Factors influencing menstrual regularity among female workers: a cross-sectional analysis study.

BACKGROUND: Regularity of menstrual cycles is an important indicator of women's health and fertility, and female workers are exposed to several factors, such as sleep disorders, stress, and shift work, that affect their menstrual regularity. This makes it necessary to comprehensively identify the determinants of menstrual regularity. Therefore, this study identified the factors affecting menstrual regularity among female workers from physiological, psychological, and situational dimensions based on the theory of unpleasant symptoms. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of the 2010-2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and utilized the data of 2418 female workers. Based on the theory of unpleasant symptoms, physiological factors included age, age at menarche, childbirth experience, body mass index, and sleep duration. Psychological factors included stress level, depressive mood, and suicidal ideation. Situational factors included education level, household income, consumption of alcohol, engagement in smoking, and work schedule. The χ²-test and hierarchical logistic regression analysis were performed, reflecting the complex sample design. RESULTS: Age at menarche, childbirth experience, and body mass index among physiological factors and education level and work schedule among situational factors were found to be related to menstrual regularity. A higher risk of menstrual irregularities was found among those who had given birth (versus those who had not), had a high age at menarche (versus those with a low age at menarche), were obese (versus those who had a normal body mass index), had elementary school-level or lesser educational achievements (versus those with college graduate-level or higher educational achievements), and who had a shift work schedule (versus those with a fixed schedule). CONCLUSIONS: Intervention is needed for female workers who have these risk factors, and special attention must be paid to female workers who have a shift work schedule. Additionally, since body mass index can be controlled, intervention concerning body mass index is necessary to reduce menstrual irregularity.

The Interplay Between Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Oxidative Stress in Chondrocyte Catabolism.

OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress play pivotal roles in disrupting the homeostasis of chondrocytes by producing catalytic proteases and enhancing chondrocyte senescence, consequently contributing to the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Despite their close interaction, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we show that ER stress and oxidative stress reciprocally modulate each other to promote cartilage degradation. METHODS: Primary chondrocytes were obtained from the articular cartilage of 5-day-old C57BL/6J mice by excising distal femur and proximal tibia. Tunicamycin was applied to induce ER stress in primary chondrocytes. Surgical OA was induced in 12-week-old male C57BL/6J mice by destabilizing the medial meniscus (DMM). RESULTS: Tunicamycin-induced ER stress led to an increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and catalytic proteases, including MMP13 and Adamts5, in primary chondrocytes, and it was primarily dependent on the NADPH oxidase (NOX) system. ER stress directly increased the expression of NOX2, NOX3, NOX4, and p22phox. Specifically, the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) pathway is involved in the expression of NOX4 and p22phox, the inositol-requiring enzyme 1 alpha (IRE1α) pathway in NOX2 and NOX3 expression, and the activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) pathway influences NOX3 expression in chondrocytes. Conversely, inhibiting NOX function significantly reduced both ER stress sensor-related signaling and chondrocyte catabolism, thereby decelerating the progression of surgically induced OA in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the positive feedback loop between ER stress and oxidative stress in OA pathogenesis, suggesting that targeting NOX isoforms is a promising therapeutic strategy for OA.

Media framing in the digital age: Interplay of real estate and welfare narratives in South Korean news articles.

The present study delves into the underexplored nexus between online real estate news and societal welfare news. A novel methodological approach is adopted herein: web scraping techniques amass online newspaper articles, the sentiment of which is subsequently evaluated through a neural network-informed natural language processing framework. The sentiment-oriented data is transitioned into a panel data configuration for deeper analysis. Results indicate a prevailing negative link between real estate news sentiments and those of welfare news. Intriguingly, the ascension of the conservative party amplifies this negative correspondence. This paper augments the political economy and political communication discourse by underscoring the conceivable potential influence of digital media framing on shaping public perceptions and political inclinations. It offers pertinent insights regarding the interrelation between housing wealth and political outcomes in a distinct national milieu.

Dual Immunoglobulin Domain-Containing Cell Adhesion Molecule Increases Early in Renal Tubular Cell Injury and Plays Anti-Inflammatory Role.

Dual immunoglobulin domain-containing cell adhesion molecule (DICAM) is a type I transmembrane protein that presents in various cells including renal tubular cells. This study evaluated the expression and protective role of DICAM in renal tubular cell injury. HK-2 cells were incubated and treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 30 µg/mL) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 100 µM) for 24 h. To investigate the effect of the gene silencing of DICAM, small interfering RNA of DICAM was used. Additionally, to explain its role in cellular response to injury, DICAM was overexpressed using an adenoviral vector. DICAM protein expression levels significantly increased following treatment with LPS or H2O2 in HK-2 cells. In response to oxidative stress, DICAM showed an earlier increase (2-4 h following treatment) than neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) (24 h following treatment). DICAM gene silencing increased the protein expression of inflammation-related markers, including IL-1ß, TNF-α, NOX4, integrin ß1, and integrin ß3, in H2O2-induced HK-2 cell injury. Likewise, in the LPS-induced HK-2 cell injury, DICAM knockdown led to a decrease in occludin levels and an increase in integrin ß3, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels. Furthermore, DICAM overexpression followed by LPS-induced HK-2 cell injury resulted in an increase in occludin levels and a decrease in integrin ß1, integrin ß3, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels, suggesting an alleviating effect on inflammatory responses. DICAM was elevated in the early stage of regular tubular cell injury and may protect against renal tubular injury through its anti-inflammatory properties. DICAM has a potential as an early diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for renal cell injury.

Nitrogen-Doped Activated Hollow Carbon Nanofibers with Controlled Hierarchical Pore Structures for High-Performance, Binder-Free, Flexible Supercapacitor Electrodes.

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are a fascinating electrode material for energy storage devices due to their one-dimensionality, interconnected networks, and chemical stability. However, a relatively low specific surface area of CNFs hinders their use as supercapacitor electrodes. Here, nitrogen-doped hollow CNFs with hierarchical pore structures are prepared via electrospinning of core-shell polymer nanofibers and subsequent carbonization and activation under an ammonia atmosphere. Hierarchical pore structures with micro-, meso-, and macropores are controlled by an ammonia etching effect during the carbonization of polymer nanofibers. In addition, a hollow structure in CNFs is obtained by thermal decomposition of the core polymer during the carbonization/activation. The nitrogen-doped activated hollow CNFs (ahCNFs) exhibited an exceptionally high specific surface area of 3618 m2/g with increased mesopores. Thus, a symmetric supercapacitor using ahCNFs electrodes with a 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte provides a high specific capacitance of 208 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g, a high energy density of 7.22 W h/kg at a power density of 502 W/kg, a good rate capability, and cyclic stability. Moreover, the freestanding ahCNFs are used for flexible supercapacitor electrodes without any binder. This work demonstrates the great potential of highly porous ahCNFs for high-performance energy storage devices.

Effect of COVID-19 Risk Perception and COVID-19 Self-Care of Korean Correctional Nurses on Occupational Burnout: Mediating Effect of Stress and Anxiety About Viral Epidemics.

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether stress and anxiety about viral epidemics have effects as parameters in the relationship among COVID-19 risk perception, COVID-19 self-care, and occupational burnout for Korean correctional nurses. The subjects of this study were 107 correctional nurses working at 52 correctional facilities in Korea that are conducting COVID-19 management and prevention activities. Data were collected from March 12 to 30, 2022. Results suggest that correctional nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic may experience occupational burnout because of increased stress and anxiety about viral epidemics as their COVID-19 risk perception increased. In addition, stress and anxiety about being infected with the COVID-19 virus itself will cause burnout. This study contributes to promotion of the mental health of Korean correctional nurses and provides basic data for developing an intervention program to prevent occupational burnout.

When I feel that I am better off, science seems to make the world better off too: inequality, perceived standard of living and perceptions toward science.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored that divisive views on science and technology span both the Global North and South. This study posits that an individual's perception of their current living standard acts as a mediating factor linking income inequality to attitudes towards scientific and technological advancements. It contends that rising income disparities shape perceptions, making individuals feel their current living conditions have not surpassed those of prior generations. Consequently, such perceptions diminish the likelihood of recognizing the positive impacts of science and technology on societal progress and future prospects. This paper sheds light on how escalating inequality fosters societal rifts concerning science and technology.

Factors Influencing Infection Anxiety in Korean Male Firefighters Due to COVID-19 Infection Status.

This paper describes descriptive research to identify the effects of job stress, COVID-19 self-care behavior, and COVID-19 vaccination status according to the infection and non-infection of COVID-19 on anxiety about the COVID-19 infection among firefighters in South Korea. Data from 205 firefighters working at 10 fire stations were collected from 26 January to 16 February 2023. The variables used were job stress, COVID-19 self-care behavior, COVID-19 vaccination status, and COVID-19 infection anxiety. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression. In subjects who were infected with COVID-19, the factors that significantly affected infection anxiety were job stress (ß = 0.247, p = 0.011) and self-care behavior (ß = 0.343, p = 0.011). In subjects who were not infected with COVID-19, the factors that significantly affected infection anxiety were marriage status (unmarried) (ß = -0.260, p = 0.005) and self-care behavior (ß = 0.374, p = 0.001). These results demonstrate that the infection anxiety of firefighters should be prevented, and their physical and mental health should be promoted by considering job stress, self-care behavior, and personal environment.

GAN-based patient information hiding for an ECG authentication system.

Various biometrics such as the face, irises, and fingerprints, which can be obtained in a relatively simple way in modern society, are used in personal authentication systems to identify individuals. These biometric data are extracted from an individual's physiological data and yield high performance in identifying an individual using unique data patterns. Biometric identification is also used in portable devices such as mobile devices because it is more secure than cryptographic token-based authentication methods. However, physiological data could include personal health information such as arrhythmia related patterns in electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. To protect sensitive health information from hackers, the biomarkers of certain diseases or disorders that exist in ECG signals need to be hidden. Additionally, to implement the inference models for both arrhythmia detection and personal authentication in a mobile device, a lightweight model such as a multi-task deep learning model should be considered. This study demonstrates a multi-task neural network model that simultaneously identifies an individual's ECG and arrhythmia patterns using a small network. Finally, the computational efficiency and model size of the single-task and multi-task models were compared based on the number of parameters. Although the multi-task model has 20,000 fewer parameters than the single-task model, they yielded similar performance, which demonstrates the efficient structure of the multi-task model.

Alleviation of neurotoxicity induced by polystyrene nanoplastics by increased exocytosis from neurons.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are potentially toxic and pose a health risk as they can induce an inflammatory response and oxidative stress at cellular and organismal levels. Humans can be exposed to NPs through various routes, including ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. Notably, uptake into the body via inhalation could result in brain accumulation, which may occur directly across the blood-brain barrier or via other routes. NPs that accumulate in the brain may be endocytosed into neurons, inducing neurotoxicity. Recently, we demonstrated that exposure to polystyrene (PS)-NPs reduces the viability of neurons. We have also reported that inhibiting the retrograde transport of PS-NPs by histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) prevents their intracellular accumulation and promotes their export in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. However, whether HDAC6 inhibition can improve neuronal viability by increasing exocytosis of PS-NPs from neurons remains unknown. In this study, mice were intranasally administered fluorescent PS-NPs (PS-YG), which accumulated in the brain and showed potential neurotoxic effects. In cultured neurons, the HDAC6 inhibitor ACY-1215 reduced the fluorescence signal detected from PS-YG, suggesting that the removal of PS-YG from neurons was promoted. Therefore, these results suggest that blocking the retrograde transport of PS-NPs using an HDAC6 inhibitor can alleviate the neurotoxic effects of PS-NPs that enter the brain.

Effects of tomato ketchup and tomato paste extract on hepatic lipid accumulation and adipogenesis.

Tomatoes include high levels of lycopene, which is a potent antioxidative, hypolipidemic, and antidiabetic phytochemical. The intake of lycopene is associated with a reduced risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate whether tomato ketchup and tomato paste, major dietary sources for tomato and lycopene, could regulate hepatic lipid metabolism and adipogenesis. To investigate the regulatory effects of tomato ketchup and tomato paste, we prepared a tomato ketchup extract (TKE) and a tomato paste extract (TPE) in 80% (v/v) ethyl acetate for the experiment. TKE and TPE reduced lipid accumulation and key markers for gluconeogenesis and induced a higher rate of fatty acid oxidation in HepG2 hepatocytes. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, TKE and TPE increased adipogenesis and intracellular triglyceride accumulation, and stimulated glucose uptake. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and gamma expression levels were increased by TKE and TPE treatment. A single oral dose of tomato ketchup and tomato paste (9.28 g/kg) significantly improved glucose and insulin tolerance in mice. These findings suggest that lycopene-containing tomato ketchup and tomato paste may have beneficial regulatory effects in terms of energy metabolism in hepatocytes and adipocytes, and thus may improve blood glucose metabolism.

Reduced secretion of LCN2 (lipocalin 2) from reactive astrocytes through autophagic and proteasomal regulation alleviates inflammatory stress and neuronal damage.

LCN2/neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin/24p3 (lipocalin 2) is a secretory protein that acts as a mammalian bacteriostatic molecule. Under neuroinflammatory stress conditions, LCN2 is produced and secreted by activated microglia and reactive astrocytes, resulting in neuronal apoptosis. However, it remains largely unknown whether inflammatory stress and neuronal loss can be minimized by modulating LCN2 production and secretion. Here, we first demonstrated that LCN2 was secreted from reactive astrocytes, which were stimulated by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as an inflammatory stressor. Notably, we found two effective conditions that led to the reduction of induced LCN2 levels in reactive astrocytes: proteasome inhibition and macroautophagic/autophagic flux activation. Mechanistically, proteasome inhibition suppresses NFKB/NF-κB activation through NFKBIA/IκBα stabilization in primary astrocytes, even under inflammatory stress conditions, resulting in the downregulation of Lcn2 expression. In contrast, autophagic flux activation via MTOR inhibition reduced the intracellular levels of LCN2 through its pre-secretory degradation. In addition, we demonstrated that the N-terminal signal peptide of LCN2 is critical for its secretion and degradation, suggesting that these two pathways may be mechanistically coupled. Finally, we observed that LPS-induced and secreted LCN2 levels were reduced in the astrocyte-cultured medium under the above-mentioned conditions, resulting in increased neuronal viability, even under inflammatory stress.Abbreviations: ACM, astrocyte-conditioned medium; ALP, autophagy-lysosome pathway; BAF, bafilomycin A1; BTZ, bortezomib; CHX, cycloheximide; CNS, central nervous system; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein; GFP, green fluorescent protein; JAK, Janus kinase; KD, knockdown; LCN2, lipocalin 2; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; MACS, magnetic-activated cell sorting; MAP1LC3/LC3, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; MTOR, mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; NFKB/NF-κB, nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells 1, p105; NFKBIA/IκBα, nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells inhibitor, alpha; OVEX, overexpression; SLC22A17, solute carrier family 22 member 17; SP, signal peptide; SQSTM1, sequestosome 1; STAT3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; TNF/TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor; TUBA, tubulin, alpha; TUBB3/ß3-TUB, tubulin, beta 3 class III; UB, ubiquitin; UPS, ubiquitin-proteasome system.

Inhibition of NADPH Oxidases Prevents the Development of Osteoarthritis.

Increased oxidative stress in osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage mediates catabolic signal transduction leading to extracellular matrix degradation and chondrocyte apoptosis. This study aimed to explore the contribution of NADPH oxidase (NOX), a major source of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), to the catabolic process of chondrocytes and to OA. The inhibition of NOX isoforms with a pan-NOX inhibitor, APX-115, significantly decreased IL-1ß-induced ROS production in primary chondrocytes and, most potently, suppressed the expression of oxidative stress marker genes and catabolic proteases compared with the inhibition of other ROS sources. Catabolic stimuli by IL-1ß treatment and in post-traumatic OA conditions upregulated the expression of NOX2 and NOX4 in chondrocytes. In the post-traumatic OA model, the pharmacologic inhibition of NOX protected mice against OA by modulating the oxidative stress and the expression of MMP-13 and Adamts5 in chondrocytes. Mechanistically, NOX inhibition suppresses Rac1, p38, and JNK MAPK signaling consistently and restores oxidative phosphorylation in IL-1ß-treated chondrocytes. In conclusion, NOX inhibition prevented the development of OA by attenuating the catabolic signaling and restoring the mitochondrial metabolism and can thus be a promising class of drug for OA.

Factors Associated with Return of Spontaneous Circulation following Pre-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Daegu Metropolitan City, South Korea; a Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: The probability of Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) in cardiac arrest cases in pre-hospital setting is still low. This study aimed to identify the factors that may improve the rate of ROSC in patients with pre-hospital cardiac arrest. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study is a secondary data analysis of cardiac arrest patients, who were managed by paramedics in the pre-hospital setting, from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019, in Daegu, South Korea. The association of ROSC with place of arrest occurrence, cardiac arrest being witnessed, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), using compression device and defibrillator, administration of epinephrine, and intubation was analyzed and independent predictive factors of ROSC were reported. Results: 2750 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases, which were managed by paramedics in the pre-hospital setting were studied. 2034 (86.9%) cases of arrest had occurred at home, 2028 (73.7%) were not witnessed, and CPR was not performed for 1721 (64.1%) cases. ROSC before arriving to emergency department (ED) was more probable if the cardiac arrest was witnessed (p < 0.001), if CPR was performed (p = 0.044), if a mechanical compression device was used (p < 0.001), if a first-aid defibrillator was used (p < 0.001), and if intravenous access was secured (p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that using mechanical compression device (OR: 0.18; 95% CI = 0.08 - 0.40; p = 0.001), using first-aid defibrillator (OR: 3.13; 95% CI = 1.40 - 6.99; p = 0.005), administration of epinephrine (OR: 6.57; 95% CI = 2.16 - 19.53; p = 0.001), and intubation (OR: 1.82; 95% CI = 1.04-3.19; p = 0.001) were independent predictive factors of ROSC before arrival to ED. Conclusion: It seems that chest compression by hand instead of using chest compression device, using defibrillator, epinephrine administration, and intubation my increase the probability of ROSC in pre-hospital arrest cases.

DICAM in the Extracellular Vesicles from Astrocytes Attenuates Microglia Activation and Neuroinflammation.

Cross-talk between astrocytes and microglia plays an important role in neuroinflammation and central sensitization, but the manner in which glial cells interact remains less well-understood. Herein, we investigated the role of dual immunoglobulin domain-containing cell adhesion molecules (DICAM) in the glial cell interaction during neuroinflammation. DICAM knockout (KO) mice revealed enhanced nociceptive behaviors and glial cell activation of the tibia fracture with a cast immobilization model of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). DICAM was selectively secreted in reactive astrocytes, mainly via extracellular vesicles (EVs), and contributed to the regulation of neuroinflammation through the M2 polarization of microglia, which is dependent on the suppression of p38 MAPK signaling. In conclusion, DICAM secreted from reactive astrocytes through EVs was involved in the suppression of microglia activation and subsequent attenuation of neuroinflammation during central sensitization.

Analysis of the impacts of social class and lifestyle on consumption of organic foods in South Korea.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of social class and lifestyle on the consumption of organic foods in South Korea. Consumer behavior regarding organic foods is influenced by lifestyle, as well as income-level and education. This study provides a new perspective on the socio-economic structure of organic food consumption patterns in urban areas by extracting information from big data. The organic food consumption patterns are then analyzed through visualization of the geographical distribution of organic food stores. In addition, this study estimates the effects of social class and lifestyle variables on the consumption of organic foods based on survey data. This study finds that social class characteristics are factors that influence the consumption of organic foods. However, individual lifestyle plays a more important role in actual buying behavior.

An analysis of Koreans' attitudes towards migrants by application of algorithmic approaches.

Exclusivist behaviours toward migrants manifest not only from poor receptivity to multiculturalism, but also from competition for resources and opportunities such as job opportunities. This study analyses the socio-economic background of Koreans by categorizing them in terms of their receptivity to multiculturalism and their stances on the job debate. For its analytical methodology, this study proposes an analytical approach that combines survey data from questionnaires with machine-learning algorithms. This study applies light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to estimate the importance of the studied variables and interpret the estimate results. According to the results of this study, contact, rapport, experience, and familiarity with other cultures promoted receptivity, but competition over job opportunities led to realistic threats.

Factors Related to Sexual Intercourse Among Korean Middle and High School Students.

Background: Social interest in sexual intercourse among teenagers is increasing in Korea. This study aimed to identify factors related to sexual intercourse among adolescents. Methods: This is a secondary analysis study using data from the 2020 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey, with information regarding 54,948 middle school and high school students in Korea having been analyzed. Demographics, health behavior, and mental health characteristics were included. Data evaluation involved chi-square test and binary multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: For middle school students, sexual intercourse was related to their housing type [Odds Ratio (OR) = 10.698], smoking (OR = 5.165) and drinking (OR = 2.229) experience, suicide attempt (OR = 1.920), gender (OR = 1.632), loneliness (OR = 1.501), sadness and despair (OR = 1.493), year level (OR = 1.457), happiness (OR = 0.772), sleep status (OR = 0.716), economic status (OR = 0.705). For high school students, sexual intercourse was related to their smoking experience (OR = 4.746), housing type (OR = 3.661), drinking experience (OR = 2.840), drug use (OR = 2.511), suicide attempt (OR = 2.071), year level (OR = 1.989), sadness and despair (OR = 1.506), gender (OR = 1.429), suicide plan (OR = 1.402), loneliness (OR = 1.270), academic performance (OR = 1.165), happiness (OR = 0.865), subjective health status (OR = 0.814), and economic status (OR = 0.727). However, sleep status was statistically significant for middle school students, but not for high school students. Academic performance, drug use, suicide plan, and subjective health status were statistically significant in high school students, but not in middle school students. Conclusion: A program that can directly mediate these factors must be prepared. When conducting sex education for adolescents, mental health-related factors must also be considered.

Increased clearance of non-biodegradable polystyrene nanoplastics by exocytosis through inhibition of retrograde intracellular transport.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are derived from microplastics and may cause health problems. We previously showed that 100 nm polystyrene (PS)-NPs enter cells, including mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), and their intracellular accumulation induces inflammatory and oxidative stress. Moreover, PS-NP uptake was found to occur via endocytosis, and they accumulated mostly at the juxtanuclear position, but never within the nucleus. We speculated that PS-NPs were cleared from cells when they were no longer exposed to PS-NPs. However, the effects of PS-NPs on the cellular machinery remain unknown. The accumulation of PS-NPs at the juxtanuclear position may be due to retrograde transport along microtubules. To confirm this, we treated PS-NP-exposed MEFs with inhibitors of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), dynein, or microtubule polymerization and found greatly diminished intracellular and juxtanuclear accumulation. Moreover, rapid clearance of PS-NPs was observed when MEFs were treated with an HDAC6 inhibitor. PS-NPs were removed by exocytosis, as confirmed by treatment with an exocytosis inhibitor. Furthermore, inhibiting the retrograde transport of PS-NPs alleviated the activation of the antioxidant response pathway, inflammatory and oxidative stress, and reactive oxygen species generation. In summary, inhibition of the retrograde transport of non-biodegradable PS-NPs leads to their rapid export by exocytosis, which may reduce their cytotoxicity.

Development and Validation of Earthquake Fire Response Simulation Protocol for Korean College Students in Health Programs.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the adequacy of the developed protocol by verifying the validity of the expert group for the earthquake and fire response simulation protocol. A protocol development team consisting of one emergency rescue professor, one counseling psychology professor, three paramedics, and one firefighter developed the study's protocols to promote the core response and capabilities required at an earthquake fire site. We checked the content validity for the appropriateness of the contextual connection for each stage for the protocol. We also created an evaluation checklist to measure the items for each stage. The protocol developed in this study consists of earthquake response, fire response, evacuation, and fire suppression. We set the situation for each stage and composed learner activities and learning performance goals. The earthquake response stage included (1) shout "it's an earthquake," (2) protect yourself, (3) turn off electricity and gas, and (4) evacuate to a safe place. In the fire response stage, (1) shout "fire," (2) press the emergency bell and call 119, (3) close the door of a dangerous place where fire can spread, and (4) evacuate to a safe place. In the evacuation stage, (1) open the emergency exit, (2) cover your nose and mouth, (3) lower your posture, and (4) evacuate quickly in one direction. Lastly, in the firefighting stage, (1) pull out the safety pin, (2) hold the nozzle and face the fire, (3) grab the handle, and (4) spray the powder evenly. The protocol contributes to the development of systematic and elaborate simulation education materials in the future. Furthermore, it provides basic data for future disaster simulation operation and protocol development through continuous training and practical exercises.