The mediating effects of socio-behavioral factors on the needs for help among Asian American breast cancer survivors

Background: Breast cancer survivors often report their high needs for help during the transition to cancer survivorship. During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology-based programs are increasingly popular because of their high flexibility and accessibility in delivering information and coaching/support to address the current needs for help among cancer survivors. Yet, little is known about how socio-behavioral factors influence the effects of a technology-based intervention on the needs for help of racial/ethnic minority breast cancer survivors, especially Asian American breast cancer survivors. Purpose(s): The purpose of this secondary analysis was to examine the multiple socio-behavioral factors (including attitudes, self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and social influences related to breast cancer survivorship) mediated the effects of a technology-based intervention on the needs for help among Asian American breast cancer survivors. Method(s): This analysis was conducted with the data from 199 Asian American breast cancer survivor women who were recruited from January 2017 to June 2020 through online and offline communities/groups. The needs for help were measured using the Support Care Needs Survey-34 Short Form (SCNS) with five domains on psychological, information, physical, support, and communication needs. Mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro within SPSS. The analysis determined the mediating effects of four socio-behavioral mediators on the needs for help at pre-test [T0 ], post 1-month [T1 ], and post 3-months [T2 ] of a technology-based intervention. Result(s): Overall, all the mediators had statistically significant mediation effects on all types of needs for help (p < .05) at different points. Attitudes and social influence presented statistically significant mediation effects on the total needs for help score over 3 months (T0 , T1 , and T2 ). Perceived Barriers had mediation effects on all types of needs for help over 1 month (T0 , T1 ). Self-efficacy mediated the effects on all types of needs for help only at post 1 month (T1 ). Conclusion(s): The findings supported that all the socio-behavioral factors (attitudes, self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and social influences) mediated the effects of a technology-based intervention on the needs for help of Asian American breast cancer survivors. Future research and practice should consider socio-behavioral factors to reduce their needs for help during their survivorship process.

The Structural Relationships among Academic Pressure, Independent Learning Ability, and Academic Self-Efficacy

Background: The coronavirus disease pandemic has caused significant disruption in the field of education, resulting in the need for more online classes and a blended offline and online teaching model. Therefore, understanding what makes this model effective is important. Accordingly, this study explored the structural relationships among academic pressure, independent learning ability, and academic self-efficacy in a blended teaching environment during the pandemic and independent learning ability's mediating effect on the relationship between academic pressure and academic self-efficacy. Methods: Adopting a random sampling method, this study surveyed 761 Chinese college, Shaanxi Province, China in 2022 and university students. Factor analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and path analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: The results show that the academic pressure faced by Chinese English majors had a significant negative impact on academic self-efficacy (P<0.001). However, academic pressure had no statistical effect on stu-dents' independent learning ability (P=0.317). Moreover, independent learning ability had a significant positive effect on academic self-efficacy (P<0.001) and a mediating effect on the relationship between academic pressure and academic self-efficacy (P=0.032). Conclusion: Independent learning ability can directly and indirectly affect academic self-efficacy. Thus, in an online and offline blended teaching model, teachers should guide students regarding self-exploration, com-munication, and cooperation based on existing knowledge and experience. They should also enable students to improve their learning process and independent learning ability. Various language learning situations should be established for learning English so that by experiencing success and failure, students can ultimately improve their academic self-efficacy. © 2023 Zhao et al.

A Study on Technology Innovation at Incheon International Airport: Focusing on RAISA

Airports are implementing innovative technologies represented as Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to prepare for increase of customer numbers and provide better experience in post-corona era. This study aims to explore the role of technologies recently introduced in airports and the benefits of such technology-driven transition. To achieve the purpose, this study focuses on technologies of robot, AI and service automation (RAISA) along service process from the perspective of airport customers. For the analysis, the best practice of airport in South Korea is selected and provide basic data for RAISA utilization. Through the case analysis, this study categorizes the core technologies utilized in airports and explores the advantages, for instance attaining process efficiency and providing customer convenience from RAISA. In conclusion, despite suffering from COVID-19 pandemic, it can be a possible opportunity to restructure and reorganize the airport service process through implementation of RAISA. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

A Comparative Analysis of Government Responses to COVID-19 in the United States, China, and South Korea: Lessons from the Early Stage of the Pandemic*

COVID-19 has spread quickly worldwide, presenting unprecedented challenges to countries all over the globe. To understand how different countries have responded to COVID-19 during the early stage of the outbreak, we develop a comprehensive research framework drawing on the literature on wicked problems. Specifically, we comparatively investigate the government responses of the United States, China, and South Korea and examine why and how these countries have adopted and implemented various strategies—authoritative, collaborative, and competitive—depending on their policy environment. Although scholars have argued that collaborative strategies are the preferred approach to dealing with wicked problems, it is found that the most applicable, implementable, and effective strategies vary according to the country's cultural, economic, and political contexts. In addition, the urgency and timing of the crisis may affect the choice of appropriate strategies. Our findings can provide lessons for public administration and policy to cope with other wicked problems. © 2023 by INSTITUTE OF KOREAN STUDIES.

National trends in suicide-related behaviors among youths between 2005-2020, including COVID-19: a Korean representative survey of one million adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: It is difficult to conclude that COVID-19 is associated with a decrease in the suicide attempts rate by comparing only a short-term period. Therefore, it is necessary to examine attempted suicide rates through a trend analysis over a longer period. This study aimed to investigate an estimated long-term trend regarding the prevalence of suicide-related behaviors among adolescents in South Korea from 2005 to 2020, including COVID-19. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We sourced data from a national representative survey (Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey) and analyzed one million Korean adolescents aged 13 to 18 years (n=1,057,885) from 2005 to 2020. The 16-year trends regarding the prevalence of sadness or despair and suicidal ideation and attempt and the trend changes before and during COVID-19. RESULTS: Data of 1,057,885 Korean adolescents was analyzed (weighted mean age, 15.03 years; males, 52.5%; females, 47.5%). Although the 16-year trend in the prevalence of sadness or despair and suicide ideation and attempt consistently decreased (prevalence of sadness or despair between 2005-2008, 38.0% with 95% confidence interval [CI], 37.7 to 38.4 vs. prevalence in 2020, 25.0% [24.5 to 25.6]; suicide ideation between 2005-2008, 21.9% [21.6 to 22.1] vs. prevalence in 2020, 10.7% [10.3 to 11.1]; and suicide attempt between 2005-2008, 5.0% [4.9 to 5.2] vs. prevalence in 2020, 1.9% [1.8 to 2.0]), the downward slope decreased during COVID-19 (ßdiff in sadness, 0.215 with 95% CI 0.206 to 0.224; ßdiff in suicidal ideation, 0.245 [0.234 to 0.256]; and ßdiff in suicide attempt, 0.219 [0.201 to 0.237]) compared with pre-pandemic period. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that the observed risk of suicide-related behaviors during the pandemic was higher than expected through long-term trend analysis of the prevalence of sadness/despair and suicidal ideation and attempts among South Korean adolescents. We need a profound epidemiologic study of the change in mental health due to the pandemic's impact and the establishment of prevention strategies for suicide ideation and attempt.

17-year trends of body mass index, overweight, and obesity among adolescents from 2005 to 2021, including the COVID-19 pandemic: a Korean national representative study.

OBJECTIVE: There is a lack of pediatric studies that have analyzed trends in mean body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of obesity and overweight over a period that includes the mid-stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, we aimed to investigate trends in BMI, overweight, and obesity among Korean adolescents from 2005 to 2021, including the COVID-19 pandemic. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We used data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS), which is nationally representative of South Korea. The study included middle- and high-school students between the ages of 12 and 18. We examined trends in mean BMI and prevalence of obesity and/or overweight during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared these to those of pre-pandemic trends in each subgroup by gender, grade, and residential region. RESULTS: Data from 1,111,300 adolescents (mean age: 15.04 years) were analyzed. The estimated weighted mean BMI was 20.48 kg/m2 (95% CI, 20.46-20.51) between 2005 and 2007, and this was 21.61 kg/m2 (95% CI, 21.54-21.68) in 2021. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 13.1% (95% CI, 12.9-13.3%) between 2005 and 2007 and 23.4% (95% CI, 22.8-24.0%) in 2021. The mean BMI and prevalence of obesity and overweight have gradually increased over the past 17 years; however, the extent of change in mean BMI and in the prevalence of obesity and overweight during the pandemic was distinctly less than before. The 17-year trends in the mean BMI, obesity, and overweight exhibited a considerable rise from 2005 to 2021; however, the slope during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) was significantly less prominent than in the pre-pandemic (2005-2019). CONCLUSIONS: These findings enable us to comprehend long-term trends in the mean BMI of Korean adolescents and further emphasize the need for practical prevention measures against youth obesity and overweight.

Performance evaluation of a fast and efficient intrusion detection framework for advanced persistent threat-based cyberattacks

After the COVID-19 pandemic, cyberattacks are increasing as non-face-to-face environments such as telecommuting and telemedicine proliferate. Cyberattackers exploit vulnerabilities in remote systems and endpoint devices in major enterprises and infrastructures. To counter these attacks, fast detection and response are essential because advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks intelligently infiltrate endpoint devices for long periods and spread to large-scale environments. However, because conventional security systems are signature-based, fast detection of APT attacks is challenging, and it is difficult to respond flexibly to the environment. In this study, we propose an APT fast detection and response technique using open-source tools that improves the efficiency of existing endpoint information protection systems and swiftly detects the APT attack process. Performance test results based on realistic scenarios using the open-source APT attack library and MITER ATT&CK indicated that fast detection was possible with higher accuracy for the early stages of APT attacks in scenarios where endpoint attack detectors are interworking environments. © 2022 The Authors

Robot, AI and Service Automation (RAISA) in Airports: The Case of South Korea

Airports are implementing innovative technologies represented as Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to prepare for an increase of customer numbers and provide better experience in post-corona era. This study aims to explore the role of technologies recently introduced in airports and the benefits of the such technology-driven transition. To achieve the purpose, this study focuses on technologies of robots, AI, and service automation (RAISA) along with service process from the perspective of airport customers. For the analysis, the best practice of airport in South Korea is selected and provide basic data for RAISA utilization. Through the case analysis, this study categorizes the core technologies utilized in airports and explores the advantages, for instance attaining process efficiency and providing customer convenience from RAISA. In conclusion, despite suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be a possible opportunity to restructure and reorganize the airport service process through the implementation of RAISA. © 2022 IEEE.

The Effect of Non-face-to-face Collaboration System Quality on Business Performance

As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, companies are rapidly shifting to non-face-to-face work by expanding telecommuting and introducing platforms tailored to the non-face-to-face work environments. Therefore, this study was intended to verify the effects of non-face-to-face collaboration system quality on work efficiency and business performance. To that end, a questionnaire survey was conducted with project team members who had work experience using a non-face-to-face collaboration system, and empirical analysis was conducted through statistical analysis of the collected data. The results of the study indicated that the quality of non-face-to-face collaboration systems had positive effects on work efficiency and business performance. In addition, it was shown that work efficiency positively affects business performance. Consequently, it was identified that non-face-to-face collaboration systems play an important role in improving work efficiency and ultimately improving business performance. The foregoing suggests that in the trend of emphasizing efficient utilization of non-face-to-face collaboration systems increasing worldwide, the construction of a non-face-to-face collaboration system that reflected work efficiency first can enhance the competitiveness of firms and improve management. © 2022 IEEE.

CHANGING PERFORMANCE OF COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING FOLLOWING A COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN KOREA

Background/Aim: It is easy to predict that the actual COVID-19 pandemic would have had a negative impact on cancer screening activities and the outcomes of screenings, but to date, real-time population-based evidence to substantiate this concern is very scarce. In this study, to understand the changes in the behavior and performance of CRC screening following the COVID-19 pandemic, the indicators of CRC screening processes and outcome measures were compared with both monthly data in 2019 and monthly changes focusing on the peaks that appeared in 2020. Method: This population-based nationwide study used fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and colonoscopy claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance System (NHIS) from 2019 to 2020. Data were analyzed from 15,867,759 subjects in 2019 and 16,155,930 subjects in 2020. We compared the data of CRC screening (FIT/ colonoscopy) of the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020) with those of the same period of 2019. Result: In the COVID-19 period, 3,445,660 (21.3%) subjects underwent FIT, whereas in 2019, 6,490,707 (40.9%) subjects performed FIT (almost 2-fold). Participation rate in colonoscopy after FIT positive fell in 2020 by 36.0% compared with the average rate recorded in 2019 (44.5%). In particular, it was confirmed that the participation rate of the CRC screening further decreased immediately after the COVID-19 peak periods (first and second wave: March 2020 and August 2020). Conclusion: The overall adherences to CRC screening tests decreased substantially during COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, urgent modulation for not only easier access but also planning a restart for CRC screening is needed to address the growing burden of under-detected CRC in Korea.

COVID-19 susceptibility and clinical outcomes in autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRDs): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aims to assess the susceptibility to and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIRD) and following AIRD drug use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included observational and case-controlled studies assessing susceptibility and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with AIRD as well as the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 with or without use of steroids and conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). RESULTS: Meta-analysis including three studies showed that patients with AIRD are not more susceptible to COVID-19 compared to patients without AIRD or the general population (OR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.58 to 2.14). Incidence of severe outcomes of COVID-19 (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 0.76 to 2.35) and COVID-19 related death (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 0.68 to 2.16) also did not show significant difference. The clinical outcomes of COVID-19 among AIRD patients with and without csDMARD or steroid showed that both use of steroid (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 0.96 to 2.98) or csDMARD (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 0.63 to 3.08) had no effect on clinical outcomes of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: AIRD does not increase susceptibility to COVID-19, not affecting the clinical outcome of COVID-19. Similarly, the use of steroids or csDMARDs for AIRD does not worsen the clinical outcome.

Effect of the Botanical Art and Illustration Coloring Program on the Emotional Development of Students with Developmental Disabilities

Background and objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the botanical art and illustration coloring program on the emotional development of students with developmental disabilities in the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, this study analyzed the changes in the subfactors of emotional development of students with developmental disabilities. Methods: In the first stage, the botanical art and illustration coloring program was defined by a focus group comprised of specialists in the industry and academia. The second stage was to perform 8 sessions of the botanical art and illustration coloring program. The third stage was to examine the effects of the botanical art and illustration coloring program on the emotional development of students with developmental disabilities. The participants of this study were 26 students with developmental disabilities attending N University, and10 students (excluding 2 students who dropped out) were placed in the experiment group and 14 in the control group. Results: The control group showed no statistically significant difference in the four subdomains of emotional development, while the experimental group showed a statistically significant difference in all four subdomains such as non-dependence (p =.033), interaction (p =.029), internal control (p =.017), and stability (p =.000). The botanical art and illustration coloring program was thereby designed to have a positive effect on the emotional development of students with developmental disabilities in the current situation limited by COVID-19. Conclusion: These results suggest that the botanical art and illustration coloring program could improve the ability of students with developmental disabilities to promote emotional development. These positive changes are related to the mental stability of students with developmental disabilities in the current situation limited by COVID-19. © 2022 by the Society for People, Plants, and Environment.

Preliminary Findings of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons

The first coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines in the United States were the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna). Pregnant persons were excluded from the original Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) issued by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2020. Pregnant persons with COVID-19 are at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with pregnant persons without COVID-19. This study presents preliminary findings of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine safety in pregnant persons from the United States. To conduct this study, the researchers extracted data from 3 different US vaccine safety monitoring systems: the "v-safe after vaccination health checker" surveillance system, the v-safe pregnancy registry, and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). V-safe asks participants to report local and systemic signs and symptoms as mild, moderate, or severe during daily surveys. Women were eligible if they received their mRNA vaccination during pregnancy or during the preconception period, defined as 30 days before the last menstrual period through 14 days after, and were 18 years of age or older. Participant-reported pregnancy outcomes were spontaneous pregnancy loss (defined as spontaneous abortion and stillbirth) and neonatal outcomes (such as preterm birth, congenital anomalies, small size for gestational age, and neonatal death). Data were obtained through December 14, 2020, to February 28, 2021. In all, 35,691 v-safe participants ages 16 to 54 years identified themselves as pregnant. The majority of enrolled participants were between the ages of 25 and 44 years (98.8%), non-Hispanic White (79.0%), and did not report a COVID-19 diagnosis during pregnancy (97.6%). Overall, 92 (2.3%) of participants received their first vaccination dose during the preconception period, 1132 (28.6%) in the first trimester, 1714 (43.3%) in the second trimester, and 1019 (25.7%) in the third trimester. In terms of adverse effects, injection site pain was described more among pregnant persons compared with nonpregnant women. Headache, myalgia, chills, and fever were reported less often among pregnant persons compared with nonpregnant people. Of the 3958 participants enrolled in the v-safe pregnancy registry, 827 had a completed pregnancy. Of these, 827 completed pregnancies, 115 (13.9%) resulted in a pregnancy loss, and 712 (86.1%) resulted in a live birth (mainly among participants with vaccination in the third trimester). Adverse neonatal outcomes included preterm birth (in 9.4%) and small size for gestational age (in 3.2%);no neonatal deaths were reported. There were 221 pregnancy-related adverse events reported to VAERS, of which the most frequently reported event was spontaneous abortion (46 cases). No congenital anomalies were reported. Of note, the proportions of adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in the v-safe pregnancy database were similar to those published before the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from this study did not show obvious safety concerns among pregnant persons who received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. More longitudinal follow-up and studies including larger numbers of women vaccinated earlier in pregnancy are needed to better inform outcomes. Further, new evidence has shown transplacental transfer of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies after maternal COVID-19 vaccination during the third trimester. This evidence suggests that maternal vaccination might provide some protection to the neonate. However, more data are needed to make evaluations on the level of protection.

Technology-driven Service Innovation in University Libraries

Libraries are building a digital environment and preparing for the post-corona era. They attempt to increase operational efficiency and competitiveness by applying new technologies and strive to build a more intelligent and user-friendly environment using big data, the Internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), 3D printing, and automated robots. This study aims to present the direction for future university libraries by analyzing technology-based service innovation cases in line with the current era, centering on university libraries © 2021 IEEE.