The physiological changes and alterations in gait following amputation may increase the risk of fractures. However, there is insufficient research on fracture risk in amputees. Therefore, this study ...intended to analyze whether the risk of new fractures increases after traumatic amputations. This population-based, retrospective cohort study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance System database. The study included 19,586 participants who had undergone an amputation and 76,645 matched controls. The incidence of any fracture and site-specific fractures (vertebral, hip, and others) according to amputation site(s) and severity of disability due to amputation were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. During the mean follow-up of 4.2 years, amputees had a higher incidence rate (IR) of any fracture (adjusted HR aHR 1.47, 95% CI 1.36–1.60), vertebral fracture (aHR 1.63, 95% CI 1.44–1.85), hip fracture (aHR 1.85, 95% CI 1.39–2.46), and other fracture (aHR 1.34, 95% CI 1.20–1.49) compared to that of controls. In the presence of disability, the risks were further increased and were highest among amputees with severe disabilities. All fracture risks were higher in amputees than they were in controls, regardless of lower limb or upper limb amputation. This cohort study demonstrated that traumatic amputees experienced higher incidence of all fractures than did individuals without amputations, and this risk increases with severity of disability. This finding underscores the importance of early screening and lifestyle interventions to address fracture risk in traumatic amputees.
The factors associated with sleep disorder are controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of sleep disorder and the factors associated with sleep disorder among Korean adult cancer ...survivors.
In this cross-sectional study, we collected data on sleep problems as outcome variables, and sociodemographic and clinical information as predictor variables from cancer survivors at two university-affiliated hospitals. Sleep disorder was defined as "a difficulty in sleep initiation or sleep maintenance at least 3 times a week that started after a cancer diagnosis." Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) to evaluate the factors associated with sleep disorder.
The participants were 1,893 Korean cancer survivors (mean age, 58.1 years; females 68.0%). The prevalence of sleep disorder among male and female cancer survivors were 16.5% and 20.3%, respectively. An increase of age by 1-year was associated with a 1.04 (95% CI, 1.01-1.07; P=0.011) times higher risk of sleep disorder in males, while an inverse association was found in females. In female survivors, high fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), high anxiety, menopause, and high EuroQol Visual Analog Scale were associated with 1.45 (95% CI, 1.06-1.98; P=0.020), 1.78 (95% CI, 1.25-2.55; P=0.002), 1.70 (95% CI, 1.08-2.67; P=0.022), and 0.59 (95% CI, 0.43-0.82; P=0.002) times higher risk of sleep disorder, respectively. In male survivors, living with a spouse/or partner was associated with 57% (95% CI, 0.20-0.95; P=0.036) lower risk of sleep disorder. Analyses of cancer sites showed that the factors associated with sleep disorder varied across cancer sites.
One-fifth of adult cancer survivors had sleep disorder. Age, menopausal status, FCR, anxiety, living with a spouse or partner, and quality of life were independently associated with sleep disorder in Korean cancer survivors.
In this study, stub column tests using cold-formed steel lipped channel columns at elevated temperatures were conducted to clarify the local buckling strength and collapse temperatures. The effective ...width concept which has been improved by the past study was used to evaluate the local buckling strength, and it was clarified that the improved effective width concept offered the average values of the experimental results. Furthermore, the effective width concept using the design reduction factor was proposed for the fire resistant design of cold-formed steel structures.
Adhesion control of various liquid droplets on a liquid-repellent surface is a fundamental technique in novel open channel microfluidic systems. Herein, we demonstrate reversible liquid droplet ...adhesion switching on superamphiphobic Pd-decorated Ag dendrites (Pd/Ag dendrites). Although adhesion between liquids and the superamphiphobic surfaces was extremely low under ambient air, high adhesion was instantly achieved by exposure of the dendrites to 8% hydrogen gas. Transition from low to high adhesion and the reverse case were successfully repeated more than 10 times by switching from atmospheric ambient air to 8% hydrogen gas. This is the first technique that allows real-time reversible adhesion change with various liquid droplets to a surface using gas-induced structural changes and can potentially be used to realize various functions for droplet-based microfluidics.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
In urban and agricultural streams, assessing aquatic ecosystem health is critical due to widespread pollution. Traditional methods for evaluating attached diatoms crucial for ecosystem monitoring ...face limitations such as species misidentification and sample damage. This study was conducted in the Miho River within the Geum River system and highlights the effectiveness of environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques for more accurate and efficient genetic-based analysis than conventional microscopic analysis methods. When eDNA-based assessments were compared with traditional microscopic methods, this study found that eDNA analysis often revealed poorer ecosystem health. Notably, eDNA assessments showed a stronger correlation with phosphorus concentrations, underlining their precision and importance in ecological studies. These findings suggest that eDNA has potential as a valuable tool for comprehensive biomonitoring. However, the use of international genetic barcode databases in eDNA analysis could lead to the identification of unrecorded species in Korea. Therefore, this study recommends developing a localized genetic barcode database and constructing eDNA information through meta-barcoding, focusing on native species. This approach is crucial for enhancing the accuracy and applicability of eDNA-based health assessments in national biomonitoring efforts.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
This paper presents a numerical study on control effectiveness of a high-speed underwater vehicle with cruciform stern configuration using a computational fluid dynamics approach. The calculation of ...the control derivatives of the underwater vehicle is validated by comparison with the experimental results of towing tank tests. The screw propeller of the vehicle is modeled as a momentum source and its influence on the computational results is examined. The numerical results show that the force derivatives of the vehicle are over-predicted by about 5% and the moment derivatives of the vehicle are over-predicted by about 10%.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
•Surface shielding of inorganic photocatalyst by hydrophobic organic photocatalyst.•Restrict the self-oxidation of photogenerated H2O2, and maximize the H2O2 production.•A potential strategy for ...sustainable H2O2 production from natural resources (sun, water, and air).•The atomistic simulation studies substantiate the hydrophobicity induced H2O2 production.•A facile yet effective approach for solar H2O2 production over inorganic/organic heterojunction.
Photocatalytic H2O2 production is one of the most promising methods because it is a safe and sustainable technique. However, the inactiveness of inorganic photocatalysts (TiO2) under visible light irradiation and severe photodecomposition of H2O2 on their surfaces result in low performance for solar H2O2 production. Here, we report for the first time, a hydrophobic organic/inorganic (polymer/TiO2) heterojunction photocatalyst, which not only can utilize visible light, but also suppress H2O2 decomposition. In the absence of a hole scavenger, the photogenerated H2O2 concentration of the poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-alt-benzothiadiazole) (PFBT)/TiO2 heterojunction photocatalyst (67 µM) was >70 times higher than that of pristine PFBT polymer. Further, improvement of polymer hydrophobicity by fluorine substitution results in enhanced photogenerated H2O2 concentration (110.4 µM) on (Poly(9,9-dioctyl fluorine-alt-difluorobenzothiadiazole) (PF2FBT)/TiO2). The atomistic simulation studies substantiate that the low adsorption energy of H2O2 on the heterojunction and the surface shielding of TiO2 induced by the hydrophobicity of the fluorinated polymers significantly improve H2O2 production.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Purpose
This study evaluated the association between social support during the re-entry period and long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in breast cancer survivors using a longitudinal ...cohort study.
Methods
This is a prospective cohort study with 275 breast cancer survivors who reported HRQoL at 5 and 10 years after diagnosis. Social support for the re-entry period was measured 3 years after diagnosis using the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS). HRQoL was evaluated using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and Breast Cancer-Specific Module (BR-23). Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate HRQoL at 5 and 10 years after diagnosis by level of social support during the re-entry period.
Results
The mean (SD) of social support during re-entry period was 68.5. The low social support (LSS, score < 55) group during the re-entry period had a significantly lower HRQoL (mean difference = − 12.93) compared to moderate or high social support (MHSS, score ≥ 55) group. 5 and 10 years after diagnosis, the LSS group continued to demonstrate lower HRQoL (5 years: − 7.17; 10 years: − 7.85) compared to the MHSS group. The LSS group were more likely to have lower role and social function scores, and higher fatigue, pain, and financial problems compared to the MHSS group at 10 years after diagnosis.
Conclusions
Breast cancer survivors who received lower social support during the re-entry period were more likely to experience poorer HRQoL in the long term than those who did not.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
This study aimed to examine the effects of different types of skipped meals on cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) in Korean adults.
We analyzed 14,062 adults from the Korea National Health and ...Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2016 and 2018. The irregularity of breakfast, lunch, and dinner consumption was assessed using 24-hour recall data, and we categorized the habit of skipping regular meals into eight types. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate the association between each type of meal skipping and the CMRF. We also presented the estimated effects of individual types of meal skipping on the CMRF based on their predicted values and mean differences.
Korean adults tended to have irregular meal consumption habits when they had one or more of the following characteristics: female sex, under the age of 50 years, middle-high to high household income, high school or college or higher education levels, alcohol consumption, and current smoking. Compared to regular eaters, we have observed significantly higher total cholesterol in the following types of meal skipping: irregular breakfast (IB) (P<0.001), irregular lunch (P=0.005), irregular breakfast and lunch (IBL) (P=0.001), irregular breakfast and dinner (P=0.001); higher low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in IB (P=0.009); higher triglyceride in IB (P=0.005) and IBL (P=0.034); and higher fasting glucose in IB (P=0.046).
Different types of meal skipping were associated with CMRF. Regular breakfast and lunch consumption should be emphasized to prevent and manage cardiometabolic disorders. However, skipping dinner showed no significant association with CMRF.
