Explore the vast range of titles available.

The global proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) has brought forth new challenges in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. This paper utilizes operational data from the 5G real-time system of EV and traffic platforms (5gRTS-ET) in China, encompassing 12,597,109 cases and 32,259 EVs. By employing frequency density analysis, a dynamic charging behavior model is devised to address the limitations of static models in accommodating the diverse roles of EV users. Analysis reveals distinct charging behavior preferences among three urban EV operation modes, paving the way for an adaptive model for integrating charging points into networked operations on the platform.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus continues to circulate in the Middle East. During a recent outbreak in Korea, changes in MERS coronavirus viral load were determined during the course of illness in 17 patients. To the Editor: The outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in South Korea involved 186 patients and resulted in 38 deaths, with four large hospital outbreaks accounting for 82% of the total cases. 1 , 2 Here, we report changes in viral load over time in patients with MERS. We included all patients who were admitted to three Seoul National University–affiliated hospitals; the institutional review boards of these hospitals approved this study and waived the need for written informed consent on public health grounds. The patients were categorized into a group with severe disease (severe group) or a group . . .

As energy shortages and environmental pollution intensify, innovation in new energy vehicles is considered a major priority. They present an important opportunity to change the direction of China’s automobile industry while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Following various launches of new energy vehicles, the problem of product homogenization is emerging, and automobile companies are contemplating how to increase their market share. This study investigates a few questions that have been left unanswered in previous research, which are mainly focused on the value and price of new energy vehicles. We focus on the effect of new energy vehicle companies’ innovative behaviors on consumers’ purchasing intention in the Chinese market. Innovative behaviors are defined here as the rationalization or modernization choices firms make with respect to products, marketing, service, technological, and cultural factors. The study verified the structural equation model constructed using survey data. Our study of 479 surveyed customers shows that consumers’ perceived value is positively (+) correlated with a higher degree of innovation by a firm. In general, the relationship between innovation behavior and consumers’ perceived risk shows negative results, however, the relationship in this research showed contradictory results. The only negative (−) effects on product purchase were observed in marketing and technological innovation; these factors increase perceived risk by increasing the tendency of consumers to choose to purchase a new energy vehicle despite feeling uneasy about the innovation despite uncertainties about the innovation of new energy vehicles. Our results present the relationship between innovative behaviors of new energy vehicle firms, consumers’ perceived value, consumers’ perceived risk, consumers’ innovative affinities and characteristics, and finally, purchase intention to explore the influence of innovation factors on consumers’ purchase intention of new energy vehicles. These findings should assist new vehicle firms in understanding Chinese consumers’ purchase intentions.

Background and Objectives: Korean and traditional Chinese medicine state that pyrite is effective for fracture treatment, but supporting clinical data are limited. This systematic review aimed to investigate the therapeutic role of Chinese patent medicine containing pyrite (CPMP) in clinical treatment for fractures. Materials and Methods: Seven electronic databases were searched using the keywords “pyrite”, “pyritum”, and “zirantong” between inception and December 2022, yielding 29 published clinical studies. Randomized controlled trials that included CPMP were considered eligible regardless of the fracture type. Quality assessment and meta-analysis of the included RCTs were also performed. Results: Most studies showed high heterogeneity (I2 > 50%) and significant results (p < 0.05). Compared to the results of the control group, CPMP was more effective in terms of the primary outcome related to the efficacy rate, including the total effective rate, callus growth rate, bone union, and edema disappearance time (all p < 0.00001) and in terms of secondary outcomes related to pain reduction, namely pain intensity and pain disappearance time, than the control group (both p < 0.01). CPMP was more effective than the control group in terms of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p < 0.01), hematocrit (p < 0.01), erythrocyte aggregation (p < 0.05), and plasma viscosity (p < 0.05). CPMP did not cause serious side effects, and the incidence of complications was significantly less than that in the control group. Conclusions: CPMP may be a safe and effective alternative treatment for fractures and may be beneficial in preventing postoperative complications, reducing pain, relieving symptoms, and accelerating healing.

The current global utilization rate of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations ranges from approximately 20% to 40%. Despite numerous studies focusing on enhancing this utilization through single-variable approaches—such as optimizing charging point (CP) locations, analyzing charging behaviors, and adjusting pricing—low utilization rates persist. This paper examines the business model for EVs and charging stations integrated into the 5G Real-Time System for EVs and Transportation (5gRTS-ET) platform, which was operational in China in 2021. It establishes three distinct business models for EV users: the Government Subsidy Model, the Self-Operating Model without Government Subsidies, and the 5gRTS-ET Operating Model. Utilizing an integrated service modeling approach, the study constructs a dynamic business model for charging stations. Findings indicate that incorporating variables related to EV user roles significantly enhances the utilization rates of charging stations. Furthermore, onboarding EV CPs onto the 5gRTS-ET platform emerges as an effective strategy for ensuring their sustainable operation. This research offers a sustainable business model for EV charging stations in light of the evolving roles of EV users and serves as a reference for applying integrated business modeling methods in practical operational platforms.

Carbohydrate metabolism affects cold hardiness in overwintering deciduous fruit trees. In this study, we compared the changes in starch and soluble sugar contents, related enzyme activity, and gene expression in the shoots of ‘Soomee’ (SM) and ‘Odoroki’ (OD) peach (Prunus persica) trees during cold acclimation (CA) and deacclimation (DA). SM was cold-hardier than OD from December to March based on the LT50 value, the temperature at which 50% injury occurred. During this period, starch contents were significantly lower in SM than in OD, along with higher total amylase activity and related gene expression. In contrast, total soluble sugar contents were significantly higher in SM than in OD, exhibiting a close relationship to cold hardiness. Of the detected soluble sugars, sucrose was predominant and its content was most significantly correlated with cold hardiness. Sucrose contents were significantly higher in SM than in OD from December to March. Fructose and glucose contents in SM, but not in OD, increased during CA and then decreased during DA concurrently with increased acid invertase activity and related gene expression. Raffinose and stachyose were detectable only from November to April. Their contents and related synthase gene expression were also significantly correlated with cold hardiness, but were not significantly different between the two cultivars. During CA, the activities of the enzymes involved in the synthesis of sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose increased with the up-regulation of their related gene expression. During DA, in contrast, the activities of the enzymes involved in the degradation of starch, sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose increased with the up-regulation of their related gene expression. Furthermore, the differential cold hardiness in the shoots of different peach cultivars was associated with the difference in enzyme activities and gene expression, especially of acid invertase, regulating soluble sugar content during CA and DA.

Background Electroacupuncture has been used for treatment in patients with overactive bladder. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture for treating overactive bladder of postmenopausal women. Methods/design This is a multicenter, randomized controlled, parallel clinical trial. Two hundred ninety participants with overactive bladder syndrome will be recruited from Dongguk University Bundang Oriental Hospital and Cheonan Korean Medicine Hospital of Daejeon University and randomly allocated into one of two groups in a 1:1 ratio. One group will receive electroacupuncture (EA) and the other acupuncture (AC). The allocation will be concealed from both participants and assessors. The study period will be about 10 weeks, including 6 weeks of electroacupuncture or acupuncture treatment and a four week follow-up period. Both EA group and AT group will undergo acupuncture at 7 fixed points, and the EA group will undergo electronic stimulation at 6 points. The primary outcome will be the average number of micturitions per 24 h based on a 3-day bladder diary. The secondary outcome will comprise the 3-day bladder diary, the overactive bladder symptom score and the results of the King’s health questionnaire. Discussion The results of this trial will provide information regarding the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture for treating overactive bladder in postmenopausal women. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03260907 . Registered on 24 August 2017.

This study examines the experiences of social risks such as unemployment, decrease in income, decrease in property, weakening family bonds, deterioration of health and their effects on middle class identification, and self-identified social stratification during the Korean financial crisis. The financial crisis in 1997 fundamentally transformed the density of the middle class and middle class identification declined rapidly in Korea. This study has found that unemployment was the strongest factor to significantly reduce middle class identification. The association between social risks and self-ranked social stratum also reveal the negative impact of economic crisis. Social risks such as unemployment and the deterioration of health around the economic crisis turned out to be significant factors in Koreans lowering their own social stratum ten years after economic crisis. Job instability also had a lasting impact on being ranking themselves lower on the social stratum. This study concludes that after the economic crisis, employment, job stability and physical health conditions are significant factors to affect sustaining or elevating middle class identification and how Koreans rank their own social status.

Raising the timely issue of the non-regular workforce in South Korea, this article examined the degree and intensity of commitment of non-regular workers (contingent and part-time workers) to their job and organization. The results showed that both contingent and parttime workers were less committed to the organization and job than regular workers. This article showed that work status affected the individual, by influencing subjective stratum and his or her perception of distributive justice, which in turn had an impact on organizational commitment and job involvement. Finally, the article stressed that nonregular workers did not constitute a homogeneous group and that, consequently, part-time workers should be treated as distinct from other types of non-regular workers. The sociological implications of the non-regular workforce were discussed.