BACKGROUNDThe present study aimed to update the methodology to estimate cause-specific disability weight (DW) for the calculation of disability adjusted life year (DALY) and health-adjusted life ...expectancy (HALE) based on the opinion of medical professional experts. Furthermore, the study also aimed to compare and assess the size of DW according to two analytical methods and estimate the most valid DW from the perspective of years lost due to disability and HALE estimation. METHODSA self-administered web-based survey was conducted ranking five causes of disease. A total of 901 participants started the survey and response data of 806 participants were used in the analyses. In the process of rescaling predicted probability to DW on a scale from 0 to 1, two models were used for two groups: Group 1 (physicians and medical students) and Group 2 (nurses and oriental medical doctors). In Model 1, predicted probabilities were rescaled according to the normal distribution of DWs. In Model 2, the natural logarithms of predicted probabilities were rescaled according to the asymmetric distribution of DWs. RESULTSWe estimated DWs for a total of 313 causes of disease in each model and group. The mean of DWs according to the models in each group was 0.490 (Model 1 in Group 1), 0.378 (Model 2 in Group 1), 0.506 (Model 1 in Group 2), and 0.459 (Model 2 in Group 2), respectively. About two-thirds of the causes of disease had DWs of 0.2 to 0.4 in Model 2 in Group 1. In Group 2, but not in Group 1, there were some cases where the DWs had a reversed order of severity. CONCLUSIONWe attempted to calculate DWs of 313 causes of disease based on the opinions of various types of medical professionals using the previous analysis methods as well as the revised analysis method. The DWs from this study can be used to accurately estimate DALY and health life expectancy, such as HALE, in the Korean population.
Aptamer-based sensing and selective recovery of heavy metals and rare earth elements from aquatic environments.
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•Biomolecules can detect and recover heavy metals (HMs) and rare earth ...elements (REEs)•Aptamer-based materials are emerging for detecting and recycling HMs and REEs.•Metal-specific aptamers can bind to specific targets with high affinity.•Engineered aptamers have the potential to contribute to environmental sustainability.
Heavy metals (HMs) and rare earth elements (REEs) are used in a wide range of industrial and technological applications, but they can also have harmful effects on the environment and human health when released into the environment. Due to their environmental impact and economic importance, there is an increasing interest in detecting and recovering HMs and REEs. Various methods are being developed and optimized for sensing and recovering HMs and REEs, including sensors, (bio)sorbents, and extraction techniques. However, these methods require on-site and routine environmental monitoring professionals, sample pretreatment is complex and requires expensive equipment, and adsorbents/solvents can cause additional environmental pollution. Recently, various biomolecules with hydrophilic properties that can be produced in an eco-friendly manner have been developed to detect and recover HMs and REEs in water. Especially, aptamer-based materials that specifically bind to target molecules are emerging as promising alternatives for detecting, recovering, and recycling HMs and REEs. This article comprehensively reviews recent advanced methods for selecting metal-specific aptamers and their use as biosensors for HMs in environmental samples. Furthermore, sustainable strategies are discussed for potential applications of engineered aptamer-based materials in developing more environmentally friendly techniques for sensing and recovering valuable HMs and potentially REEs.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Background:Some disagreements surround the effects of calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) on the risk of dementia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of CCBs on dementia ...among elderly hypertensive Koreans.Methods and Results:We conducted a large population-based cohort study using the senior cohort database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service (2002–2013). Subjects were elderly hypertensive Koreans older than 60 years of age. A total of 18,423 patients (CCB user group: 13,692 patients; non-CCB antihypertensive user group: 4,731 patients) were statistically analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and confidence intervals (CIs) of dementia associated with CCB use. There were 2,881 cases (21.0%) of dementia in the CCB user group and 1,124 cases (23.8%) in the non-user group. CCB use significantly reduced the risk of total dementia (aHR 0.81, 95% CI 0.75–0.87, P<0.0001), Alzheimer’s dementia (aHR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72–0.88, P<0.0001), and vascular dementia (aHR 0.81, 95% CI 0.70–0.94, P=0.0067).Conclusions:CCB use had a protective effect on the risk of dementia among elderly hypertensive Koreans. (Circ J 2016; 80: 2336–2342)
The electrochemical reaction of a lithium–oxygen cell using a tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether-lithium triflate, TEGDME-LiCF3SO3 electrolyte, is investigated by a detailed transmission electron ...microscopy analysis. The results confirm the reversibility of the process by showing the formation–dissolution of lithium peroxide, Li2O2, upon repeating cell charge and discharge cycles.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
ObjectivesThe South Korean government has recently implemented policies to prevent suicide. However, there were few studies examining the recent changing trends in suicide rates. This study aims to ...examine the changing trends in suicide rates by time and age group.DesignA descriptive study using nationwide mortality rates.SettingData on the nationwide cause of death from 1993 to 2016 were obtained from Statistics Korea.ParticipantsPeople living in South Korea.InterventionsImplementation of national suicide prevention policies (first: year 2004, second: year 2009).Primary outcome measuresSuicide was defined as ‘X60-X84’ code according to the ICD-10 code. Age-standardised suicide rates were estimated, and a Joinpoint regression model was applied to describe the trends in suicide rate.ResultsFrom 2010 to 2016, the suicide rates in South Korea have been decreasing by 5.5% (95% CI −10.3% to −0.5%) annually. In terms of sex, the suicide rate for men had increased by 5.0% (95% CI 3.6% to 6.4%) annually from 1993 to 2010. However, there has been no statistically significant change from 2010 to 2016. For women, the suicide rate had increased by 7.5% (95% CI 6.3% to 8.7%) annually from 1993 to 2009, but since 2009, the suicide rate has been significantly decreasing by 6.1% (95% CI −9.1% to −3.0%) annually until 2016. In terms of the age group, the suicide rates among women of almost all age groups have been decreasing since 2010; however, the suicide rates of men aged between 30 and 49 years showed continuously increasing trends.ConclusionOur results showed that there were differences in the changing trends in suicide rate by sex and age groups. Our finding suggests that there was a possible relationship between implementation of second national suicide prevention policies and a decline in suicide rate.
An isotope-selective responsive system based on molecular recognition in porous materials has potential for the storage and purification of isotopic mixtures but is considered unachievable because of ...the almost identical physicochemical properties of the isotopes. Herein, a unique isotope-responsive breathing transition of the flexible metal–organic framework (MOF), MIL-53(Al), which can selectively recognize and respond to only D2 molecules through a secondary breathing transition, is reported. This novel phenomenon is examined using in situ neutron diffraction experiments under the same conditions for H2 and D2 sorption experiments. This work can guide the development of a novel isotope-selective recognition system and provide opportunities to fabricate flexible MOF systems for energy-efficient purification of the isotopic mixture.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
The study aims to examine the current status and differences in the burden of disease in Korea during 2008-2018. We calculated the burden of disease for Koreans from 2008 to 2018 using an ...incidence-based approach. Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) were expressed in units per 100 000 population by adding years of life lost (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs). DALY calculation results were presented by gender, age group, disease, region, and income level. To explore differences in DALYs by region and income level, we used administrative district and insurance premium information from the National Health Insurance Service claims data. The burden of disease among Koreans showed an increasing trend from 2008 to 2018. By 2017, the burden of disease among men was higher than that among women. Diabetes mellitus, low back pain, and chronic lower respiratory disease were ranked high in the burden of disease; the sum of DALY rates for these diseases accounted for 18.4% of the total burden of disease among Koreans in 2018. The top leading causes associated with a high burden of disease differed slightly according to gender, age group, and income level. In this study, we measured the health status of Koreans and differences in the population health level according to gender, age group, region, and income level. This data can be used as an indicator of health equity, and the results derived from this study can be used to guide community-centered (or customized) health promotion policies and projects, and for setting national health policy goals.
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A versatile hydrogen gas sensor is fabricated using Pd@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles (CSNPs), which were synthesized through a hydrothermal route. Effect of oxidation behavior of Pd ...core to hydrogen sensing is also investigated for Pd@ZnO CSNPs. Accordingly, Pd@ZnO-2 sensor (core-shell sample was calcined in argon) demonstrates the best performance with respect to Pd@ZnO-1 (core-shell sample was calcined in air) and pure ZnO. It shows a much higher response (R = Ra/Rg = 22) than those of Pd@ZnO-1 (12) and pure ZnO (7) sensors with faster response and recovery times (1.4 and 7.8 min) to 100 ppm hydrogen at 350 °C. In addition, Pd@ZnO-2 sensor owns high selectivity to hydrogen among interfering target gases. Improvement can be attributed to the high content of metallic Pd0 species in CSNPs as calcined in argon. Thereby, a higher Pd metallic content (77%) still remains in Pd@ZnO-2 compared to Pd@ZnO-1 (56%), which in turn modulates the resistance of sensors as exposed to air and target gas, thus enhancing gas sensing activity. High BET surface area of core-shell materials provides plenty of active sites for accelerating the sensing reactions as well.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•The structure of (+)-decursinol is refined by X-ray diffraction.•Two polymorphic phase transitions are confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry.•The onset temperature of the melting process is ...investigated during heating.
The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) have been conducted both for structural characterization of polycrystalline (+)-decursinol (C14H14O4) and for detecting phase transformations. Using PXRD, the crystal system of decursinol was determined to be orthorhombic with a space group P212121, and the lattice parameters were derived. Upon heating in DSC, two polymorphic phase transitions were recognized as weak endothermic peaks around Tc2+≈ 64 °C and Tc1+≈ 68 °C. Further heating showed a large peak of melting with the extrapolated onset temperature Tm,o ≈ 177 °C.
The molecular structure of (+)-decursinol (C14H14O4) and profile matching of the X-ray diffraction pattern and corresponding Miller indices at room temperature. Display omitted
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
An efficient hydrogen gas sensor comprising 5 wt% In2O3 doped in Pd@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles (Pd@ZnO–In2O3 CSNPs) was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal approach. The obtained material has a ...higher Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area (80 m2 g−1) compared to Pd@ZnO (56 m2 g−1) and pure ZnO (40 m2 g−1). The Pd@ZnO–In2O3 sensor achieved the maximal response (42) to 100 ppm hydrogen at 300 °C. Whereas, Pd@ZnO and pure ZnO sensors exhibited lower responses (17 and 9) to 100 ppm hydrogen at a higher optimal temperature (350 °C). It also demonstrated faster response and recovery time (0.4 and 4.0 min) than those obtained from Pd@ZnO (1.4 and 14 min) and pure ZnO (6.0 and 18.0 min) sensors. The hydrogen sensing enhancement of Pd@ZnO–In2O3 materials could be largely attributed to the synergistic electronic and chemical activities of Pd, ZnO and In2O3 parts, and its large surface area. Especially, due to the ability to adsorb hydrogen of the core, Pd based sensors exhibited high selectivity to hydrogen with respect to Pd-free sensors.
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•For the first time, we prepared an effective hydrogen sensor by doping In2O3 into Pd@ZnO (Pd@ZnO–In2O3) core-shell nanoparticles.•Pd@ZnO–In2O3 material presented a higher BET surface area compared to Pd@ZnO and pure ZnO.•Obtained sensor not only exhibited high response and fast response/recovery times, but also increased the selectivity towards hydrogen gas.•The improvements could be attributed to its high BET surface area and synergistic effects between Pd, ZnO and In2O3 parts.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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