Chemical upcycling of PVC-containing plastic wastes by thermal degradation and catalysis in a chlorine-rich environment.

Chlorine (Cl)-containing chemicals, including hydrogen chloride, generated during thermal degradation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and corresponding mixture impede the chemical recycling of PVC-containing plastic wastes. While upgrading plastic-derived vapors, the presence of Cl-containing chemicals may deactivate the catalysts. Accordingly, herein, catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis vapor prepared from a mixture of PVC and polyolefins is performed using a fixed-bed reactor comprising zeolites.

Association between a Marine Healing Program and Metabolic Syndrome Components and Mental Health Indicators.

: Metabolic syndrome is a growing health concern globally, and its prevalence continues to increase. This study investigated whether a marine healing program could improve metabolic syndrome indicators and mental health in adults with a metabolic syndrome and those at risk of developing it. : This study enrolled 30 participants who were assigned to either the experimental or control groups.

Diversity, Distribution, and Host Plant of Endophytic Fungi: A Focus on Korea.

Endophytic fungi occupy inner plant tissues, which results in various interactions between the fungus and host. Studies on endophytic fungi have been conducted in Korea for over 30 years. This paper summarizes the published results of those studies.

Determinants of adherence to personal preventive behaviours based on the health belief model: a cross-sectional study in South Korea during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Along with the rapid transmission of COVID-19, adherence to preventive behaviours plays a crucial role with respect to the control of COVID-19. However, different individuals' psychological characteristics and risk perception result in various forms of response to preventive behaviours. Based on the Health Belief Model, this study identifies the factors associated with preventive behaviours towards COVID-19 in South Korea during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Catalytic conversion of waste corrugated cardboard into lactic acid using lanthanide triflates.

The efficient strategy for waste conversion and resource recovery is of great interest in the sustainable bioeconomy context. This work reports on the catalytic upcycling of waste corrugated cardboard (WCC) into lactic acid using lanthanide triflates catalysts. WCC, a primary contributor to municipal solid wastes, has been viewed as a feedstock for producing a wide range of renewable products.

Socioeconomic disparity and the risk of contracting COVID-19 in South Korea: an NHIS-COVID-19 database cohort study.

Background: The relationship between socioeconomic status and the risk of contracting coronavirus disease (COVID-19) remains controversial. We aimed to investigate whether socioeconomic status affected the risk of contracting COVID-19 in the South Korean population.

Methods: The NHIS-COVID-19 database cohort was used in this population-based study.

Stabilization of acid-rich bio-oil by catalytic mild hydrotreating.

Although liquid products derived from the pyrolysis of biomass are promising for the production of petroleum-like hydrocarbon fuels, the catalytic burden of hydrodeoxygenation must be reduced to achieve feasible upgrading processes. Herein, mild hydrotreating of an acid-rich biomass pyrolysis oil (bio-oil) with an unusually high total acid number (588 mg KOH/g bio-oil) was performed to stabilize the low-quality bio-oil. Ru-added TiO-supported transition metal catalysts stabilized the bio-oil by reducing its acidity more compared to what could be achieved by Ru-free catalysts; this process also leads to lower loss of organic compounds compared to when using a Ru/TiO catalyst.

Factors associated with the continuum of care for maternal, newborn and child health in The Gambia: a cross-sectional study using Demographic and Health Survey 2013.

Objectives: To identify factors associated with the continuum of maternal, newborn and child health care in The Gambia.

Design: A secondary statistical analysis using Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2013.

Setting: The Gambia.

Clinical Features of COVID-19 in Uzbekistan.

Background: As of April 30, 2020, a total of 2,039 cases of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were confirmed in the Republic of Uzbekistan after the first detection on March 15. Reports on symptoms of COVID-19 are non-specific and known to vary from asymptomatic, mild to severe, or fatal. This study aimed to analyze the symptomatic and clinical characteristics of study participants based on the medical records of participants hospitalized with COVID-19 in Uzbekistan.

SiO@MnO @NaWO@SiO core-shell-derived catalyst for oxidative coupling of methane.

SiO@MnO @NaWO@SiO core-shell catalysts were prepared and their fabrication was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. The formation of Mn-based nanosheets on the silica spheres is important for the deposition of nanoscopic NaWO. The SiO@MnO @NaWO@SiO core-shell catalysts were used for the oxidative coupling of methane at a temperature of 700-800 °C at which the nanostructures were completely destroyed.

The Relationship between Risk Perception of Cell Phones and Objective Knowledge of EMF in Korea.

This study examines differences between the level of objective knowledge regarding radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) and risk perception of cell phones in Korea. We also investigate the extent to which socio-demographic factors, perceived EMF exposure, objective knowledge regarding EMF, and psychological factors influence the risk perception of cell phones using hierarchical multiple regression. All 3393 study subjects completed a survey measuring the degree of risk perception of EMF.

Improved catalytic depolymerization of lignin waste using carbohydrate derivatives.

CARBOHYDRATE-: or sugar-derived compounds were used as environmentally friendly additives for the depolymerization of Kraft lignin waste and organosolv lignin prepared from Miscanthus giganteus. The yields of the aromatic monomers obtained from Kraft lignin increased from 5.1 to 49.

Study on the unsteady state oxidative coupling of methane: effects of oxygen species from O, surface lattice oxygen, and CO on the C selectivity.

This study examined the effects of oxygen species on the unsteady-state oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) using a lengthy catalyst bed of NaWO/Mn/SiO. The reaction conditions, including the methane-to-oxygen ratio, ratio of feed gas dilution by N, quantity of catalyst, and feed flow rate were adjusted for the continuous flow fixed bed reaction system. While the O gas initiated methyl radical formation from methane, the surface lattice oxygen atoms improved the dehydrogenation of paraffins to olefins without significant activation of methane.

Factors Affecting Risk Perception of Electromagnetic Waves From 5G Network Base Stations.

The coverage of the fifth-generation network has increased steadily since the network was introduced in 2019. However, public protests around the globe against the construction of 5G network base stations have continued to occur for fear that electromagnetic (EM) waves emitted from the stations would cause adverse health effects. To identify factors that have contributed to such increased risk perception, we conducted a cross-sectional study using data obtained from a survey that assessed Korean adults' risk perception of EM wave-related objects.

Trends in chronic opioid use and association with five-year survival in South Korea: a population-based cohort study.

Background: The Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) was developed to provide population data for medical research. The aim of this study was to estimate trends in prescription opioid use in South Korea, and to determine the association between chronic opioid use and 5-yr mortality in cancer and non-cancer patients.

Methods: A population-based cohort study was conducted amongst the South Korean adult population using data from the NHIS.

What are the Barriers to Antenatal Care Utilization in Rufisque District, Senegal?: a Bottleneck Analysis.

Background: This study aimed to analyze the barriers affecting the utilization of antenatal care (ANC) among Senegalese mothers.

Methods: Health facility staffs were surveyed to examine the availability coverage of ANC (infrastructural capacity of health posts to handle maternal and newborn healthcare). A total of 113 women of childbearing age were surveyed to identify factors associated with the accessibility coverage (physical, economic, and information accessibility factors), acceptability coverage (socio-cultural features, social acceptance, and language), and effectiveness coverage (ratio of mothers having completed 4 visits) of ANC.

Associated factors and costs of avoidable visits to the emergency department among cancer patients: 1-year experience in a tertiary care hospital in South Korea.

Purpose: Patients receiving palliative care make avoidable emergency department visits (AvED), which may increase economic and social costs. However, the proportion of AvED among all patients, including cancer patients after curation, and the resulting costs are unknown in Asia. This study aimed to investigate the proportion, characteristics, and costs regarding factors associated with AvED among cancer patients.

A follow-up study of the association between mobile phone use and symptoms of ill health.

The duration and frequency of mobile phone calls, and their relationship with various health effects, have been investigated in our previous cross-sectional study. This 2-year period follow-up study aimed to assess the changes in these variables of same subjects. The study population comprised 532 non-patient adult subjects sampled from the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study.

A cross-sectional study of the association between mobile phone use and symptoms of ill health.

Objectives: This study analyzed the associations between mobile phone call frequency and duration with non-specific symptoms.

Methods: This study was conducted with a population group including 532 non-patient adults established by the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. The pattern of phone call using a mobile phone was investigated through face-to-face interview.

Catalytic Depolymerization of Alkali Lignin Using Supported Pt Nanoparticle Catalysts.

Alkali lignin, a byproduct of the pulping process, was depolymerized using Pt nanoparticle catalysts. A depolymerized lignin with a lower molecular weight was obtained and characterized with GPC and NMR. 31P-NMR using OH-sensitive probing molecules showed the formation of guaiacyl OHs during the reaction, indicating the cleavage of guaiacyl ether bonds.

Highly Dispersed Pt Nanoparticles for the Production of Aromatic Hydrocarbons by the Catalytic Degrading of Alkali Lignin.

Aromatic hydrocarbons were produced from lignin, a complex natural amorphous polymer commonly regarded as by-product of the pulping process and from biofuel production. The catalytic decomposition of lignin using supported Pt catalysts was performed to produce small molecule hydrocarbons. Aromatic small-molecule hydrocarbon products were identified and quantified using GC/MS and GC-FID, which demonstrated that 27.

Quasi-Experiment Study on Effectiveness Evaluation of Health Communication Strategies.

This experimental study examined differences in doctor-patient relationships according to the health communication strategies during cases of medical malpractices occurred at primary medical institution. A total of 116 subjects aged in their 20s-50s was sampled. The first medical malpractice scenario chosen was the medical malpractice case most frequently registered at the Korean Medical Association Mutual Aid and the second scenario was associated with materials and devices as the cause of malpractice.

Effects of Current-injection Firing with Ag Paste in a Boron Emitter.

A high contact resistance for screen-printed contacts was observed when a conventional Ag paste was used on a boron emitter. The results of this study suggest that electron injection during firing is one of the processes that contribute to a lower contact resistance. Larger quantities of Ag precipitates formed upon electron injection into the boron emitter, which was confirmed by observing Ag crystallite or dendrite structures on the boron and by measuring the contact resistance between the boron emitter and the Ag bulk.

High Incidence of Breast Cancer in Light-Polluted Areas with Spatial Effects in Korea.

We have reported a high prevalence of breast cancer in light-polluted areas in Korea. However, it is necessary to analyze the spatial effects of light polluted areas on breast cancer because light pollution levels are correlated with region proximity to central urbanized areas in studied cities. In this study, we applied a spatial regression method (an intrinsic conditional autoregressive [iCAR] model) to analyze the relationship between the incidence of breast cancer and artificial light at night (ALAN) levels in 25 regions including central city, urbanized, and rural areas.