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The COVID-19 pandemic increased the burden due to school closures and stay-at-home orders, disrupting the community energy balance. This study examines rising obesity trends among Korean adolescents during school closures, focusing on gender differences and immigrant-origin youths – those of foreign descent or with at least one foreign-born parent. We analysed data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) (N = 539,187). The study aims to assess BMI trends between 2013 and 2022, examine the impact of school closures, and explore differential obesity risks among immigrant-origin youths by gender. Regression models with interaction terms were used to analyse BMI trends and pandemic effects on immigrant-origin youths compared to non-immigrant-origin youths, with gender subgroup analyses. Results show increased BMI for all adolescents, with a notable rise and higher overweight risks in immigrant-origin male adolescents during COVID-19. These findings highlight the need for gender-specific interventions in schools for immigrant-origin youths.

Abstract BackgroundCollaborative documentation (CD) is a behavioral health practice involving shared writing of clinic visit notes by providers and consumers. Despite widespread dissemination of CD, research on its effectiveness or impact on person-centered care (PCC) has been limited. Principles of PCC planning, a recovery-based approach to service planning that operationalizes PCC, can inform the measurement of person-centeredness within clinical documentation. ObjectiveThis study aims to use the clinical informatics approach of natural language processing (NLP) to examine the impact of CD on person-centeredness in clinic visit notes. Using a dictionary-based approach, this study conducts a textual analysis of clinic notes from a community mental health center before and after staff were trained in CD. MethodsThis study used visit notes (n=1981) from 10 providers in a community mental health center 6 months before and after training in CD. LIWC-22 was used to assess all notes using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) dictionary, which categorizes over 5000 linguistic and psychological words. Twelve LIWC categories were selected and mapped onto PCC planning principles through the consensus of 3 domain experts. The LIWC-22 contextualizer was used to extract sentence fragments from notes corresponding to LIWC categories. Then, fixed-effects modeling was used to identify differences in notes before and after CD training while accounting for nesting within the provider. ResultsSentence fragments identified by the contextualizing process illustrated how visit notes demonstrated PCC. The fixed effects analysis found a significant positive shift toward person-centeredness; this was observed in 6 of the selected LIWC categories post CD. Specifically, there was a notable increase in words associated with achievement (β=.774, PPPPP ConclusionsBy using a dictionary-based approach, the study identified how CD might influence the integration of PCC principles within clinical notes. Although the results were mixed, the findings highlight the potential effectiveness of CD in enhancing person-centeredness in clinic notes. By leveraging NLP techniques, this research illuminated the value of narrative clinical notes in assessing the quality of care in behavioral health contexts. These findings underscore the promise of NLP for quality assurance in health care settings and emphasize the need for refining algorithms to more accurately measure PCC.

Using national data from Project Implicit, the authors examine state-level variations in implicit and explicit bias against Asian Americans held by non–Asian Americans ( n = 196,678) from 2018 to 2022. The authors also explore state-level sociodemographic correlates of both types of bias. The findings reveal considerable heterogeneity in implicit and explicit bias across states. Moreover, Republican and swing states had higher levels of implicit bias against Asian Americans, and states with older median ages and greater percentages of Asian populations were associated with less explicit bias. This study underscores the importance of state-level variation in and structural factors of biases against Asian Americans as contexts for examining attitudes toward Asian Americans.

Using digital technology to adapt to their host country is an integral part of social inclusion for migrant and refugee populations. However, researchers have not empirically examined how digital technology use may affect subjective well-being among migrant populations. This study aimed to examine the association between increased digital technology use, technological self-efficacy, and subjective well-being. Using the 2020 Digital Divide Survey in Korea, our sample consists of 6520 native South Koreans and 699 North Korean migrants aged 18 years and older. We examined the three-way interaction of technological self-efficacy and being North Korean migrants in the relationship between the increase in the use of five types of digital technology, technological self-efficacy, and subjective well-being, using hierarchical linear regressions. North Korean migrants were statistically lower than South Korean natives in all types of increased digital technology use. Moderation analysis showed that technological self-efficacy positively moderated the relationship between increased digital technology use and subjective well-being. A three-way interaction showed that this relationship was stronger in North Korean migrants for three types of utilization, networking, information sharing, and life services. A psychosocial approach needs to be taken to digital technology education for North Korean migrants, in light of the potential benefits of technological self-efficacy.

COVID-19 has worsened adolescents' mental and physical health. Several studies have reported that the effect may be greater in girls; however, relevant socio-ecological factors have not been examined. This study aimed to examine the factors associated with physical and mental health status among adolescents and the moderating role of gender on the relationship between physical and mental health status and perceived household financial decline. We analyzed the cross-sectional 2020 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) collected between August and November 2020 in South Korea. It included 54,809 adolescents (28,269 males and 26,540 females), on average aged 15.1. We conducted ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions to examine the factors associated with physical and mental health outcomes. Gender differences were observed in associated factors. Then, we tested the moderating effect of gender by including an interaction term between gender and perceived household financial decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived household financial decline due to COVID-19 negatively affected both groups. Perceiving moderate and severe financial decline due to COVID-19 is negatively associated with self-rated health among female adolescents than male counterparts. Female adolescents were also more vulnerable to mental health outcomes (i.e., distress, anxiety, and loneliness) when they perceived severe or moderate household financial decline due to COVID-19 compared to their male peers. Our findings suggest that female adolescents are more vulnerable to household financial shocks due to COVID-19, especially in households that have experienced a severe decline. We suggest the need for gender-sensitive policy interventions for adolescent mental health.

Much of the public discourse as well as research regarding the negative impact of COVID-19-related anti-Asian discrimination has been conducted at the broad racial group level, yet data aggregation masks critical points of diversity among Asian Americans. We conducted an online survey of 620 Asian American adults in December 2020 and examined whether there were any demographic differences–including by ethnic subgroup and Chinese street race (being Chinese or being mistaken as Chinese)–in their experiences of COVID-19-related stress, direct and vicarious discrimination, and psychological outcomes. Our analyses found that younger age was correlated with higher reports of pandemic stress, discrimination, distress, and worry. Female and U.S.-born participants reported higher levels of pandemic stress and vicarious discrimination, but there were no gender or nativity differences in levels of direct discrimination. Being uninsured was also related to higher levels of pandemic stress, discrimination, and distress. East Asian Americans reported significantly lower frequencies of direct anti-Asian discrimination than did South Asian or Southeast Asian Americans, but the ethnic subgroups did not differ in their reports of vicarious discrimination. Of note, Chinese street race was not associated with either direct or vicarious discrimination. Separate hierarchical regression analyses for East Asian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian participants revealed that, regardless of ethnicity, racial discrimination significantly contributed to psychological distress and worry beyond the effects of pandemic stress. However, the three groups varied in the demographic indicators and COVID-19 stressors that were associated with psychological outcomes. Pandemic stress was more strongly associated with negative outcomes among South Asian Americans than East Asian and Southeast Asian Americans, and neither direct nor vicarious discrimination were associated with mental health among South Asian Americans. Direct discrimination, compared to vicarious discrimination, was a particularly robust predictor of both distress and worry among East Asian Americans. For Southeast Asian Americans, direct discrimination significantly predicted higher levels of distress, whereas vicarious discrimination predicted higher levels of worry. Vicarious discrimination was not significantly related to distress across ethnic subgroups. Results suggest that practitioners and policy makers would benefit from attending to these within-group differences in Asian Americans' experiences during the pandemic.

Triticum aestivum (wheat) is one of the most significant crops worldwide. This study compares the chemical composition and radical-scavenging activities of two cultivars of T. aestivum, Saekeumkang wheat (SW) and Baekkang wheat (BW). Sprouted wheatgrass extracts of SW and BW were analyzed using assessments of total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array (HPLC-PDA). Radical-scavenging activities were evaluated using 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS·+) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. The results indicated that SW had a higher total polyphenol content than BW, while no significant differences were observed regarding total flavonoid content. HPLC-PDA analysis, guided by LC-ESI/MS, identified four compounds—saponarin, schaftoside, isoorientin, and isovitexin—with isoorientin (3.02 mg/g extract) and schaftoside (4.23 mg/g extract) present in higher concentrations in SW compared to BW. In the ABTS·+ assay, the two samples did not show noticeable differences, with SW displaying a scavenging ability with an IC50 of 3.36 mg/mL, and BW with an IC50 of 3.19 mg/mL. Contrarily, the DPPH assay results showed an inverse trend, suggesting that the radical-scavenging behavior may be influenced by the synergistic and antagonistic interactions of the compounds in SW and BW extracts.

Glehnia littoralis F. (GLF), a perennial herb indigenous to the coastal areas of northern Pacific countries is widely utilized in medicine for various diseases and symptoms. The current study aimed to determine the relationship between phytochemicals and their diverse functional abilities. High-performance liquid chromatography and a photodiode array detector were used to identify chlorogenic acid (1), rutin (2), isoquercitrin (3), psoralen (4), 8-methoxy psoralen (5), and bergapten (6). 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+)- and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-radical-scavenging assays were conducted. It was found that GLF from the Chungnam Province had a higher content of compounds 4–6 contents of approximately 51.29 µmoL/g, which was primarily composed of bergapten (6) (44.44 µmoL/g). Moreover, GLF from Jeju Island exhibited the strongest ABTS+- and DPPH-radical-scavenging activities, with IC50 values of 6.69 mg/mL and 10.26 mg/mL, respectively, followed by Chungnam Province and Jeonnam Province. In contrast, the radical-scavenging activities of GLF did not correlate with compounds 4–6 (furanocoumarins) and were predicted to be related to compounds 1–3. These differences in chemical composition and biological functions are consistent with differences in environmental conditions. Therefore, GLF with high amounts of flavonoid compounds such as rutin and isoquercitrin could potentially be utilized as herbal medicines; however, further research into their additional biological effects is needed.

Orostachys margaritifolia Y. N. Lee (OMY) is an endemic Korean plant in the family Crassulaceae that is known to contain a variety of bioactive compounds. To assess the physiological activities of an OMY ethanol extract, ABTS+ and DPPH radical scavenging assays and a nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assay were conducted. The phytochemical makeup of the extract was profiled via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector (HPLC/PDA). The OMY extract was found to have weaker ABTS+ and DPPH radical scavenging activities than the control group (green tea). In the NO inhibition assay, the OMY extract induced a significant increase in macrophage cell viability but showed a lower NO inhibitory activity than l-NAME, producing an IC50 value of 202.6 μg/mL. The LC-ESI/MS and HPLC/PDA analyses identified isoquercitrin and astragalin in the OMY extract, quantifying their contents at 3.74 mg/g and 3.19 mg/g, respectively. The study revealed possibilities for the utilization of OMY as a future source of drugs for alleviating inflammation and diseases related to reactive oxygen species.

Prolonged and/or extreme heat has become a natural hazard that presents a significant risk to humans and the buildings, technologies, and infrastructure on which they have previously relied on to provide cooling. This paper presents a conceptual model of a resilient cooling system centred on people, the socio-cultural-technical contexts they inhabit, and the risks posed by the temperature hazard. An integrative literature review process was used to undertake a critical and comprehensive evaluation of published research and grey literature with the objective of adding clarity and detail to the model. Two databases were used to identify risk management and natural hazard literature in multiple disciplines that represent subcomponents of community resilience (social, economic, institutional, infrastructure and environment systems). This review enabled us to characterise in more detail the nature of the temperature hazard, the functionality characteristics of a resilient cooling system, and key elements of the four subsystems: people, buildings, cooling technologies and energy infrastructure. Six key messages can be surmised from this review, providing a guide for future work in policy and practice.

This paper optimizes opening positions on building facades to maximize the natural ventilation’s potential for ventilation and cooling purposes. The paper demonstrates how to apply computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation results to architectural design processes, and how the CFD-driven decisions impact ventilation and cooling: (1) background: A CFD helps predict the natural ventilation’s potential, the integration of CFD results into design decision-making has not been actively practiced; (2) methods: Pressure data on building facades were obtained from CFD simulations and mapped into the 3D modeling environment, which were then used to identify optimal positions of two openings of a zone. The effect of the selected opening positions was validated with building energy simulations; (3) results: The cross-comparison study of different window positions based on different geographical locations quantified the impact on natural ventilation effectiveness; and (4) conclusions: The optimized window position was shown to be effective, and some optimal solutions contradicted the typical cross-ventilation strategy.

OBJECTIVES:The South Korean government required the submission of economic evidence when it implemented the Positive-List System in December 2006. This study investigates the key factors that influenced actual public insurance reimbursement decisions, including the role of economic evidence, after 10 years of decision practice under compulsory health technology assessment (HTA) for new drugs. METHOD:Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the impact of the variables involved, including cost-effectiveness ratio as a key variable, on reimbursement decisions. The latter were defined as "yes" or "no" at a submitted price and indication. Only cases (n = 91) that present a cost-effectiveness ratio, and that have been reviewed based on this ratio from January 2007 to December 2016, were included in the analysis. RESULTS:Cases with higher cost-effectiveness ratios were less likely to be accepted. In addition, drugs that were used to treat severe diseases and drugs with no substitute were more likely to be recommended. The probability of acceptance declined along with the level of uncertainty in the submitted evidence. The acceptance rate for severe-disease drugs has increased since 2013, when the government introduced several policies that lowered the existing barriers to positive reimbursement. However, such an increase was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS:Cost-effectiveness is one of the most influential factors in drug-reimbursement decisions. However, inclusion of other explanatory variables, in addition to the cost-effectiveness ratio, predicted the results of decisions more accurately.

Natural ventilation is often used as a passive technology to reduce building energy consumption. To leverage the rule-based natural ventilation control to more advanced control at multiple spatial scales, mathematical modeling is needed to calculate the real-time ventilation rate, indoor air temperatures, and velocities at high spatial resolution. This study aims to develop a real-time mathematical modeling framework based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The real-time concept is implemented by using real-time sensor data, e.g., wall surface temperatures as boundary conditions, while data assimilation is employed to implement real-time self-calibration. The proof of concept is demonstrated by a case study using synthetic data. The results show that the modeling framework can adequately predict real-time ventilation rates and indoor air temperatures. The data assimilation method can nudge the simulated air velocities toward the observed values to continuously calibrate the model. The real-time CFD modeling framework will be further tested by the real-time sensor data once building construction is fully completed.