Factors Affecting the Perception of Importance and Practice of Patient Safety Management among Hospital Employees in Korea

SummaryPurposeThe study was undertaken to identify factors affecting perception of the importance and practice of patient safety management (PSM) among hospital employees in Korea.MethodsThis study was conducted using a descriptive design and a self-report questionnaire. Two hundred and eighty employees were recruited from three hospitals using a convenience sampling method. Measures were perception of the importance, practice, and characteristics of PSM. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including t test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analysis, and multiple regression.ResultsFactors affecting perception of the importance of PSM were whether hospital employees were in contact with patients while on duty, weekly working hours, education on PSM, and perceived adequacy of PSM system construction. Factors affecting the practice of PSM were perceived adequacy of work load, perceived adequacy of PSM system construction and perception of its importance.ConclusionThe findings of this study indicate a need for developing strategies to improve perception of the importance and practice of PSM among all hospital employees, and provide a reference for future experimental studies

Global Variations of HDO and HDO/H2O Ratios in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere Derived from ACE-FTS Satellite Measurements

High-quality satellite observations of water and deuterated water in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) are used to map global climatological behavior. Spatial and temporal variability in these data suggest that convection plays a significant role in setting water vapor isotopic composition in these regions. In many instances, enhancements in HDO/H2O (i.e., δD) are closely tied to patterns of climatological deep convection and uncorrelated with water vapor, although convection appears to have different isotopic effects in different locations. The ACE-FTS data reveal seasonal variations in the tropics and allow mapping of climatological regional structure. These data reveal strong regional isotopic enhancement associated with the North American summer monsoon but not the Asian monsoon or the western Pacific warm pool. We suggest that the isotopic effects of deep convection near the tropopause are moderated by the ambient relative humidity, which controls the amount of convective ice that evaporates. Local convective signals can in turn affect global behavior: the North America monsoon influence introduces a Northern Hemisphere-Southern Hemisphere asymmetry in water isotopic composition in the lower stratosphere that extends into the tropics and influences the apparent seasonal cycle in averaged tropical UTLS data. Seasonal variation in tropical lower stratospheric water isotopic composition extends up to ∼20 km in ACE retrievals, but in contrast to previous reports, there is no clear evidence of propagation beyond the lowermost stratosphere. The reliability of these observations is supported by the broad consistency of ACE-FTS averaged tropical profiles with previous remote and in situ δD measurements. © 2012 by the American Geophysical Union

What factors influence continuous usage intention of head-mounted display-based virtual reality content? A cross-sectional survey

Purpose The aim of this study was to explore the continuous usage intention of head-mounted display-based virtual reality (HMD-based VR) content among college students. The study also sought to understand how this intention is influenced by factors related to personal cognition, social aspects, VR content, and HMD-related elements. Methods This descriptive correlational study used a self-report questionnaire to survey 217 students from two universities in Korea who had prior experience with HMD-based VR content. Results The mean score for continuous usage intention of HMD-based VR content was 2.59±0.57 points (range, 1–5 points). Regarding the average frequency of HMD-based VR content usage, 64.5% of participants reported using it 1 to 2 times, while 91.7% indicated a total HMD-based VR usage period of less than 6 months. Factors such as personal cognition, VR content, social aspects, and HMD-related elements had explanatory power of 35.1%, 10.7%, 4.4%, and 2.5%, respectively, for the continuous usage intention of HMD-based VR content. Additionally, engagement (β=.45, p<.001), influential others (β=.37, p<.001), environmental support (β=–.18, p=.030), and cyber sickness (β=–.21, p=.001) were identified as having a significant influence. Conclusion When developing HMD-based VR content, strategies to improve users’ personal cognition should be included. Additionally, it is necessary to develop strategies that enhance enjoyment and interest in the content, while also facilitating ongoing social support. Furthermore, coping strategies should be devised that take into account cyber sickness, a potential side effect of these devices

A Pharmacometric Model to Predict Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression and Associated Risk Factors in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Chemotherapy often induces severe neutropenia due to the myelosuppressive effect. While predictive pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) models of absolute neutrophil count (ANC) after anticancer drug administrations have been developed, their deployments to routine clinics have been limited due to the unavailability of PK data and sparseness of PD (or ANC) data. Here, we sought to develop a model describing temporal changes of ANC in non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving (i) combined chemotherapy of paclitaxel and cisplatin and (ii) granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment when needed, under such limited circumstances. Maturation of myelocytes into blood neutrophils was described by transit compartments with negative feedback. The K-PD model was employed for drug effects with drug concentration unavailable and the constant model for G-CSF effects. The fitted model exhibited reasonable goodness of fit and parameter estimates. Covariate analyses revealed that ANC decreased in those without diabetes mellitus and female patients. Using the final model obtained, an R Shiny web-based application was developed, which can visualize predicted ANC profiles and associated risk of severe neutropenia for a new patient. Our model and application can be used as a supportive tool to identify patients at the risk of grade 4 neutropenia early and suggest dose reduction

Understanding Boreal Summer UTLS Water Vapor Variations in Monsoon Regions: A Lagrangian Perspective

Water vapor in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) plays a crucial role in climate feedback by influencing radiation, chemistry, and atmospheric dynamics. The amount of water vapor entering the stratosphere is sensitive to cold point temperatures (CPT), making Northern Hemisphere summer monsoons more favorable for transporting water vapor into the stratosphere. This study uses a Lagrangian method to reconstruct water vapor over the Asian (ASM) and North American (NAM) monsoons, investigating their contributions to stratospheric water vapor. The Lagrangian method tracks air parcels and identifies the coldest temperature along each trajectory, contrasting with local methods that rely on vertical temperature profiles. The reconstructed water vapor fields are validated against satellite observations from SAGE III/ISS and NASA&rsquo;s Aura MLS. SAGE III/ISS shows stronger moisture enhancements than MLS, but both datasets reveal similar water vapor anomalies within the ASM and NAM anticyclones. Although the Lagrangian method is dry-biased compared to observations, it effectively reconstructs UTLS water vapor (correlation coefficient 0.75), capturing moist anomalies in the ASM but performing less well in the NAM. Our analysis shows that, large-scale cold point tropopause temperatures in the vicinity of the monsoons primarily drive the moisture anomalies, with NAM water vapor significantly influenced by long-range transport from South Asia. Some convection-related processes, such as east-west shifts within the ASM, are not fully captured due to unresolved temperature variability in ERA5 and missing ice microphysics. Despite biases and computational challenges, the Lagrangian method provides valuable insights into UTLS water vapor transport

Pharmacokinetic Comparison of 2 Fixed-Dose Combination Tablets of Amlodipine and Valsartan in Healthy Male Korean Volunteers: A Randomized, Open-Label, 2-Period, Single-Dose, Crossover Study

AbstractBackgroundAmlodipine and valsartan have different mechanisms of action, and it is known that the combination therapy with the 2 drugs increases treatment effects compared with the monotherapy with each drug. A fixed-dose combination (FDC) drug is a formulation including fixed amounts of active drug ingredients combined in a single dosage form that is expected to improve medication compliance.ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic profiles of single administration of a newly developed FDC tablet containing amlodipine orotate 10 mg and valsartan 160 mg (test formulation) with the conventional FDC tablet of amlodipine besylate 10 mg and valsartan 160 mg (reference formulation) in healthy male Korean volunteers.MethodsThis was a randomized, open-label, single-dose, 2-way crossover study. Eligible subjects were between the ages of 20 and 50 years and within 20% of their ideal weight. Each subject received a single dose of the reference and the test formulations, with a 14-day washout period between formulations. Blood samples were collected up to 144 hours after the dose, and pharmacokinetic parameters were determined for amlodipine and valsartan. Adverse events were evaluated based on subject interviews and physical examinations.ResultsForty-eight of the 50 enrolled subjects completed the study. For both amlodipine and valsartan, the primary pharmacokinetic parameters were included in the range for assumed bioequivalence, yielding 90% CI ratios of 0.9277 to 0.9903 for AUC0–last and 0.9357 to 1.0068 for Cmax in amlodipine, and 0.9784 to 1.1817 for AUC0–last and 0.9738 to 1.2145 for Cmax in valsartan. Dizziness was the most frequently noted adverse event, occurring in 4 subjects with the test formulation, followed by oropharyngeal pain occurring in 1 subject with the test formulation and 3 subjects with the reference formulation. All other adverse events occurred in <3 subjects.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the pharmacokinetics of the newly developed FDC tablet of amlodipine and valsartan did not differ significantly from the conventional FDC tablet in these healthy Korean male subjects. Both formulations were well tolerated, with no serious adverse events observed. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01823913

Dual Synergistic Modulation of Photo-Induced Electron Transfer Processes Between Molecules and Gold Nanopillars for Ultrasensitive Plasmon-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/id/publication/25610 (Accepted version, pathway A)This work presents a synergistic approach to boost plasmon- or surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) by combining molecular and electrical modulators that fine-tune the electronic structure of metal−molecule interfaces, especially the charge transfer (CT) states, allowing molecular resonances. Paraquat (PQ2+) was interfaced with nanopillar SERS substrates whose surface excess of charge was modulated by intercalating anionic Au complexes (AuCl4−, Au(CN)2−) as well as by applying external electric potentials. Such concurrent dual modulation tuned the energy of the CT states of the substrate−anion−PQ2+ triads in resonance with the excitation laser, resulting in a large enhancement of the PQ2+ SERS bands. The results point to a novel coherent through-bond CT contribution of SERS, analogous to the superexchange mechanism for electron transfer in donor−bridge−acceptor systems. The large amplification enables high sensitivity for detecting PQ2+ and ultimately enables the on-site detection of PQ2+ in unprocessed real samples (coffee drink). This study account for new physicochemical variables affecting electron transfer processes in nanostructured metal-molecule interfaces and provides a path for further exploring chemical strategies for greater Raman enhancement and for developing ultrasensitive Raman platforms.Fundamental Research Program (PNK 7440) of the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (NRF- 2021R1C1C1010213) Junta de Andalucía/FEDER (UMA18-FEDERJA-049 and P18-RT-4592) Fundacion Ramon Areces (Madrid

Household secondary attack rates and risk factors during periods of SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variant predominance in the Republic of Korea

Objectives The household secondary attack rate (SAR) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an important indicator for community transmission. This study aimed to characterize transmission by comparing household SARs and identifying risk factors during the periods of Delta and Omicron variant predominance in Republic of Korea. Methods We defined the period of Delta variant predominance (Delta period) as July 25, 2021 to January 15, 2022, and the period of Omicron variant predominance (Omicron period) as February 7 to September 3, 2022. The number of index cases included was 214,229 for the Delta period and 5,521,393 for the Omicron period. To identify the household SARs and risk factors for each period, logistic regression was performed to determine the adjusted odds ratio (aOR). Results The SAR was 35.2% for the Delta period and 43.1% for the Omicron period. The aOR of infection was higher in 2 groups, those aged 0 to 18 years and ≥75 years, compared to those aged 19 to 49 years. Unvaccinated individuals (vs. vaccinated individuals) and individuals experiencing initial infection (vs. individuals experiencing a second or third infection) had an increased risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion This study analyzed the household SARs and risk factors. We hope that the results can help develop age-specific immunization plans and responses to reduce the SAR in preparation for emerging infectious diseases or potential new variants of SARS-CoV-2

Facile Synthesis of Bumpy-Structured ZnO-ZnS Core-Shell Microspheres with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

Zinc oxide is considered an outstanding photocatalyst candidate, but its low photo-corrosion resistance is a problem to be solved. In the ZnO-ZnS core-shell structure, ZnS acts as a protective layer for the ZnO core, and thus, it can enhance stability and long-term performance. The ZnO-ZnS core-shell structure is synthesized into various nanoscale morphologies with high specific surface areas to improve photocatalytic efficiency. However, they are easily agglomerated and are hard to separate from reaction media. In this study, micro-sized bumpy spheres of ZnO-ZnS core-shell structure were prepared via facile chemical transformation of as-prepared ZnO. After sulfurization of the ZnO template, it was confirmed through SEM, TEM, EDS, and XPS analysis that a uniform ZnS shell layer was formed without significant change in the initial ZnO morphology. The ZnO-ZnS core-shell microsphere has shown superior efficiency and stability in the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B compared with pristine ZnO microsphere

Hydrocarbons in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere Observed from ACE-FTS and Comparisons with WACCM

Satellite measurements from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) are used to examine the global, seasonal variations of several hydrocarbons, including carbon monoxide (CO), ethane (C2H6), acetylene (C2H2), and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). We focus on quantifying large-scale seasonal behavior from the middle troposphere to the stratosphere, particularly in the tropics, and furthermore make detailed comparisons with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) chemistry climate model (incorporating tropospheric photochemistry, time-varying hydrocarbon emissions, and meteorological fields nudged from reanalysis). Comparisons with Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measurements of CO are also included to understand sampling limitations of the ACE-FTS data and biases among observational data sets. Results show similar overall variability for CO, C2H6, and C2H2, with a semiannual cycle in the tropical upper troposphere related to seasonally varying sources and deep tropical convection, plus a maximum during Northern Hemisphere summer tied to the Asian monsoon anticyclone. These species also reveal a strong annual cycle above the tropical tropopause, tied to annual variations in the upward branch of Brewer-Dobson circulation. HCN reveals substantial differences from the other species, due to a longer photochemical lifetime and a chemical sink associated with ocean surface contact, which produces a minimum in the tropical upper troposphere not observed in the other species. For HCN, transport to the stratosphere occurs primarily through the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone. Overall, the WACCM simulation is able to reproduce most of the large-scale features observed in the ACE-FTS data, suggesting a reasonable simulation of sources and large-scale transport. The model is too low in the Southern Hemisphere subtropics during Austral spring, which indicates underestimate of biomass burning emissions and/or insufficient vertical transport in the model. © 2012. American Geophysical Union