Effects of Yachting Motivation on Yachting Satisfaction and Re-Yachting Intention.

It is clear that yachting tourists are motivated to spend their leisure time at sea. However, few studies have determined the relationship between tourists' motivation and satisfaction with yachting, and re-yachting intention. Furthermore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among yachting motivation, yachting satisfaction, and re-yachting intention. More specifically, this study sought to examine whether yachting motivation influenced yachting satisfaction, and determine if re-yachting intention was affected by yachting motivation. In order to analyze the data for this study, a total of 240 questionnaires were distributed to yachting tourists at three private yacht club operators, utilizing the convenient sampling method. A total of 219 usable questionnaires were analyzed for this study, while 21 questionnaires were discarded due to incompletion of the survey. Data were analyzed with multiple regression analysis using SPSS version 27.0. The results revealed that entertainment, stress reduction, and family/friends were positively and significantly related to yachting satisfaction. However, socializing and external ostentation did not contribute to yachting satisfaction. Secondly, the results indicated that entertainment, socializing, and stress reduction had a positive and significant effect on re-yachting intention. Conversely, external ostentation and family/friends had no significant influence on re-yachting intention. It is necessary for yacht club business operators to recognize the yachting motivation of the participants. It is also recommended that appropriate marketing strategies are implemented to increase yachting tourism, which would possibly influence yachting satisfaction and re-yachting intention.

Do the determinants of COVID-19 transmission differ by epidemic wave? Evidence from U.S. counties.

This paper uses data from the United States to examine determinants of the spread of COVID-19 during three different epidemic waves. We address how sociodemographic and economic attributes, industry composition, density, crowding in housing, and COVID-19-related variables are associated with the transmission of COVID-19. After controlling for spatial autocorrelation, our findings indicate that the percentage of people in poverty, number of restaurants, and percentage of workers teleworking were associated with the COVID-19 incidence rate during all three waves. Our results also show that dense areas were more vulnerable to the transmission of COVID-19 after the first epidemic wave. Regarding the density of supermarkets, our study elaborates the negative aspects of wholesale retail stores, which likely provide a vulnerable place for virus transmission. Our results suggest that sociodemographic and economic attributes were the determinants of the early phase of the pandemic, while density showed positive association with the transmission during subsequent waves. We provide implications for regions serving as gateway cities with high density and number of population. To add, we further provide evidence that non-pharmaceutical interventions in the early stage may mitigate the virus transmission.

Enhancing the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS films for biomedical applications via hydrothermal treatment.

This paper reports a new biocompatible conductivity enhancement of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) films for biomedical applications. Conductivity of PEDOT:PSS layer was reproducibly from 0.495 to 125.367 S cm-1 by hydrothermal (HT) treatment. The HT treatment employs water (relative humidity > 80%) and heat (temperature > 61 °C) instead of organic solvent doping and post-treatments, which can leave undesirable residue. The treatment can be performed using the sterilizing conditions of an autoclave. Additionally, it is possible to simultaneously reduce the electrical resistance, and sterilize the electrode for practical use. The key to conductivity enhancement was the structural rearrangement of PEDOT:PSS, which was determined using atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. It was found that PEDOT inter-bridging occurred as a result of the structural rearrangement. Therefore, the conductivity increased on account of the continuous conductive pathways of the PEDOT chains. To test the biocompatible enhancement technique for biomedical applications, certain demonstrations, such as the monitoring of joint movements and skin temperature, and measuring electrocardiogram signals were conducted with the hydrothermal-treated PEDOT:PSS electrode. This simple, biocompatible treatment exhibited significant potential for use in other biomedical applications as well.

Effects of healthcare interventions on psychosocial factors of patients with multimorbidity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the types of healthcare intervention programs offered to patients with multimorbidity and their effects on key psychosocial factors. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched databases like Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL RISS, KISS, etc. for studies published between January 1, 2009, and April 30, 2019. In total, 8,248 studies in English or Korean were reviewed. We included only randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies that applied healthcare interventions and had major effects on the psychosocial factors in adult patients with multimorbidity. Methodological quality was assessed using Cochrane collaboration risk of bias tool. Meta-analysis was performed using the Review Manager 5.3 version to estimate the effect size. RESULTS: We identified six randomized controlled trials and 1446 subjects were enrolled. The results reveal that healthcare interventions have an effect on self-rated health (SMD = 0.53 95 % CI: 0.26, 0.79, p < .001), reducing anxiety (SMD = -0.19 95 % CI: -0.36, -0.01, p = .030) and depression (SMD = -0.27 95 % CI: -0.44, -0.10, p = .002), and improving self-efficacy (SMD = 0.21 95 % CI: 0.06, 0.35, p = .005) for patients with multimorbidity. However, there was no significant effect on quality of life. CONCLUSION: Healthcare interventions had significant positive effects on self-rated health, anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy of patients with multimorbidity. These results are expected to serve as basic data for the development of a community-based integrated healthcare intervention program and health policy, especially for the vulnerable older population with multimorbidity.

Diurnal and Seasonal Variations in the Effect of Urban Environmental Factors on Air Temperature: A Consecutive Regression Analysis Approach.

This study investigates the diurnal and seasonal variations in the effect of environmental features on air temperature in Seoul, Korea. We expect that this study will lead to the identification of factors that can be applied for urban heat island mitigation strategies in summer without leading to an unintended result in winter. As our dependent variable, we employed the smoothed 31-day moving average of air temperatures, where we controlled the seasonal variation by normalizing the values observed from 247 automatic weather stations (AWS) from 2015 to 2016. Subsequently, we conducted consecutive log-log regression analyses of each day to examine patterns of change in regression coefficients and the significance of each independent variable. For independent variables, we applied built environment features including albedo, land-use, average building floors, the sky view factor, and green and water areas. This study provides analytical results regarding the relationship between environmental factors and air temperature. This study also addresses imperative issues for planners, especially regarding albedo, wind path, building geometry, and land use types. Finally, this study gives useful insights for managing the diurnal and seasonal variations of urban thermal environment in the mega-city.

Accurate, hysteresis-free temperature sensor for health monitoring using a magnetic sensor and pristine polymer.

Herein, a novel temperature sensor is proposed employing a planar Hall resistance (PHR) magnetic sensor, a magnet sheet, and an expanding polymer. It features a tunable temperature range, high linear sensitivity, accuracy, and cycling stability through 1000 cycles, and no thermal hysteresis. This new sensor is promising as a body temperature sensor.

Transcriptional profiling shows altered expression of wnt pathway- and lipid metabolism-related genes as well as melanogenesis-related genes in melasma.

Melasma is a commonly acquired hyperpigmentary disorder of the face, but its pathogenesis is poorly understood and its treatment remains challenging. We conducted a comparative histological study on lesional and perilesional normal skin to clarify the histological nature of melasma. Significantly, higher amounts of melanin and of melanogenesis-associated proteins were observed in the epidermis of lesional skin, and the mRNA level of tyrosinase-related protein 1 was higher in lesional skin, indicating regulation at the mRNA level. However, melanocyte numbers were comparable between lesional and perilesional skin. A transcriptomic study was undertaken to identify genes involved in the pathology of melasma. A total of 279 genes were found to be differentially expressed in lesional and perilesional skin. As was expected, the mRNA levels of a number of known melanogenesis-associated genes, such as tyrosinase, were found to be elevated in lesional skin. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the most lipid metabolism-associated genes were downregulated in lesional skin, and this finding was supported by an impaired barrier function in melasma. Interestingly, a subset of Wnt signaling modulators, including Wnt inhibitory factor 1, secreted frizzled-related protein 2, and Wnt5a, were also found to be upregulated in lesional skin. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the higher expression of these factors in melasma lesions.

Comparison of effect of premixed lidocaine in propofol with or without ketorolac pretreatment with placebo on reducing pain on injection of propofol: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adult Korean surgical patients.

BACKGROUND: Pain on injection of propofol is a common adverse event. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a combination of ketorolac pretreatment and premixed lidocaine in propofol compared with placebo on propofol injection pain. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, Korean patients scheduled for elective plastic surgery were randomized to 1 of 3 groups. Group A received 15 mg ketorolac in saline IV as pretreatment. Groups B and C received 3 mL saline IV as pretreatment. Sixty seconds after pretreatment, groups A and B received a mixture of lidocaine 1% in propofol 1% at a 1:10 ratio and group C received propofol 1% alone. Pain during propofol injection was assessed on a 4-point scale (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe). RESULTS: Ninety patients (41 men, 49 vvomen; mean age, 41.7 years; mean weight, 63 kg) completed the study. The overall incidence of pain on propofol injection was significantly lower in groups A (16.7%) and B (36.7%) than in group C (83.3%; both, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of pain between groups A and B. However, the patients in group A reported a significantly lower incidence of moderate (0% vs 33.3%; P < 0.001) and severe pain (0% vs 20%; P = 0.024) compared with those in group C. There were no significant differences in the incidences of moderate and severe pain between the B and C groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this Korean population, premixed lidocaine in propofol with or without ketorolac pretreatment was associated with significantly less pain when compared with placebo. The combination of ketorolac pretreatment and premixed lidocaine in propofol was more effective in decreasing the incidence of moderate or severe pain compared with placebo.

Efficacy of combination intravenous lidocaine and dexamethasone on propofol injection pain: a randomized, double-blind, prospective study in adult Korean surgical patients.

BACKGROUND: Pain on injection is a common adverse effect with propofol used for general anesthesia. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to evaluate the analgesic effect of dexamethasone during propofol injection and investigate whether a combination of dexamethasone and lidocaine produced additional analgesic efficacy compared with either treatment alone. METHODS: In a double-blind, prospective trial, patients scheduled to undergo elective plastic surgery were randomized to receive lidocaine 20 mg, dexamethasone 6 mg, combination lidocaine 20 mg and dexamethasone 6 mg, or normal saline with venous occlusion for 1 minute, followed by administration of 25% of the total calculated dose of propofol (2.5 mg/kg) into a dorsal hand vein. Pain intensity and incidence were evaluated during a 10-second pause before the induction of anesthesia, using a 4-point verbal rating scale (0=none, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe); a score of 1 to 3 was counted as pain. Patients were monitored hourly for 24 hours postsurgery by a blinded investigator for adverse effects at the injection site (eg, pain, edema, wheal, flare response). RESULTS: A total of 140 (35 per group) Korean patients (91 women, 49 men; mean [SD] age, 47 [14] years; mean [SD] height, 162 [8] cm; and mean [SD] body weight, 60 [8] kg) completed the study. Demographic variables were similar among groups. With respect to pain intensity, mean pain score was significantly less in the combination group than in the lidocaine or dexamethasone groups (P<0.01, respectively), although the median pain scores for all groups were 0. The incidence of pain associated with propofol injection was reduced significantly in the combination group compared with the lidocaine or dexamethasone group (0% vs 34.3% and 37.1%, respectively; both, P<0.01). One patient (in the combination group) complained of perineal itching immediately following injection; however, this subsided within a few seconds and did not require any intervention. No other adverse effects at the injection site were observed in any patient in the 24 hours post surgery. CONCLUSION: Combination lidocaine 20 mg and dexamethasone 6 mg, with venous occlusion for 1 minute, was more effective than lidocaine 20 mg or dexamethasone 6 mg alone for pain control during propofol injection in these Korean patients.