93.9%) entered and 174 (80.6%) completed the OLP. In the RCP, 87.0% were attack free with inebilizumab and 59.9% with placebo (72.8% risk reduction, p<0.001). In the OLP, 87.7% were attackfree in those continuing inebilizumab and 83.4% in those switched from placebo. Regardless of randomization, 225 participants received inebilizumab. Mean (SD) treatment duration was 3.2 (1.4) years;36.8% were treated for >4 years (maximum of 5.5 years). Total exposure was 730.36 person-years (py) with an annualized attack rate of 0.092;40/63 (63.5%) attacks occurred in the first year. Treatment-emergent adverse events (AE) were reported by 89 (39.6%) participants, most frequently urinary tract infection (26.2%), nasopharyngitis (20.9%) and arthralgia (17.3%). Infusion-related reactions with inebilizumab occurred in 28 (12.9%) participants (rate per 100-py: whole study, 11.1;RCP, 37.6). The rate (95% confidence interval) of infections per 100-py did not increase with continued treatment: year 1, 116.3 (102.4-131.6);year 2, 68.1 (57.2-80.6);year 3, 61.9 (50.3-75.5);year 4, 55.1 (41.7-71.4). 105 participants had transient low IgG (<700 mg/dL) during treatment, but no correlations were found between the worst IgG, IgM or IgA levels recorded and the occurrence of any infection or an infection ≥ grade 3 (Fisher exact test, all p>0.05). Three trial participants died: one from complications of NMOSD attack, one from a CNS event of unclear etiology and one due to COVID-19, after 9, 224 and 1225 days of inebilizmab treatment, respectively. Conclusions. During the 5.5 years of N-MOmentum, the risk of attack in participants receiving inebilizumab remained low with no evidence of unexpected serious adverse events, including serious infection.
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BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, various adverse skin reactions to long-term mask wearing have been reported. AIM: To assess the clinical features of mask-induced dermatoses and to recommend prevention and treatment options. METHODS: From April to August 2020, questionnaires including topics such as demographic information, pre-existing skin disorders, reported mask-related symptoms, daily mask-wearing duration and frequency, types of masks used and whether the participant was a healthcare worker, were distributed to patients in 12 hospitals. Dermatologists assessed skin lesions, confirmed diagnosis and recorded treatments. RESULTS: Itchiness was the most frequent symptom, mostly affecting the cheeks. The most common skin disease was new-onset contact dermatitis (33.94%), followed by new-onset acne (16.97%) and worsening of pre-existing acne (16.97%). Daily wearing of masks was significantly (P = 0.02) associated with new-onset contact dermatitis. More than half of patients with pre-existing skin problems experienced disease worsening while wearing masks. Longer duration of wearing (> 6 h/day, P = 0.04) and use of cotton masks (P < 0.001) significantly increased acne flare-up. Healthcare workers had a higher incidence of skin disease. Skin lesions were generally mild and well tolerated with topical treatment. The study had some limitations: the effect of seasonal characteristics and other risk factors were not assessed, and the patients were visiting dermatological clinics and had interest in their skin status, thus, there may have been selection bias. CONCLUSION: Mask-induced/-triggered dermatoses contribute to increase the dermatological burden during the pandemic.