Mixed reality simulations such as TeachLivE and Mursion have been increasingly utilised to prepare teachers for inclusive classrooms. The use of mixed reality simulations, which combine elements of both virtual and augmented reality, offers immersive and interactive experiences that can enhance teacher training in various ways. These simulations provide preservice teachers with realistic and safe spaces to practise inclusive communication, pedagogy, and classroom management. Each scenario can be tailored to provide practice in specific skills and support preservice teachers in meeting the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership standards. This is especially helpful in view of today’s inclusive classes, as avatars in the simulations are neurodiverse, representing students of various abilities and personalities. The authors define mixed reality simulations, describe various ways that simulations have been used to support students in special and inclusive education, and describe a case study of simulations used for parent–teacher meetings and for inclusive classroom management in an Australian university. Lastly, they suggest directions for future research and practice.

The cyclicity and Koblitz conjectures ask about the distribution of primes of cyclic and prime-order reduction, respectively, for elliptic curves over $\mathbb {Q}$. In 1976, Serre gave a conditional proof of the cyclicity conjecture, but the Koblitz conjecture (refined by Zywina in 2011) remains open. The conjectures are now known unconditionally “on average” due to work of Banks–Shparlinski and Balog–Cojocaru–David. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the cyclicity conjecture for primes in arithmetic progressions (AP), with relevant work by Akbal–Güloğlu and Wong. In this article, we adapt Zywina’s method to formulate the Koblitz conjecture for AP and refine a theorem of Jones to establish results on the moments of the constants in both the cyclicity and Koblitz conjectures for AP. In doing so, we uncover a somewhat counterintuitive phenomenon: On average, these two constants are oppositely biased over congruence classes. Finally, in an accompanying repository, we give Magma code for computing the constants discussed in this article.

Aims: There is limited real-world evidence for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) receiving esketamine nasal spray in Korea. This study is aimed to evaluate the acute safety and efficacy of intranasal esketamine in patients with TRD from a university hospital in Korea.

Methods: This open-label and prospective study used data collected from the Wonkwang University Hospital. Patients with TRD received esketamine plus an oral antidepressant during the treatment period. This study comprised a 4-week screening, 2-week induction and 2-week follow-up.

Results: A total of 22 TRD patients received esketamine April 2021–April 2023. This group was predominantly female, and have several psychiatric comorbidities and high exposure to psychiatric medications. We observed significant reductions (p<0.001) in average Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Clinical Global Impression severity (CGI-S) from baseline (HAM-D: 25.6+5.3, CGI-S: 5.1+1.5) to last available treatment(HAM-D: 19.6+3.9, CGI-S: 3.0+1.2). Suicidal thought also significantly reduced from baseline(2.33+0.7) to last treatment (1.37+0.6)(p<0.001).

Compared with the baseline, 23% of HAM-D, 43% of CGI-S and 42% of suicidal thought of TRD patients reduced in the 4 weeks. There were no reports of serious adverse events.

Conclusion: The acute safety and efficacy of esketamine in the Korean patients was generally consistent with the international studies. There was no new safety signal and no indication for abuse. Acute efficacy occurred early during the induction phase.

The study aimed to delve into the incidence and risk factors associated with myocarditis and pericarditis following SARS-COV-2-19 vaccination, addressing a notable gap in understanding the safety profile of vaccinations. Through meticulous data selection from the National Health Insurance System (NHIS) database of Korea, the researchers employed both a case-crossover study and a nested case-control design to analyze temporal patterns and risk factors related to carditis occurrences post-immunization. Key findings revealed a significant association between SARS-COV-2-19 vaccination and the occurrence of carditis, with a strong temporal correlation observed within 10 days post-vaccination. Noteworthy factors contributing to carditis risk included the duration between vaccination and carditis, specific comorbidities and medication use. The study concluded by recommending an extended post-vaccination surveillance duration of at least 10 days and underscored the importance of considering individual medical histories and concurrent medication use in assessing vaccine-induced carditis risk. This study might contribute to understanding vaccine safety profiles and emphasizes the significance of comprehensive post-vaccination monitoring protocols.

Particle-laden flow through conduits is ubiquitous in both natural and industrial systems. In such flows, particles often migrate across the main fluid stream, resulting in non-uniform spatial distribution owing to particle–fluid and particle–particle interactions. The most relevant lateral particle migration mechanism by particle–fluid interaction is the Segré–Silberberg effect, which is induced by the inertial forces exerted on a particle, as the flow rate increases. However, methods to suppress it have not been suggested yet. Here, we demonstrate that adding a small amount of polymer to the particle-suspending solvent effectively suppresses the Segré–Silberberg effect in a square channel. To accurately determine the position of the particles within the channel cross-sections, we devised a dual-view imaging system applicable to microfluidic systems. Our analyses show that the Segré–Silberberg effect is effectively suppressed in a square microchannel due to the balance between the inertial and elastic forces at an optimal polymer concentration while maintaining nearly constant shear viscosity.

Background: Data on antimicrobial use at the national level is crucial to establish domestic antimicrobial stewardship policies and enable medical institutions to benchmark against each other. This study aimed to analyze antimicrobial use in Korean hospitals. Methods: We investigated the antimicrobials prescribed in Korean hospitals between 2018 and 2021, using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment. Primary care hospitals (PCHs), secondary care hospitals (SCHs), and tertiary care hospitals (TCHs) were included in this analysis. Antimicrobials were categorized according to the Korea National Antimicrobial Use Analysis System (KONAS) classification, which is suitable for measuring antimicrobial use in Korean hospitals. Results: Out of more than 1,900 hospitals, PCHs and TCHs represented the largest and lowest percentage of hospitals, respectively. The most frequently prescribed antimicrobial in 2021 was piperacillin/β-lactamase inhibitor (9.3%) in TCHs, ceftriaxone (11.0%) in SCHs, and cefazedone (18.9%) in PCHs. Between 2018 and 2021, the most used antimicrobial class according to the KONAS classification was ‘broad-spectrum antibacterial agents predominantly used for community-acquired infections’ in TCHs and SCHs, and 'narrow spectrum beta-lactam agents' in PCH. Total consumption of antimicrobials has decreased from 951.7 to 929.9 days of therapy (DOT)/1,000 patient-days in TCHs and from 817.8 to 752.2 DOT/1,000 patient-days in SCHs during study period, but not in PCHs (from 504.3 to 527.2 DOT/1,000 patient-days). Moreover, in 2021, while use of reserve antimicrobials has decreased from 13.6 to 10.7 DOT/1,000 patient-days in TCHs and from 4.6 to 3.3 DOT/1,000 patient-days in SCHs, it has increased from 0.7 to 0.8 DOT/1,000 patient-days in PCHs. Conclusion: This study confirms that antimicrobial use differs by hospital type in Korea. Recent increases of use of antimicrobials, including reserve antimicrobials, in PCHs reflect the challenges that must be addressed.

Background: Healthcare-associated central line associated bloodstream infection (HA-CLABSI) surveillance is important for monitoring healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and evaluating effectiveness of infection prevention (IP) measures. However, implementing it is a laborious and time-consuming approach. Exclusive focus on central lines neglects HAI risk due to peripheral vascular catheters. This study aimed to assess whether HA-CLABSI incidence could be inferred from HA-bloodstream infection (BSI) trends and explore shift to HA-BSI surveillance. Methods: The study was performed in a Singaporean tertiary care hospital. Electronic medical records review was performed to determine whether positive blood cultures met Centers for Disease Control/National Health Safety Network (CDC/NHSN) definitions for HA-CLABSI and HA-BSI. Incident episodes of HA-BSI were included (excluding positive cultures repeated within 14 days). Incident organisms were explored to identify common causative pathogens (excluding same organisms isolated from cultures repeated within 14 days). CLABSI and BSI occurring ≥72hrs after admission were considered healthcare-associated. Patients under oncology or hematology service were considered immunocompromised. Incidence rates (IR) per 10,000 patient-days, patient characteristics and causative pathogens were compared between both indicators. Results: From January 2022 to October 2023, mean IR for HA-CLABSI was 0.63 (n=68) and for HA-BSI was 10.06 (n=1094). Median age of patients with HA-CLABSI was 66 years and HA-BSI was 68 years. HA-CLABSI and HA-BSI were more common in males (60.86% & 58.68%). Median duration between admission to HA-CLABSI was 20 days and to HA-BSI was 12 days. Median duration between central line insertion to HA-CLABSI was 16 days. Of 1094, 631 (57.7%) patients had vascular catheter(s) (i.e., IV cannula, port-a-cath, peripherally-inserted central catheter or central line) inserted at time of HA-BSI diagnosis, of whom 46 (7.3%) patients had CLABSI ±2days from positive blood culture. There was no significant correlation between monthly aggregate data from these indicators (Spearman’s correlation coefficient= 0.36, p-value=0.1). Predominant organisms causing HA-CLABSI and HA-BSI were gram negative bacteria (GNB, 40% & 57.21%), gram positive bacteria (24.71% & 22.23%), and fungi. Common GNB in CLABSI patients were Pseudomonas spp. and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (8.24%), followed by Serratia marcescens and Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.88%). The frequent GNB in HA-BSI patients were Escherichia coli (15.4%), Klebsiella pneumonia (12.68%), and Pseudomonas spp. (6.69%). Common multi-drug resistant organisms were vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (10.59% & 3.69%) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (10.59% & 3.07%). Conclusion: HA-BSI did not correlate with HA-CLABSI. HA-BSI reflects heterogenous population outcomes. For utilization as surveillance indicator, further assessment on exclusion criteria is required to improve specificity.

This study aimed to investigate the diverse clinical manifestations and simple early biomarkers predicting mortality of COVID-19 patients admitted to the emergency department (ED). A total of 710 patients with COVID-19 were enrolled from 6,896 patients presenting to the ED between January 2022 and March 2022. During the study period, a total of 478 patients tested positive for COVID-19, among whom 222 (46.4%) presented with extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19; 49 (10.3%) patients displayed gastrointestinal manifestations, followed by neurological (n = 41; 8.6%) and cardiac manifestations (n = 31; 6.5%). In total, 54 (11.3%) patients died. A Cox proportional hazards model revealed that old age, acute kidney injury at presentation, increased total leukocyte counts, low platelet counts, decreased albumin levels, and increased LDH levels were the independent predictors of mortality. The albumin levels exhibited the highest area under the curve in receiver operating characteristic analysis, with a value of 0.860 (95% confidence interval, 0.796–0.875). The study showed the diverse clinical presentations and simple-to-measure prognostic markers in COVID-19 patients presenting to the ED. Serum albumin levels can serve as a novel and simple early biomarker to identify COVID-19 patients at high risk of death.

Climate change poses a major threat to marine ecosystems, with its effects felt worldwide. A major effect of climate change on marine ecosystems is the rise in water temperature, leading to a northward expansion of habitats for marine organisms. Herdmania momus, a species of ascidians (sea squirts), originally found in tropical and subtropical regions, was introduced to the Korean Peninsula. In this study, we examined the habitat of H. momus along the southeastern coast of the Korean Peninsula between 2016 and 2022. We found that H. momus settlements were observed across the entire survey area, with confirmed habitation in Busan in 2016, Ulsan in 2021, and Gyeongju (the northernmost location) in 2022. The observed habitation trend indicates a rapid geographical expansion, occurring approximately 79 years earlier than previously predicted. These observations demonstrate that marine organisms are undergoing a more rapid geographical expansion than previously projected. These unexpected findings should inform government policies related to proactive measures and strategies for managing the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems.

Snails and freshwater fish were examined from four ponds in the Meinung township in which Clonorchis sinensis was known to be endemic 18 years ago. No metacercariae were found in 478 Tilapia nilotica, whereas of 451 Ctenopharyngodon idellus examined, 16.2%, 3.3% and 0.9% were found to be infected with Haplorchis pumilio, H. taichui and Clonorchis sinensis, respectively. In addition, there were some unidentified metacercariae in 12.0% of Ctenopharyngodon idellus examined. Overall, no positive correlation between infection rates and sizes of infected fish was shown. Six species of snails were collected in this survey and two frequently-occurring snails, Melanoides tuberculata and Thiara granifera were commonly infected with H. pumilio. Reasons for the prevalence of Haplorchis species and the absence of Clonorchis sinensis in fish and snail hosts in a previously reported endemic area for human clonorchiasis are discussed.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Donor hearts are transported in cold storage (CS) and undergo ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) when transplanted. IRI injures microvascular endothelial cells (EC), heightens the immune response, and has been associated with increased autophagy. We aim to understand the changes in autophagy during CS and IRI and its impact on EC immunogenicity. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: To study autophagy changes during IRI, immunoblotting for autophagy markers was performed in mouse cardiac ECs (MCECs) lysates. MCECs were in a cold preservation solution in a hypoxic chamber for 6 hours(h) and warm conditions with culture medium for 24 h. MCECs, under standard conditions, served as controls. Secreted interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels were quantified via ELISA to study autophagy and EC immunogenicity. MCEC-sensitized CD8+ T-cells were isolated from C57BL/6 spleens and co-cultured with MCECs pre-treated for 16 h with rapamycin or starvation, autophagy inducers, or chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor under normal or IRI conditions. MCECs without any treatment served as controls. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: To determine autophagy levels in IRI, immunoblotting of MCEC lysates revealed a significant increase (P<0.01) in the established autophagy marker, LC3, at early time points post-reperfusion compared to NT conditions, indicating more autophagosome formation during CS and IRI. To assess the role of autophagy in EC immunogenicity, the co-culture experiment revealed that autophagy induction in MCECs under NT and HCS conditions with rapamycin had a 74.9-fold and 51.5-fold reduction of IFN-γ (pg/mL), resepectively, compared to the non-treated controls. In contrast, autophagy inhibition in MCECs with chloroquine resulted in 1.82-fold increase of IFN-γ compared to untreated controls. This suggests a protective role of autophagy in ECs during IRI. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: We observed that autophagy may be protective during IRI by mitigating EC immunogenicity. Thus, pharmacologically modulating microvascular EC autophagy in donor hearts prior to transplantation may mitigate insults incurred during CS and IRI.

This study examines the presence of bacterial contamination on surgical gloves and suggests appropriate measures for an aseptic surgical environment. To prevent glove contamination during surgery, surgeons and assistants should change gloves periodically, and scrub nurses should be careful when opening packages and handing over implants.