BigNeuron: a resource to benchmark and predict performance of algorithms for automated tracing of neurons in light microscopy datasets.

BigNeuron is an open community bench-testing platform with the goal of setting open standards for accurate and fast automatic neuron tracing. We gathered a diverse set of image volumes across several species that is representative of the data obtained in many neuroscience laboratories interested in neuron tracing. Here, we report generated gold standard manual annotations for a subset of the available imaging datasets and quantified tracing quality for 35 automatic tracing algorithms. The goal of generating such a hand-curated diverse dataset is to advance the development of tracing algorithms and enable generalizable benchmarking. Together with image quality features, we pooled the data in an interactive web application that enables users and developers to perform principal component analysis, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding, correlation and clustering, visualization of imaging and tracing data, and benchmarking of automatic tracing algorithms in user-defined data subsets. The image quality metrics explain most of the variance in the data, followed by neuromorphological features related to neuron size. We observed that diverse algorithms can provide complementary information to obtain accurate results and developed a method to iteratively combine methods and generate consensus reconstructions. The consensus trees obtained provide estimates of the neuron structure ground truth that typically outperform single algorithms in noisy datasets. However, specific algorithms may outperform the consensus tree strategy in specific imaging conditions. Finally, to aid users in predicting the most accurate automatic tracing results without manual annotations for comparison, we used support vector machine regression to predict reconstruction quality given an image volume and a set of automatic tracings.

Real-time visualization of mRNA synthesis during memory formation in live mice.

Memories are thought to be encoded in populations of neurons called memory trace or engram cells. However, little is known about the dynamics of these cells because of the difficulty in real-time monitoring of them over long periods of time in vivo. To overcome this limitation, we present a genetically encoded RNA indicator (GERI) mouse for intravital chronic imaging of endogenous Arc messenger RNA (mRNA)-a popular marker for memory trace cells. We used our GERI to identify Arc-positive neurons in real time without the delay associated with reporter protein expression in conventional approaches. We found that the Arc-positive neuronal populations rapidly turned over within 2 d in the hippocampal CA1 region, whereas ∼4% of neurons in the retrosplenial cortex consistently expressed Arc following contextual fear conditioning and repeated memory retrievals. Dual imaging of GERI and a calcium indicator in CA1 of mice navigating a virtual reality environment revealed that only the population of neurons expressing Arc during both encoding and retrieval exhibited relatively high calcium activity in a context-specific manner. This in vivo RNA-imaging approach opens the possibility of unraveling the dynamics of the neuronal population underlying various learning and memory processes.

Particle on a Rod: Surface-Tethered Catalyst on CdS Nanorods for Enzymatically Active Nicotinamide Cofactor Generation.

The photochemical generation of nicotinamide cofactor 1,4-NADH, facilitated by inorganic photosensitizers, emerges as a promising model system for investigating charge transfer phenomena at the interface of semiconductors and bacteria, with implications for enhancing photosynthetic biohybrid systems (PBSs). However, extant semiconductor nanocrystal model systems suffer from achieving optimal conversion efficiency under visible light. This study investigates quasi-one-dimensional CdS nanorods as superior light absorbers, surface modified with catalyst Cp*Rh(4,4'-COOH-bpy)Cl2 to produce enzymatically active NADH. This model subsystem facilitates easy product isolation and achieves a turnover frequency (TOF) of 175 h-1, one of the highest efficiencies reported for inorganic photosensitizer-based nicotinamide cofactor generation. Charge transfer kinetics, fundamental for catalytic solar energy conversion, range from 106 to 108 s-1 for this system highlighting the superior electron transfer capabilities of NRs. This model ensures efficient cofactor production and offers critical insights into advancing systems that mimic natural photosynthesis for sustainable solar-to-chemical synthesis.

Multi-Functional PEDOT:PSS as the Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), particularly in its complex form with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), stands out as a prominent example of an organic conductor. Renowned for its exceptional conductivity, substantial light transmissibility, water processability, and remarkable flexibility, PEDOT:PSS has earned its reputation as a leading conductive polymer. This study explores the unique effects of two additives, Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) and Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), on the PSS component of PEDOT:PSS films are shown. Both additives induce grain size growth, while DGEBA makes the PEDOT:PSS layer hydrophobic, which acts as a passivation to protect the perovskite layer, which is vulnerable to moisture. The other additive, DMSO, separates the PSS groups, resulting in increased conductivity through the free movement of holes. With these multi-modified p-type PEDOT:PSS, the ITO/M-PEDOT:PSS/Perovskite/PCBM/Ag structured reverse structure solar cell has improved the power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 15.28% to 17.80% compared to the control cell with conventional PEDOT:PSS. It also maintains 90% for 500 h at 60 °C and 300 h at 1 sun illuminating conditions.

Uncovering risk factors for adverse events and infections in rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis with interstitial lung disease under treatment with biologics or targeted synthetic DMARDs: insights from the KOBIO Registry.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with overall adverse events (AEs) and infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and comorbid interstitial lung disease (ILD), receiving biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs), using data from the Korean College of Rheumatology Biologics registry. METHODS: We analysed data from a cohort of 2,266 adult patients with RA who received b/tsDMARDs, including 169 patients with comorbid ILD. We identified the risk factors for overall AEs and infections in both the all RA group and the subgroup of patients with RA-ILD and investigated the impact of infections on mortality in patients with RA-ILD. RESULTS: Among all patients with RA, 45.7% withdrew b/tsDMARDs, whereas among those with RA-ILD, a higher proportion of 57.4% withdrew their treatment regimen. The main reason for withdrawing b/tsDMARDs in the RA-ILD group was AEs, with infections accounting for the largest proportion of reported AEs. In multivariable analysis of the risk factors for overall AEs and infections in the RA-ILD group, older age was identified as a risk factor for overall AEs (odds ratio [OR], 3.01; p=0.014), and only a current smoking status was identified as a risk factor for infections (OR, 2.11; p=0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with RA-ILD exhibited a higher rate of b/tsDMARDs withdrawal due to overall AEs and infections than those with RA without ILD. In the RA-ILD group, older age was identified as a risk factor for overall AEs, whereas a current smoking status was identified as a risk factor for infections.

Association between watching eating broadcasts like mukbang and cookbang and generalized anxiety disorder among Korean adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are common during adolescence; therefore, detecting anxiety disorders among adolescents and providing appropriate treatment are crucial. Studies have suggested that watching online audiovisual broadcasts like mukbang and cookbang (hereafter mukbang), where hosts eat or cook food, may influence anxiety disorders. However, there is insufficient research on the association between watching mukbang and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Therefore, we investigated the association between watching mukbang and GAD among Korean adolescents. METHODS: We analyzed 51,764 adolescents who participated in the 2020 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (KYRBS). The participants were asked how frequently they watched mukbang per week over the past 12 months. Anxiety disorders were assessed using the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed after adjusting for confounding variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of GAD was higher among adolescents who watched mukbang compared to those who did not (aOR: 1.100, 95% CI: 1.026-1.180, P = 0.008 in male participants; aOR: 1.090, 95% CI: 1.003-1.185, P = 0.042 in female participants). The frequency of watching mukbang showed a dose-dependent relationship with a greater likelihood of GAD in female adolescents. CONCLUSION: This study's results showed that watching mukbang is associated with GAD in Korean adolescents. Proper interventions for mental health are needed for adolescents who watch mukbang.

Association between watching eating broadcast "Mukbang and Cookbang" and body mass index status in South Korean adolescents stratified by gender.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that Mukbang and Cookbang, a type of eating broadcast originating from Korea and gaining popularity, may contribute to obesity. However, despite suggestions that Mukbang might contribute to obesity, studies investigating the impact of watching Mukbang on obesity is lacking. The goal of this study is to analyze the relationship between watching Mukbang and Cookbang and body mass index (BMI) status in Korean adolescents. All analyses were stratified by gender. METHODS: This study utilized data from the 2022 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Surveys. The anonymous online survey was conducted with 56,213 students, and 51,850 students (92.2%) who participated in the survey were analyzed. Participants reported the frequency of watching Mukbang and Cookbang per week over the previous 12 months. BMI was categorized into four subgroups based on percentiles: underweight (< 5th percentile), normal (5th - 85th percentiles), overweight (85th - 95th percentiles), and obese (> 95th percentile). This study used multinomial logistic regression for analysis. RESULTS: The likelihood of being obese was significantly higher in Mukbang-watching boys compared to those who never watched Mukbang and Cookbang (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-1.32). A dose-dependent association was found between the frequency of Mukbang and Cookbang watching and the likelihood of obesity among boys (p-for-trend < 0.0001). Subgroups that currently smoke, currently drink alcohol, frequently consume fast food, or drink sweetened beverages showed significantly higher odds of being obese in the "Ever" group than those in the "Never" group. CONCLUSION: This study found a relationship between watching Mukbang and Cookbang and obesity in boys. Appropriate interventions should be considered for boys watching Mukbang and Cookbang.

Association of sleep and generalized anxiety disorder in Korean adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common anxiety disorder among adolescents, significantly impacting their concentration and learning capabilities. The connection between emotional well-being and sleep is well-established, and Korean adolescents are particularly prone to inadequate sleep. This study aimed to determine the association between sleep duration and GAD in Korean adolescents. METHODS: This study was conducted using data from 106,513 adolescents aged 12-18 years. Data from the 2020-2022 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey were used. Sleep duration was classified into five groups, based on an average sleep duration of 7-7.9 h in adolescents. Social jet lag was defined as a misalignment between an individual's biological and social clocks. Differences in sleep duration between weekdays and weekends, social jet lag, and bedtime were each classified into three categories. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between sleep duration and GAD. RESULTS: Comparing the five groups classified based on sleep duration, adolescents in the groups that slept less experienced a significant increase in the odds of developing GAD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: boys: 1.10 in the 6.0-6.9-h group, 1.14 in the 5.0-5.9-h group, and 1.23 in the ≤ 4.9-h group; girls: 1.05 in the 6.0-6.9-h group, 1.19 in the 5.0-5.9-h group, 1.22 in the ≤ 4.9-h group). Adolescents with poor sleep quality experienced more frequent instances of inadequate sleep (aOR: boys: 2.51; girls: 2.43). CONCLUSIONS: GAD is strongly associated with insufficient sleep. Consequently, it is imperative to assess and address GAD in adolescents with irregular sleep patterns.

Understanding patient perspectives on digital therapeutics and its platform for insomnia: insights from focused group interviews.

BACKGROUND: Digital therapeutics (DTx) is a treatment option that uses computer software to provide evidence-based interventions for medical disorders. DTx platforms are digital services that facilitate interactions among stakeholders of DTx treatment within a standardized structure. However, there is still a lack of overall awareness regarding the effectiveness and usage of DTx and DTx platforms. This study aimed to investigate insomnia patients' recognition, thoughts, feelings, and demands for conventional treatments versus DTx for insomnia. METHODS: Nine participants, aged 19-50 years, who had experience with professional medical interventions for insomnia, were recruited through purposive sampling. Two online focus group interviews, each lasting 1.5 h, were conducted. The interview questions focused on difficulties encountered during conventional treatment, inadequate recognition of DTx, and concerns and demands regarding DTx and its platform. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The participants reported subjective difficulties associated with receiving conventional treatment, including concerns about drug side effects and dependence, social stigma, and lack of perceived necessity for treatment. They expressed concerns about DTx, such as cost-effectiveness, evidence on efficacy, and concerns about breach of personal information. Additionally, their demands included convenience of use, reduction in social stigma related to the use of DTx, compatibility of DTx with other healthcare systems, and enhanced communication with healthcare providers when using DTx platforms. CONCLUSIONS: The focus group highlighted the need for increased awareness, demonstrated efficacy, cost-effectiveness, cybersecurity measures, and accessibility of insomnia DTx and its platforms. Tailored approaches considering patient characteristics are crucial for widespread adoption of insomnia DTx and its platforms.

Selection of Catechin Biosynthesis-Related Genes and Functional Analysis from Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly in C. sinensis L. Variety 'Sangmok'.

Camellia is an important plant genus that includes well-known species such as C. sinensis, C. oleifera, and C. japonica. The C. sinensis cultivar 'Sangmok', one of Korea's standard types of tea landraces, is a small evergreen tree or shrub. Genome annotation has shown that Korean tea plants have special and unique benefits and superior components, such as catechin. The genome of Camellia sinensis cultivar 'Sangmok' was assembled on the chromosome level, with a length of 2678.62 Mbp and GC content of 38.16%. Further, 15 chromosome-scale scaffolds comprising 82.43% of the assembly (BUSCO completeness, 94.3%) were identified. Analysis of 68,151 protein-coding genes showed an average of 5.003 exons per gene. Among 82,481 coding sequences, the majority (99.06%) were annotated by Uniprot/Swiss-Prot. Further analysis revealed that 'Sangmok' is closely related to C. sinensis, with a divergence time of 60 million years ago. A total of 3336 exclusive gene families in 'Sangmok' were revealed by gene ontology analysis to play roles in auxin transport and cellular response mechanisms. By comparing these exclusive genes with 551 similar catechin genes, 17 'Sangmok'-specific catechin genes were identified by qRT-PCR, including those involved in phytoalexin biosynthesis and related to cytochrome P450. The 'Sangmok' genome exhibited distinctive genes compared to those of related species. This comprehensive genomic investigation enhances our understanding of the genetic architecture of 'Sangmok' and its specialized functions. The findings contribute valuable insights into the evolutionary and functional aspects of this plant species.

Effects of work environments on satisfaction of nurses working for integrated care system in South Korea: a multisite cross-sectional investigation.

BACKGROUND: Nurses' satisfaction has an impact on organizational and patient outcomes. Integrated care system in South Korea was established in 2015 to improve care quality and decrease caregiving burden. Since then, nurses' satisfaction has increased due to an increase in nursing staffing. However, besides nurse staffing, various work environments still affect nurse satisfaction. METHODS: Individual online surveys were conducted with participants to determine their personal characteristics, work environments, and hospital characteristics. We used mixed-effects linear regression equation contained both fixed and random effects. RESULTS: This study included 2,913 nurses from 119 hospitals. Their average job satisfaction was less than 6 points out of 10 points. Age, shift type, perceived workload, and delegation criteria were significant factors influencing nurses' satisfaction. There was no significant factor among hospital characteristics. The satisfaction level of nurses was high for no-night rotating shift, low perceived workload, and clear delegation criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses' satisfaction is affected by several work environmental factors. Low nurse satisfaction has a substantial impact on both patients and nurses. Therefore, nurse managers and hospitals should determine factors influencing their satisfaction and develop strategies to improve their satisfaction.

Structural and Cognitive Social Capital of Older Korean Adults and Their Relationship with Depression Trajectories: Latent Class and Growth Curve Analyses.

This study examined whether the identified latent classes of structural and cognitive social capital are differently associated with depression trajectories in older Korean adults. From the five waves (2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018) of the Korean Welfare Panel Study, 3,606 participants aged ≥65 were analyzed. The latent class analysis identifies structural and cognitive social capital subgroups. Latent growth curve analysis examined the latent classes' effect on depression trajectories. Three classes were identified: medium-structural and high-cognitive (Class 1), high-structural and cognitive (Class 2), and low-structural and cognitive (Class 3). Classes 1 and 2 showed lower depression at baseline; however, the trajectory change rate was opposite than Class 3. Compared to Classes 1 and 2, depression was highest at baseline but with a slower change rate in Class 3. Therefore, it is important to identify older adults' structural and cognitive social capital classes to depression trajectories.

A comparative analysis of nurses' reported number of patients and perceived appropriate number of patients in integrated nursing care services.

This study aimed to compare the number of assigned and appropriate patients per nurse in integrated nursing care service wards and analyze factors associated with the gap. For this cross-sectional secondary analysis, data were collected from surveys of 2312 nurses and institutional data from their affiliated 106 hospitals in Korea. We used the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and t-test to compare the number of patients assigned to nurses with the number they considered appropriate. We used ratio analysis for measuring the gap between these numbers, and robust regression to evaluate the factors affecting this gap. The results found an average gap of 1.45, indicating that the reported number of assigned patients per nurse was 1.45 times higher than the appropriate number. Gender, employment type, wage satisfaction, workload, overtime work, and hospital level of care were identified as factors associated with the gap. Findings suggest that the current nurse staffing standard should be revised to consider nurses' professional judgments of appropriate staffing levels and adopt policies that reduce nurses' workload.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 alleviates inflammation in fibroblast-like synoviocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APEX1) is a protein with elevated expression in synovial fluids from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. However, its role in RA pathogenesis remains unexplored. This study investigated the influence of APEX1 on inflammatory pathways in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) isolated from RA patients. Material and methods: FLS from RA patients (n = 5) were stimulated with recombinant tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-17. Subsequently, cells were treated with recombinant APEX1, and assessments were made on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, mRNA levels of IL-1 family members were quantified. Cell migration was evaluated through Transwell chamber assays, and levels of key secreted inflammatory cytokines were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The results demonstrated that APEX1 significantly reduced mitochondrial-specific ROS expression and restored mitochondrial membrane potential in TNF-α/IL-17-stimulated RA FLS. Furthermore, APEX1 treatments attenuated TNF-α/IL-17-induced activation of p38 MAPK, NF-κB, and PI3K 110 δ signaling pathways. Similarly, APEX1 significantly diminished TNF-α/IL-17-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1 family members, IL-6, IL-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Notably, APEX1 downregulated cell migration of TNF-α/IL-17-treated RA FLS via inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3). Conclusions: These findings collectively underscore the role of APEX1 as a key mediator of cytokine-amplified migration, modulating ROS and MMP3 in RA FLS, thus supporting its potential as a therapeutic target in RA treatment.

High-Photovoltage Silicon Nanowire for Biological Cofactor Production.

Photocathodic conversion of NAD+ to NADH cofactor is a promising platform for activating redox biological catalysts and enzymatic synthesis using renewable solar energy. However, many photocathodes suffer from low photovoltage, consequently requiring a high cathodic bias for NADH production. Here, we report an n+p-type silicon nanowire (n+p-SiNW) photocathode having a photovoltage of 435 mV to drive energy-efficient NADH production. The enhanced band bending at the n+/p interface accounts for the high photovoltage, which conduces to a benchmark onset potential [0.393 V vs the reversible hydrogen electrode (VRHE)] for SiNW-based photocathodic NADH generation. In addition, the n+p-SiNW nanomaterial exhibits a Faradaic efficiency of 84.7% and a conversion rate of 1.63 µmol h-1 cm-1 at 0.2 VRHE, which is the lowest cathodic potential to achieve the maximum productivity among SiNW-sensitized cofactor production.

Distinct Nitrification Rates and Nitrifiers in Needleleaf and Evergreen Broadleaf Forest Soils.

Research on niche specialization in the microbial communities of ammonia oxidizers is important for assessing the consequences of vegetation shift on nitrogen (N) cycling. In this study, soils were sampled from three tree stands (needleleaf, mixed, and evergreen broadleaf) from the Hannam experimental forest in South Korea in spring (May 2019), summer (August 2019), autumn (November 2019), and winter (January 2020). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing were used to measure the abundance and community structure of various nitrifiers: ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria (AOA and AOB, respectively) as well as complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox). Nitrification rates and total ammonia oxidizer abundance were significantly higher in needleleaf forest soil than those in other forest stands, and they were lowest in evergreen broadleaf forest soil. Comammox clade B was most abundant in needleleaf and evergreen broadleaf forest soils, while AOA were significantly more abundant in mixed forest soil. The abundances of comammox clade B and AOA were negatively correlated with dissolved organic carbon. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NT-alpha and NS-gamma-2.3.2 were the most abundant AOA lineages in all the samples. The seasonal of AOA, AOB, and comammox varied with the sites, suggesting the need to examine the combinations of environmental factors when considering the effects of seasonal changes in the environment. Overall, the results suggest that potential vegetation shifts in forest ecosystems might affect nitrification activities by regulating the abundance and community structure of ammonia oxidizers.

Observation on cadavers and through ultrasonography using a 2 mm needle length for intradermal injections.

BACKGROUND: An intradermal injection is a medical procedure that involves administering a small amount of medication or substance into the dermal layer of the skin. This research focused on identifying the most suitable injection needle for precise intradermal administration of skin boosters. METHODS: The study involved conducting intradermal injections on four cadavers and participants using a 2 mm length, 34-gauge needle (N-Finders, Inc., South Korea). During the cadaveric study, the polynucleotide prefilled syringe was dyed green, and an anatomist performed dissections, removing only the skin layer. Ultrasonographic observations were carried out to ensure accurate intradermal injection placement. RESULTS: In all four cadavers, the facial injections at the anterior cheek region were precisely administered intradermally at a 30-degree injection angle. However, the 90-degree injection was found just below the dermal layer upon skin layer removal. DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that using a 2 mm needle length allows for easy and convenient intradermal injections.

The effectiveness of patient navigation services in reducing cancer screening disparities among Asian Americans.

OBJECTIVES: Patient navigation has served as a useful intervention to reduce cancer disparities among diverse ethnic groups. Previous studies have consistently shown the effectiveness of patient navigation in reducing cancer disparities for ethnic minorities; however, few studies have been conducted for cancer screening behaviors focusing on the Asian population. This study aims to identify the overall effectiveness of patient navigation in cancer screening behaviors among Asian Americans through meta-analyses. In addition, this study examines the moderating effects of the type of cancers on cancer screening behaviors. DESIGN: For data analyses, we selected 15 studies through a systematic review and meta-analyses, searching the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. Random-effects models were used for meta-analyses. RESULTS: The results showed that Asian Americans who received patient navigation were more likely to participate in cancer screening behaviors than those who did not receive patient navigation regardless of the type of cancer. Publication bias was tested using a funnel plot, meta-regression, and Failsafe-N. No notable publication bias was found. CONCLUSION: This study can provide comprehensive evidence regarding the overall effectiveness of patient navigation in cancer screening behaviors of Asian Americans.

An analysis of the policy participation of field response nurses in South Korea: COVID-19 response guidelines and the infectious disease act revision.

INTRODUCTION: The Republic of Korea's response to Coronavirus disease 2019 was divided before and after global vaccine development at the end of 2020. It also varied according to the size of confirmed patients in the non-pharmaceutical intervention. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the contribution of frontline nurses to the policy and law revision on infectious diseases and suggest health and nursing policies for emerging infectious diseases in the future. DESIGN: This case evaluation study analyzed the significant policy decisions that nurses' roles brought on changes in the infectious disease response system in the Republic of Korea and applying the health system model and those capacities on resilience under emerging infectious diseases. METHODS: Objective data that contributed directly to the revision of infectious disease-related Acts and policies in 2020 were collected and analyzed through literature search and information disclosure claims from the first to third waves of Coronavirus disease 2019 in one city. RESULTS: With the rapid outbreak of COVID-19 confirmed cases at the end of February 2020, a pan-government support group was formed and dispatched to D City. In addition, central quarantine officials worked with local quarantine officials to share real-time situations and find out on-site difficulties and support requests. As a result, inquiry of opinions to working staff before changing the "response guidelines to Coronavirus disease 2019" was reflected in major contents on the revision of "policy on infectious disease response" and "Infectious Disease Prevention and Management Act." With the establishment of an epidemiological investigation team in September 2020, the number of new nurses in 17 cities and provinces increased by 19.1% compared to the previous year, the most significant increase compared to doctors (-2.3), dentists (-1.6), and health workers (3.7). CONCLUSION: The experience of responding to Coronavirus was a reminder that the curriculum needed to be improved so that nurses will be recognized to have leadership competencies and as field experts regarding social determinants of health for population groups in the decision-making process. In the initial COVID-19 response process, nurses showed excellence in analyzing patient interviews and various information as field epidemiological investigation response personnel, making comprehensive judgments, and solving problems in cooperation with related agencies and severe patients' bedside nursing care. Continuous primary care and management of infectious diseases for the vulnerable should be prepared on an ongoing basis to assure the quality of care. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Action strategies for developing leadership to enable nurses to have participated in the social determinants of health and the nursing policy formation for health equity should be applied in nursing education and practice, and global monitoring efforts were accelerated.

Prediction of Cable Behavior Using Finite Element Analysis Results for Flexible Cables.

In actual industrial sites, verifying the framework for cable manipulation is crucial. Therefore, it is necessary to simulate the deformation of the cable to predict its behavior accurately. By simulating the behavior in advance, it is possible to reduce the time and cost required for work. Although finite element analysis is used in various fields, the results may differ from the actual behavior depending on the method of defining the analysis model and analysis conditions. This paper aims to select appropriate indicators that can effectively cope with finite element analysis and experiments during cable winding work. We perform finite element analysis of the behavior of flexible cables and compare the analysis results with results from experiments. Despite some differences between the experimental and analysis outcomes, an indicator was developed through trial and error to align the two cases. Errors occurred during the experiments depending on the analysis and experimental conditions. To address this, weights were derived through optimization to update the cable analysis results. Additionally, deep learning was utilized to update the errors caused by material properties using the weights. This allowed for finite element analysis even when the exact physical properties of the material were unknown, ultimately improving the analysis performance.