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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle, mental health, and quality of life of adults in South Korea
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose significant challenges to nations. The Korean government aimed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through stay-at-home strategies and maintaining social distance, which are likely to result in major changes in the lifestyle, mental health, and quality of life of citizens. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these factors in Koreans over 20 years old.
The study sample consisted of 104 adults in South Korea aged over 20 years. An online survey was conducted between August and October 2020, in which participants were asked to complete the Yonsei Lifestyle Profile to assess lifestyle changes, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale abbreviated version. To investigate the changes in people's lifestyles, depression, and quality of life post COVID-19, descriptive statistics were calculated for these indicators before and after the onset of the pandemic. The p-value was two-sided, and values <0.05, were regarded as statistically significant.
There was a significant decline in physical and other meaningful activities, including activities of daily living, leisure, social activity, and education. However, there were no significant changes in nutrition, except in the consumption of carbohydrates and minerals. Participants reported that their quality of life and mental health had decreased after the pandemic struck.
We obtained novel data on the changes in the lifestyle, mental health, and quality of life of South Korean adults before and after the onset of the pandemic. The results of our study may assist health policymakers and practitioners in the development of health education or relevant interventions to deal with the pandemic situation as well as future crises.
Journal Article
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in South Korea
Background
The public must routinely practice precautionary behaviors to control the spread of COVID-19, as no vaccines and antiviral treatments are currently available. This paper examines the public’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to COVID-19 and their relationships and identified the pandemic’s vulnerable populations to provide recommendations for behavioral interventions and policies.
Methods
Data collection took place over 3 days (June 26–29) via an online survey 5 months after the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirmed the first COVID case in South Korea; 970 subjects were included in the statistical data analysis.
Results
Knowledge directly affected both attitudes (e.g., perceived risk and efficacy belief) and practices (e.g., personal hygiene practices and social distancing). Among the influencing factors of COVID-19 preventive behaviors, efficacy belief was the most influential and significant practice factor. It mediated the relationship between knowledge and all three preventive behaviors (wearing facial masks, practicing hand hygiene, and avoiding crowded places). The level of knowledge varied by sociodemographic characteristics. Females (
β
= 0.06,
p
< 0.05) and individuals with higher levels of education (
β
= 0.06,
p
< 0.05) demonstrated higher levels of knowledge.
Conclusion
To increase precautionary behaviors among the public, health officials and policymakers must promote knowledge and efficacy belief. Future interventions and policies should also be developed in a ‘person-centered’ approach, targeting vulnerable subgroups, embracing them, and closing the gap of KAP toward COVID-19.
Journal Article
من سيأكل الخوخة ؟
تتحدث هذه القصة عن تنافس بعض الحيوانات على أكل الخوخة الكبيرة، فكان على كل منهم أن يقنع الآخرين بأنه يمتلك ميزة خاصة تجعله متفوقا عليهم ليفوز بالخوخة. ترى من استطاع أن يفوز بالخوخة في النهاية ؟ ؛ تفسر هذه القصة بعض المفاهيم الرياضية بوضوح، كما أنها تغري الأطفال للمشاركة بفعالية في حل هذه المفاهيم والمشاكل... إلخ.
Book
High Fat Diet-Induced Gut Microbiota Exacerbates Inflammation and Obesity in Mice via the TLR4 Signaling Pathway
While it is widely accepted that obesity is associated with low-grade systemic inflammation, the molecular origin of the inflammation remains unknown. Here, we investigated the effect of endotoxin-induced inflammation via TLR4 signaling pathway at both systemic and intestinal levels in response to a high-fat diet.
C57BL/6J and TLR4-deficient C57BL/10ScNJ mice were maintained on a low-fat (10 kcal % fat) diet (LFD) or a high-fat (60 kcal % fat) diet (HFD) for 8 weeks.
HFD induced macrophage infiltration and inflammation in the adipose tissue, as well as an increase in the circulating proinflammatory cytokines. HFD increased both plasma and fecal endotoxin levels and resulted in dysregulation of the gut microbiota by increasing the Firmicutes to Bacteriodetes ratio. HFD induced the growth of Enterobecteriaceae and the production of endotoxin in vitro. Furthermore, HFD induced colonic inflammation, including the increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines, the induction of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), iNOS, COX-2, and the activation of NF-κB in the colon. HFD reduced the expression of tight junction-associated proteins claudin-1 and occludin in the colon. HFD mice demonstrated higher levels of Akt and FOXO3 phosphorylation in the colon compared to the LFD mice. While the body weight of HFD-fed mice was significantly increased in both TLR4-deficient and wild type mice, the epididymal fat weight and plasma endotoxin level of HFD-fed TLR4-deficient mice were 69% and 18% of HFD-fed wild type mice, respectively. Furthermore, HFD did not increase the proinflammatory cytokine levels in TLR4-deficient mice.
HFD induces inflammation by increasing endotoxin levels in the intestinal lumen as well as in the plasma by altering the gut microbiota composition and increasing its intestinal permeability through the induction of TLR4, thereby accelerating obesity.
Journal Article
Dysbiosis of the initial stool microbiota increases the risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis or feeding intolerance in newborns
Several perinatal factors influence the intestinal microbiome of newborns during the first days of life, whether during delivery or even in utero. These factors may increase the risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) by causing dysbiosis linked to a NEC-associated microbiota, which may also be associated with other gastrointestinal problems. The objective of our study was to evaluate the potential risks associated with microbial shifts in newborns with gastrointestinal symptoms and identify the intestinal microbiota of neonates at risk for NEC.During the study period, 310 preterm and term newborns’ first passed meconium occurring within 72 h of birth were collected, and the microbiome was analyzed. We identified the risk factors in the NEC/FI group. Regarding microbiota, we compared the bacterial abundance between the NEC/FI group at the phylum and genus levels and explored the differences in the microbial composition of the 1st stool samples. A total of 14.8% (
n
= 46) of the infants were diagnosed with NEC or FI. In univariate analysis, the mean gestational age and birth weight were significantly lower in the NEC/FI group (
p
< 0.001). Prolonged rupture of membranes (PROM) > 18 h, chorioamnionitis, and histology were significantly higher in the NEC/FI group (
p
< 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that gestational age (GA), prolonged membrane rupture (> 18 h), and early onset sepsis were consistently associated with an increased risk of NEC/FI. Infants diagnosed with NEC/FI exhibited a significantly lower abundance of
Actinobacteria
at the phylum level than the control group (
p
< 0.001). At the genus level, a significantly lower abundance of
Streptococcus and Bifidobacterium
which belong to the Actinobacteria phylum, was observed in the NEC/FI group (
p
< 0.001). Furthermore, the NEC/FI had significantly lower alpha diversities (Shannon Index,3.39 vs. 3.12;
P
= 0.044, respectively). Our study revealed that newborns with lower diversity and dysbiosis in their initial gut microbiota had an increased risk of developing NEC, with microbiota differences appearing to be associated with NEC/FI. Dysbiosis could potentially serve as a predictive marker for NEC- or GI-related symptoms.
Journal Article
Cycle stability of conversion-type iron fluoride lithium battery cathode at elevated temperatures in polymer electrolyte composites
Metal fluoride conversion cathodes offer a pathway towards developing lower-cost Li-ion batteries. Unfortunately, such cathodes suffer from extremely poor performance at elevated temperatures, which may prevent their use in large-scale energy storage applications. Here we report that replacing commonly used organic electrolytes with solid polymer electrolytes may overcome this hurdle. We demonstrate long-cycle stability for over 300 cycles at 50 °C attained in high-capacity (>450 mAh g−1) FeF2 cathodes. The absence of liquid solvents reduced electrolyte decomposition, while mechanical properties of the solid polymer electrolyte enhanced cathode structural stability. Our findings suggest that the formation of an elastic, thin and homogeneous cathode electrolyte interphase layer on active particles is a key for stable performance. The successful operation of metal fluorides at elevated temperatures opens a new avenue for their practical applications and future successful commercialization.
Journal Article