Delayed eating is associated with a higher risk of overweight and obesity in the general population, but its relationship with anthropometric measurements and body composition in individuals with prediabetes remains unclear. This study investigated the association between chrononutrition behaviours, anthropometric measurements and body composition in adults with prediabetes. This prospective longitudinal study enrolled 120 participants aged 54 ±15 years, who received standard care at healthcare clinics. Socio-demographic data were collected via an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements, body composition metrics and chrononutrition behaviours (assessed with the Malay-translated Chrononutrition Profile Questionnaire) were assessed at baseline and 6 months. Multiple linear regression analyses with adjustment for confounders were conducted. A later last meal was associated with higher body weight (β: 0·68 kg, 95 % CI: 0·31, 1·04) and larger waist circumference (β: 1·38 cm, 95 % CI: 0·57, 2·19). Each hour deviation from eating beyond the 07.00–19.00 time window corresponded to an increase in body weight of 1·41 kg (95 % CI: 0·05, 2·77). Increasing frequency of nighttime snacking was associated with higher BMI (β: 1·61 kg/m2, 95 % CI: 0·43, 2·79). Delaying last meal timing (β: 0·44 %, 95 % CI: 0·14, 0·74) and deviating from solar time were associated with higher body fat percentage (β: 1·36 %, 95 % CI: 0·30, 2·42), while increasing frequency of breakfast skipping was associated with lower muscle mass (β: −0·31 kg, 95 % CI: –0·56, 0·07). These findings highlight the importance of chrononutrition behaviours in influencing anthropometric and body composition outcomes, supporting targeted interventions on meal timing in prediabetes management.

This study examines whether homeownership has a trade-off relationship with public-pension development in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Relying on a comparative historical approach, we find that while the three governments pursued homeownership societies, their interventions in housing provision and distribution varied in timing and intensity, contributing to different levels of homeownership. Historically, middle-class families in these countries have preferred asset accumulation through home purchases over reliance on public pensions. In particular, the early introduction of mandatory savings as a form of lump-sum retirement payments, combined with widespread homeownership aspirations, led to heavy reliance on private homeownership and, in turn, contributed to establishing underdeveloped, small-scale public-pension systems. Homeownership is unlikely to serve as a cornerstone of old-age economic security systems in East Asia, where asset-based welfare developed as a substitute for collective welfare provision and social rights.

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) following spinal fusion is a major complication that increases mortality and healthcare costs, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most common pathogen. Implementation of an SSI prevention bundle has been reported to significantly reduce SSI rates. This study evaluated changes in SSI rates among orthopedic spinal fusion patients after applying a prevention bundle that included S. aureus decolonization therapy and compared the results with non-intervention neurosurgical spinal fusion patients during the same period. Methods: At a tertiary care hospital in Seoul with 2,432 beds, an enhanced SSI prevention bundle including S. aureus decolonization therapy was implemented for all orthopedic spinal fusion patients beginning in December 2023. Decolonization consisted of a chlorhexidine shower the day before or the day of surgery and intranasal application of povidone-iodine within two hours before surgery. Additional bundle components included the use of colored inner gloves during auto-graft bone preparation to detect glove tearing, and additional sterile drapes when using a C-arm. The intervention was accompanied by staff education, promotion activities, awareness surveys, and ongoing monitoring. SSI rates were compared between the pre-intervention period (January-November 2023) and post-intervention period (December 2023 – October 2024) in orthopedic patients and further compared with neurosurgical surgery to evaluate the intervention’s effectiveness. Pediatric patients who underwent scoliosis surgery and patients with infections present at the time of surgery (PATOS) were excluded from the study. Diagnosis was based on the updated 2023 CDC/NHSN (National Healthcare Safety Network) definitions. Result: In the orthopedic department, the SSI rates significantly decreased from 2.65% (14/529) before the intervention to 0.34% (1/295) after the intervention (p=0.01). In the non-intervention neurosurgery department, there was no significant difference in SSI rates between the two periods (3.05% [12/393] vs. 2.16% [5/231], p=0.62). Although the post-intervention SSI rates in orthopedics were lower than that in neurosurgery (0.34% vs. 2.16%), the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.09). The SSI rates caused by Staphylococcus spp. in orthopedics decreased from 2.27% (12/529) before the intervention to 0% (0/295) after the intervention (p=0.01). In neurosurgery, there was no significant change in the incidence of SSIs caused by Staphylococcus spp. between the two periods (1.53% [6/393] vs. 1.30% [3/231], p<0.99). Conclusion: The enhanced SSI prevention bundle, which included S. aureus decolonization therapy, effectively reduced the SSI rate in orthopedic fusion surgeries. This effect was not observed in the neurosurgery department without the intervention, supporting the effectiveness of the implemented bundle.

Background: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) spread silently and offer limited treatment options, making contact screening essential. We evaluated the real-world implementation of contact screening, focusing on screening timing (at exposure vs. at readmission) and positivity rates by room type and carbapenemase enzyme. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at a 2,700-bed tertiary care hospital and included patients identified as contacts of CPE index cases with exposure between 1 January and 31 May 2024. Contacts were defined as patients who shared a room or occupied open beds in the same intensive care unit (ICU) with an index case during the period from 4 days before the index patient’s positive specimen collection until the reporting of results. Screening was performed with stool or rectal swabs either at the time of exposure or upon readmission within 6 months. CPE acquisition was defined as detection of isolates harbouring the same carbapenemase enzyme as the corresponding index case. Acquisition rates were compared by screening timing, room type, and carbapenemase enzyme. Samples were processed using culture or the Xpert Carba-R assay. Result: Among 2,003 contacts linked to 336 index patients, 1,401 (70%) underwent screening, of whom 37 (2.6%) tested positive. Immediate screening identified 30/1,184 (2.5%) positives, while readmission screening detected 7/217 (3.2%); two additional acquisitions were identified from clinical specimens among unscreened readmitted contacts. Acquisition was more frequent after exposure to KPC-producing organisms than NDM-producing organisms (3.7% [26/706] vs. 1.5% [8/520]; p=0.02) and higher in multi-patient rooms than in two-bed or open-bed ICU settings combined (3.4% [34/1004] vs 0.8% [3/397]; p=0.006). Conclusion: CPE acquisition was more likely following exposure to KPC-producing organisms and in multi-patient rooms. Systematic readmission screening identified additional carriers who would otherwise have been missed. These findings support tailored infection-prevention strategies that consider carbapenemase enzyme and the physical care environment, particularly in healthcare systems where multi-patient rooms are common.

Background: The Republic of Korea ranks second among OECD countries for tuberculosis (TB) incidence. National TB control guidelines mandate latent TB infection (LTBI) screening and treatment for healthcare workers (HCWs), especially those in high-risk departments. At our 2,700-bed tertiary hospital in Seoul, annual LTBI screening and treatment have been actively implemented since 2017, targeting HCWs at elevated risk of TB exposure. This study evaluates LTBI conversion rates among high-risk HCWs and characteristics of HCWs with conversion (converters) over the past five years. Methods: Following national guidelines, HCWs were classified into three high-risk groups: those likely to have routine contact with pulmonary TB patients (Group A), those caring for immunocompromised patients (Group B), and those at risk of respiratory infections despite no routine TB contact (Group C). Annual screening included interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) and chest radiography. HCWs with positive IGRA results (≥0.35 IU/m) were strongly encouraged to undergo latent tuberculosis treatment. We analyzed data from HCWs working in high-risk tuberculosis units who had worked for more than five years from 2020 to 2024. HCWs with prior IGRA positivity were excluded. Results: Among, 1467 HCWs, 15.9% (233/1,467) had been diagnosed with LTBI before 2020, while the cumulative LTBI conversion rate between 2020 and 2024 was 5.3% (65/1,234). The annual LTBI conversion rates ranged between 0.7% and 1.5%. The median age of converters was 42 years, significantly older than non-converters (median 38 years; P = 0.02). Male converters comprised 24.6% (16/65) compared to 14.6% (171/1,169) in the non-converter group (P = 0.03). Longer tenure was observed among converters (median 16 years) than non-converters (median 12 years; P = 0.01). Although medical technicians and emergency room staff exhibited higher conversion rates, these differences were not statistically significant. Among LTBI cases, 78.8% completed treatment, with 9.1% demonstrating reversion. The annual incidence of active tuberculosis among HCWs at our hospital significantly declined to an average of 0.2 cases per year between 2020 and 2024, compared to 4.4 cases per year between 2015 and 2019 Conclusions: Annual LTBI screenings revealed conversion rates of approximately 1%, primarily affecting older, long-tenured, and male HCWs. Active LTBI treatment effectively reduced the risk of active TB among hospital staff.

As the global elderly population grows, emotional challenges unique to this demographic are often neglected in design under the assumption that older adults can regulate their emotions independently. This study highlights the importance of fostering positive emotions in the elderly through leisure activities. It examines (1) how design practitioners conceptualize emotion regulation in older adults, (2) the challenges they face in creating supportive designs, and (3) enablers identified by elderly individuals. Twelve design practitioners generated 64 interactive design concepts to enhance elderly leisure experiences, followed by interviews with five elderly participants to explore their emotional needs and preferences. The findings underscore designers’ challenges and highlight opportunities for user-centered approaches to promote emotional well-being in aging populations.

B vitamin and methionine intake may influence cancer development, but their link to gastric cancer (GC) risk is unclear. Nutrients related to one-carbon metabolism (OCM) have been shown to be associated with S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (AHCY), one of the most crucial enzymes in OCM, which is regulated by the AHCY gene. Thus, we hypothesised that a higher intake of total nutrients related to OCM may reduce the risk of GC, and this preventative effect may interact with the AHCY rs819173 polymorphism. We conducted a case–control study at the National Cancer Center in Korea, involving 371 cases and 738 controls, aiming to determine the interaction between the AHCY rs819173 polymorphism and nutrients related to OCM intakes in GC risk. Dietary vitamin B and methionine intakes were collected using semi-quantitative FFQ (SQFFQ). The OR and 95 % CI were calculated using unconditional logistic regression models. Higher intake of total nutrients related to OCM was found to be inversely associated with GC risk (adjusted OR (aOR) = 0·57, 95 % CI 0·37, 0·86, Pfor trend = 0·009). No significant association between the AHCY rs819173 polymorphism and GC risk was found. In the dominant model of AHCY rs819173, participants with major homozygous (TT) and higher intake of nutrients related to OCM had a lower GC risk than those with lower intake (aOR = 0·49, 95 % CI 0·30, 0·81, P interaction = 0·015). Higher intakes of total vitamin B and methionine were proposed as potential protective nutrients against GC. Moreover, this association might be influenced by the presence of the AHCY rs819173 polymorphism.

Recent advancements in wearable robots have focused on developing soft, compliant, and lightweight structures to provide comfort for the users and to achieve the primary function of assisting body motions. The interaction forces induced by physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) not only cause skin discomfort or pain due to relatively high localized pressures but also degrade the wearability and the safety of the wearer’s joints by unnaturally altering the joint reaction forces (JRFs) and the joint reaction moments (JRMs). Although the correlation between excessive JRFs/JRMs and joint-related conditions has been reported by researchers, the biomechanical effects of forces and moments caused by the pHRI of a wearable robot on the wearer’s joints remain under-analyzed. In this study, we propose a method of measuring and analyzing these interactions and effects, using a custom-designed soft, three-degree-of-freedom (DOF) force sensor. The sensor is made of four Hall effect sensors and a neodymium magnet embedded in a silicone elastomer structure, enabling simultaneous measurement of normal and two-axis shear forces by detecting the distance changes between the magnet and each Hall effect sensor. These sensors are embedded in contact pads of a commercial wearable robot and measure the interaction forces, used for calculating JRF and JRM. We also propose a modified inverse dynamics approach that allows us to consider the physical interactions between the robot and the human body. The proposed method of sensing and analysis provides the potential to enhance the design of future wearable robots, ensuring long-term safety.

With the evolution of the Web and development of web-based search engines, online searching has become a common method for obtaining information. Given this popularity, the question arises as to how much time people save by using search engines for their information needs compared to offline sources, as well as how online searching affects both search experiences and search outcomes. Using a random sample of queries from a major search engine and a sample of reference questions from the Internet Public Library (IPL), we conduct a real-effort experiment to compare online and offline search experiences and outcomes. We find that participants are significantly more likely to find an answer on the Web (100 %), compared to offline searching (between 87 % and 90 %). Restricting our analysis to the set of questions in which participants find answers in both treatments, a Web search takes on average 7 (9) minutes, whereas the corresponding offline search takes 22 (19) minutes for a search-engine (IPL) question. Furthermore, while raters judge library sources to be significantly more trustworthy and authoritative than the corresponding Web sources, they judge Web sources as significantly more relevant. Balancing all factors, we find that the overall source quality is not significantly different between the two treatments for the set of search-engine questions. However, for IPL questions, we find that non-Web sources are judged to have significantly higher overall quality than the corresponding Web sources. In comparison, for factual questions, Web search results are significantly more likely to be correct (66 % vs. 43 %). Lastly, post-search questionnaires reveal that participants find online searching more enjoyable than offline searching.

Reintroduction includes the captive propagation and movement of extirpated animals or plants into areas of historical and native distribution. Many biotic or abiotic factors can affect a founder population when small numbers are released into unfamiliar novel environments, particularly at the early stage of reintroduction. The inclusion of behavioural and ecological components plays a crucial role in the decision-making process of endangered species conservation efforts such as reintroduction. Since the resident population of Oriental Storks Ciconia boyciana was locally extirpated in South Korea in 1971, its founders have been established through reintroduction since 2015. The aim of this study was to investigate the demography, habitat use, and movement patterns of stork founders using the first two-year demographic and tracking data. Stork founders maintained their population size, which slightly increased in the long term. The patterns of habitat use and movement depended on rice paddy fields for foraging and breeding along with mixed effects of breeding status and season. Considering ecological and life history-related perspectives, we also discuss the potential adaptiveness of founder Oriental Storks as a resident population in a novel environment in South Korea.

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.

Faecal examinations for helminth eggs were performed on 1869 people from two riverside localities, Vientiane Municipality and Saravane Province, along the Mekong River, Laos. To obtain adult flukes, 42 people positive for small trematode eggs (Opisthorchis viverrini, heterophyid, or lecithodendriid eggs) were treated with a 20–30 mg kg−1 single dose of praziquantel and purged. Diarrhoeic stools were then collected from 36 people (18 in each area) and searched for helminth parasites using stereomicroscopes. Faecal examinations revealed positive rates for small trematode eggs of 53.3% and 70.8% (average 65.2%) in Vientiane and Saravane Province, respectively. Infections with O. viverrini and six species of intestinal flukes were found, namely, Haplorchis taichui, H. pumilio, H. yokogawai, Centrocestus caninus, Prosthodendrium molenkampi, and Phaneropsolus bonnei. The total number of flukes collected and the proportion of fluke species recovered were markedly different in the two localities; in Vientiane, 1041 O. viverrini (57.8 per person) and 615 others (34.2 per person), whereas in Saravane, 395 O. viverrini (21.9 per person) and 155207 others (8622.6 per person). Five people from Saravane harboured no O. viverrini but numerous heterophyid and/or lecithodendriid flukes. The results indicate that O. viverrini and several species of heterophyid and lecithodendriid flukes are endemic in these two riverside localities, and suggest that the intensity of infection and the relative proportion of fluke species vary by locality along the Mekong River basin.

A series of natural clays, including 1:1 layer silicates (serpentines, kaolin minerals), smectites, vermiculite, micas, talc, pyrophyllite, sepiolite, and palygorskite, were studied by 19F magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The 19F chemical shift in these layer silicates is characteristic of the structure, in particular, to the local octahedral cation occupancy. Fluoride ions bonded to three Mg octahedral cations have a chemical shift of about −177 ppm and those bonded to two Al cations and a vacancy have a chemical shift of about −134 parts per million (ppm). The shift at −182.8 ppm in hectorite is apparently associated with fluoride bonded to two Al cations and a Li cation. Surprisingly, the difference in chemical shift of the interlayer and inner fluoride in 1:1 layer silicates is insufficient to distinguish these sites. Based on trends in chemical shift, it appears that fluoride substitution for inner hydroxyls in clays with octahedral substitution is not random. Fluoride is apparently preferentially associated with Mg rather than Al in the octahedral sheet as no resonance due to a fluoride bonded to two Al cations and a vacancy is observed in clays such as SAz-1.

Verbascum blattaria L., commonly known as moth mullein, naturalized in the USA that produces white or yellow flowers could be considered as a potential ornamental plant. However, genetic characterization using molecular markers and leaf morphology, colourimetric analysis and flowering of V. blattaria influenced by low temperature treatments was not investigated to evaluate as a potential horticultural and landscape plant use. The basal leaves developed during the rosette-growth stage were oblanceolate with an obtuse leaf apex and incisions at the margin. Leaves produced on the stem during the reproductive development were ovate or lanceolate with an obtuse or acute leaf apex. Regardless of the colour of the petiole and leaf blade during the rosette-growth stage, there were no differences in the sequences of nuclear ribosomal ITS and chloroplast interspacer. All plants produced creamy white flowers with a purplish base corolla. All leaves formed during the vegetative and reproductive development were glabrous. Numerous stalked glandular trichomes were observed in the sepal, pedicel and bracts. Seeds started to germinate in 10 days at 25°C and reached the plateau in 30 days after sowing. The earliest flowering occurred in 131 days when the plants received 20 days of low temperature treatment (CD) (20 CD), producing 76 flowers, the highest number compared to the number of flowers produced by plants that received 0, 40 and 60 CD. Plants that received 20 CD exhibited early flowering, probably because of the early transition from vegetative growth to reproductive development, as judged by the short stem to the first flower.

Mammalian oocytes not fertilized immediately after ovulation can undergo ageing and a rapid decline in quality. The addition of antioxidants can be an efficient approach to delaying the oocyte ageing process. Onion peel extract (OPE) contains quercetin and other flavonoids with natural antioxidant activities. In this study, we investigated the effect of OPE on mouse oocyte ageing and its mechanism of action. The oocytes were aged in vitro in M16 medium for 16 h after adding OPE at different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200, and 500 μg/ml). The addition of 100 μg/ml OPE reduced the oocyte fragmentation rate, decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, increased the glutathione (GSH) level, and improved the mitochondrial membrane potential compared with the control group. The addition of OPE also increased the expression of SOD1, CAT, and GPX3 genes, and the caspase-3 activity in OPE-treated aged oocytes was significantly lower than that in untreated aged oocytes and similar to that in fresh oocytes. These results indicated that OPE delayed mouse oocyte ageing by reducing oxidative stress and apoptosis and enhancing mitochondrial function.

In sustainable experience design education, experience activities of consumers and users, design activities of student designers, and education activities of instructors should be addressed. It would be meaningful to compare various sustainable experience design education efforts considering regional and cultural context. This paper describes a framework where experience, design and education activities are systematically represented with diverse contexts also represented in a structured manner. Student design projects in a service design thinking course are illustrated where sustainability is gently introduced.

Data about customer experiences would be critical in smart product-service systems. Research is desired on how to establish a framework for Smart Experience Design based on customer experience data so that determining what kinds of customer data are needed and how these data are acquired effectively can be supported. This paper presents a framework and a method to design customer experience personalization services based on customer experience evaluation data obtained in real time and accumulated together with context data. Two illustrative cases are provided to demonstrate the validity of the framework of smart experience design based on customer experience data.

Birds in flight are prone to collide with various transparent or reflective structures. While bird–window collision has been recognised as a critical conservation issue, collision with other transparent structures has been less understood. Noise barriers made of transparent materials are considered critical hazards for birds; however, little is known about the bird mortality they cause. We conducted the first nationwide-scale estimates of bird-collision mortality caused by transparent noise barriers (TNBs) along roads in the Republic of Korea. The total length of existing roadside transparent noise barriers was estimated at 1,416 km nationwide (as of 2018), and it had been increasing exponentially. Based on carcass surveys at 25 sites, daily mortality at the observed barriers was 0.335 ± 1.132 birds/km on average, and no difference in observed mortality was detected between both sides of a single barrier and between road types (i.e. local roads and motorways). Finally, we estimated that approximately 186,000 birds (95% confidence interval: 162,465–204,812 birds) are killed annually by collisions with roadside TNBs. As privately installed barriers were not considered in this study, the actual mortality is likely be higher than our estimates. Thus, collision with TNBs could become an emerging threat to avian conservation, especially in developing and urbanising regions around the world. As such structures are not formally recognised as conservation issues of importance, more systematic surveys aided by citizen science, both for the status of TNBs and bird-collision mortality, are needed in addition to management and mitigation policies.