Search Results (476)

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to identify the main issues related to public patient safety campaigns reflected in Korean online news. This study utilized a text-mining method to identify keywords and topics related to patient safety campaigns. Methods: The data collection period was from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023, and 4110 news articles were extracted. Through data preprocessing, 2661 duplicated news and 1213 unrelated news were removed, and 236 news were selected. Using the NetMiner program, keyword co-occurrence frequency calculation, keyword centrality analysis, and topic modeling analysis were performed. Results: The results showed that the most frequently mentioned keywords with high degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality in online news were “hospital”, “medical”, “medicine”, “project”, and “treatment”. The topics of online news related to the patient safety campaign were “patient-centered care for medical safety”, “health promotion projects at a regional institution”, “hand hygiene education to prevent infection”, “healthcare quality improvement through the Mint Festival”, and “safe use of medicines”. Conclusions: This study analyzed patient safety campaign news topics using text network analysis and topic modeling. It was confirmed that patient safety campaigns are essential for fostering a patient safety culture, improving medical quality, and encouraging patient participation in hospitals. Therefore, to build a safe medical environment, it is necessary to establish an effective patient safety campaign for not only medical staff providing medical care, but also patients and their caregivers, and for this, cooperation and participation from various professional occupations are necessary. Full article

Background and Objectives: Obesity is associated with numerous co-morbidities, including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. Bariatric surgery is the mainstay of treatment for obesity as the only method with confirmed long-term effects in weight reduction and the remission of comorbidities. Postoperative recommendations leading to changes in dietary habits and changes in digestion and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract after bariatric surgery may additionally influence the levels of laboratory parameters that reflect the metabolic and nutritional status. The purpose of the study was to analyze the possible influence of changes in dietary habits after bariatric surgery on those laboratory results that reflect the metabolic and nutritional status. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of 88 patients with a history of bariatric surgery. Data were gathered from before the surgery and at 6 months after the surgery and included diet structure and selected laboratory parameters reflecting the metabolic and nutritional status, i.e., levels of fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin, cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, proteins, ferrum, ferritin, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin D and calcium, the red blood cell count and the hematocrit. Results: Postoperative festive glucose levels were reduced by 14% and were more significant in patients after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. There was an increase of 22% in concentrations of high-density lipoproteins. Triglyceride concentrations were reduced by 32%. Aminotransferase levels decreased by 43% for alanine aminotransferase and by 14% for aspartate aminotransferase. Among the changes in dietary habits, post-bariatric patients had a reduced consumption of red meat and an increased consumption of fish, milk and dairy products and wholegrain products. Vitamin D and ferrum levels were higher after the surgery, whereas vitamin B12 and folic acid levels remained unchanged. Conclusions: Improved dietary habits of patients after bariatric surgery may lead to changes in laboratory parameters that reflect the ameliorated metabolic and nutritional status of patients after bariatric surgery. Full article

The unintentional release of living modified organisms (LMOs) into natural environments poses potential ecological risks, particularly in terms of gene flow and biodiversity loss. Since 2009, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) in South Korea has conducted an extensive monitoring project to detect and manage LMOs, with a primary focus on LM canola. This study evaluates the outcomes of the LMO monitoring project over the past 15 years (2009–2023), analyzing the distribution, persistence, and management of LM canola across various environments. Our findings reveal that LM canola predominantly proliferates along roadsides, with occasional occurrences at festival and planting sites. Out of 10,571 monitored sites, 4326 suspicious samples were collected, with a significant increase observed in 2017, underscoring the ongoing risk of accidental releases. This study highlights the critical role of specific environments in the spread of LM canola, and assesses the effectiveness of post-management strategies in controlling these populations. The National Institute of Ecology (NIE) has developed and implemented advanced monitoring protocols and post-management systems tailored to the characteristics of the monitoring sites and the nature of the LMOs. These efforts have been effective in controlling the spread of LM canola, thereby helping to preserve the biodiversity of South Korea’s natural environments. In conclusion, the proactive and adaptive strategies employed by the NIE are essential for mitigating the ecological risks associated with LMOs. Our study emphasizes the importance of on-going vigilance and the continuous refinement of monitoring and management practices to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystems. Full article

Despite being an educational approach that has existed for more than five decades, project-based learning (PBL) has remained a conceptual fog, with limited applications beyond the medical and health sciences. This paper detailed the scarcity of the academic literature on PBL, specifically in relation to PBL and film productions and/or competitions. Using the Dracula Digital 2022 competition as the chosen context, this paper aimed to fill two gaps: (1) adding to the academic literature on PBL’s applications beyond those most frequently found in the medical and health sciences, the learning of foreign languages, or business and management learning; and (2) proposing that film production and competition are novel approaches to PBL. In an attempt to fill these research gaps, this study employed the 10 dimensions of PBL to identify the PBL components present in the Dracula Digital competition. The results showed that all 10 dimensions of PBL were found in the Dracula Digital competition, proving that film production and competition can indeed be considered an educational approach that satisfies PBL’s core components. This study calls for the consideration of a myriad of creative activities which should be added to curriculums to not only engage students in their learning but also reap the coveted benefits offered by the PBL approach. Full article

In successful scenarios of missions to the Moon and Mars, humans develop multi-factorial systems through adapted behaviors to build cohesive multi-national crews with their individual features. We assume that frequencies of social interactions, social orientations, and facial vs. collateral expressions change according to mixed-culture and mixed-gender crew characteristics and as a function of the crewmember’s grouping at the same time and in the same place. The ethological method, with the phases of observation, description, and quantification of behavioral manifestations, was applied to the SIRIUS program and MARS-500 program. This involved simulating a 120-day confinement, a 240-day confinement, and a 520-day confinement in a multi-module facility. Focus was made on the meal area, sports area, and leisure area. We investigated the full nationality–gender-varied crew and the crewmember’s attendance and localization for distractive or festive activities during their free time. Social optimization declined and then grew in a temporal dynamic. Global behavioral distribution showed differences according to the duration of experiments during collective time. As a result, a system based on crew diversity, crew distraction, and crewmembers’ inter-dependence should be considered as a positive human factor in the process of adaptation with the goal of enhancing the well-being of future interplanetary crews. Full article

This article studies the recent evolution of five cases of small cities in the interior of Spain that several decades ago invested in culture as a strategy to maintain their populations and increase the quality of life of their inhabitants. These are case studies of differentiated characteristics in which the analysis of their evolution offers important keys for developing cultural policies in any small city in the world. The examples of Allariz, Almagro, Astorga, Puigcerdá and Trujillo allow for the corroboration of how betting on culture as a resilient and sustainable strategy generates positive results for their populations. Allariz, in the province of Ourense, is showing a cultural identity development that emerged as a movement to reject the pollution of the Arnoia River. In Almagro, in the La Mancha province of Ciudad Real, the recovery in 1955 of the only Corral de Comedias preserved since the 17th century allowed for the inauguration in 1979 of the first Almagro Classical Theatre Festival, and from then on, a whole series of restorations and new constructions related to theater and the performing arts, which turned a small town of less than 10,000 inhabitants into the national theater capital. Astorga is a small two-thousand-year-old city in the province of León, which is trying to recover as a living history museum to face the current reality of demographic and economic crises. Puigcerdá, in the province of Girona, the historic capital of Cerdanya, is another small town in which cultural management and production is much larger than it would be corresponding to its demographic size. Lastly, Trujillo, in the Extremadura province of Cáceres, a city of pre-Roman origin known in the 16th century as the birthplace of conquistadors in America such as Francisco Pizarro and Francisco de Orellana, is another small town of less than 10,000 inhabitants that is committed to creating and maintaining a rich cultural agenda with an important weight for the history and relationship between America and Spain and the recovery of the civil and religious heritage of this small monumental city. These are five enclaves, in summary, that have for years followed a clear strategy of betting on identity and culture to improve the well-being of their inhabitants and the local development of their economy, and which, as this research demonstrates, have made it possible to avoid the biggest problems of the impoverishment and abandonment of other nearby towns with similar characteristics. Full article

Illicit drug use is common among attendees of electronic dance music (EDM) festivals, but is often significantly underreported by participants. The current study aimed to compare the prevalence and over- and under-reporting of illicit drug use among attendees at EDM festivals in two European countries with distinct drug laws and cultures. Self-reported data regarding recent drug use were collected through interviews. Participants’ blood alcohol concentrations were measured using a breathalyzer. Recent illicit drug use was assessed through sampling microparticles in the breath and consequent off-site analysis through liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectroscopy. Illicit drug use was higher in Belgium than in Sweden as indicated by self-reports (56.8 vs. 4.3%) and drug testing (37.2 vs. 12.5%). Underreporting was higher in Sweden than in Belgium; in Sweden, only 2.6% reported taking an illicit drug other than cannabis, whereas 11.6% tested positive, while the corresponding figures in Belgium were 36.5% and 36.9%. In both countries, results from self-reporting and drug testing for specific drugs matched poorly at the individual level, indicating unwitting consumption of substances. This study indicates that the drug use prevalence and the likelihood of disclosure may differ between countries or cultures, which should be considered when choosing methods to investigate drug use prevalence. Full article

In this study, online ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were collected at an urban site of Zhengzhou in Central China during February 2018. The VOCs characteristics, source contributions and the Chinese New Year (CNY) effects have been investigated. During the sampling period, three haze periods have been identified, with the corresponding VOCs concentrations of (92 ± 45) ppbv, (62 ± 18) ppbv and (83 ± 34) ppbv; in contrast, the concentration during non-haze days was found to be (57 ± 27) ppbv. In addition, the festival effects of the CNY were investigated, and the concentration of particulate matter precursor decreased significantly. Meanwhile, firework-displaying events were identified, as the emission intensity had been greatly changed. Both potential source contribution function (PSCF) and the concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) models results indicated that short-distance transportation was the main influencing factor of the local VOCs pollution, especially by transport from the northeast. Source contribution results by the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model showed that vehicle exhaust (24%), liquid petroleum gas and natural gas (LPG/NG, 23%), coal combustion (21%), industrial processes (16%) and solvent usages (16%) were the major sources of ambient VOCs. Although industry and solvents have low contribution to the total VOCs, their secondary organic aerosol (SOA) contribution were found to be relatively high, especially in haze-1 and haze-3 periods. The haze-2 period had the lowest secondary organic aerosol potential (SOAp) during the sampling period; this is mainly caused by the reduction of industrial and solvent emissions due to CNY. Full article

The pervasive use of anthropogenic light at night has significantly increased the brightness of the night sky, which negatively affects human wellbeing, the ecology of plants and animals, night sky aesthetics, and astronomical observations. However, public awareness of light pollution remains limited. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an ‘eco-art installation’ in raising awareness about the impacts of anthropogenic light at night (ALAN). The installation, ‘Scope’, used light as a medium to convey the adverse effects of anthropogenic light at the Te Ramaroa festival in Nelson, New Zealand, which is held to celebrate light in the depths of winter. An online survey assessed the awareness of Nelson region residents, comparing responses between those who experienced the installation and those who did not, and assessing the self-reported knowledge increase after engagement with the installation. The findings indicated that eco-art installations can significantly enhance the public’s understanding of ALAN’s environmental and health impacts. The installation successfully increased self-reported specific knowledge about ALAN, with 92% of visitors reporting learning something new; however, overarching knowledge and levels of concern were largely similar between the groups. Emotional engagement was high, with 62% of viewers stating that the installation invoked an emotional response. While the study did not measure beha-vioural changes, 94% of festival participants found it at least ‘somewhat appropriate’ and 64% found it ‘very’ or ‘entirely appropriate’ to raise awareness of these issues at such events, suggesting a potential foundation for future action. This research underscores the promise of art–science collaborations in environmental education and public engagement. Full article

Girsu, the modern site of Tello (southern Iraq), represents one of the earliest known urban centres of the ancient world, along with Uruk, Eridu, and Ur. During the 3rd millennium BCE (3000–2000 BCE), Girsu was revered as the sanctuary of the Sumerian heroic deity Ningirsu, who fought with supernatural beasts and made possible the introduction of irrigation and agriculture in Sumer. While much is known about the gods, their roles, and rituals inside the temples, there is little textual or archaeological evidence concerning the rituals that took place in the large open-air plazas adjacent to the temples. These areas within the sacred precinct were where the general population would gather to participate in festivals and ceremonies to honour the gods. To better understand the ancient cultic realm in southern Mesopotamia, an in-depth investigation of a favissa (ritual pit) discovered within the sacred precinct at Girsu was undertaken. The excavations recovered a large quantity of ceramics and animal remains that had been used for ritual purposes. Through the study of archaeological remains of cultic spaces at Girsu, information on ritual behaviour such as sacrificial animal slaughtering and consumption for the purpose of feasting, the types of libations provided to quench the thirst of the gods, and the distance travelled to take part in the annual festivals to pay homage to the patron god of their sacred city were explored. Analysis of the associated ceramics, cuneiform texts, and zooarchaeological remains (including stable isotope data), allowed a multi-faceted and integrative approach to better understand ceremonial behaviour and ritual feasting in this sacred city. New insights into communal and performative participation in ceremonies, especially by non-elite individuals, are generated. These data increase our knowledge not only of how Girsu’s citizens organised their sacred spaces and religious festivals, but also of how they behaved in order to satisfy the ever-demanding needs of their gods. Full article

This study analyzes temperature trends and thermal comfort during the key hours (i.e., from noon to 3:00 p.m.) of human tower (castells) performances in four significant festivities involving this outdoor exhibition (diada castellera) in Catalonia. Human towers were recognized by UNESCO in 2010 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. The selected exhibitions were Sant Joan in Valls on 24 June; Festa Major de La Bisbal del Penedès on 15 August; Sant Magí in Tarragona on 19 August; and Sant Fèlix in Vilafranca del Penedès on 30 August. Temperature and relative humidity data were downloaded from the Copernicus Climate Change Service’s ERA5-Land and ERA5 pressure level datasets, respectively, with reanalysis from 1951 to 2023. The results revealed a clear upward trend in temperatures over the last several decades in these four places and for the respective dates, from +0.3 °C per decade in La Bisbal del Penedès to +0.42 °C per decade in Valls. Most of the positive temperature anomalies were concentrated in the last 25 years. The calculation of the Heat Index revealed a higher occurrence of years with possible fatigue due to prolonged exposure and/or physical activity in the three inland locations (i.e., Valls, La Bisbal del Penedès, and Vilafranca del Penedès) and a greater frequency of years with possible heat stroke, heat cramps, and/or heat exhaustion in Tarragona, which is near the Mediterranean Sea. This warming trend and increased discomfort pose potential health risks for participants and suggests a need for adaptive measures. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating climate considerations into human tower planning. Full article

In this text, we discuss the “Beyond Quantum Music” project, which inspired pianists, composers, researchers, and innovators Sonja Lončar and Andrija Pavlović (LP Duo) to go beyond the boundaries of classical and avant-garde practices to create a new style in composition and performance on two unique DUALITY hybrid pianos that they invented and developed to create a new stage design for multimedia concert performances and establish a new musical genre as a platform for future musical expression. “Beyond Quantum Music” is a continuation of the groundbreaking art and science project “Quantum Music”, which began in 2015; we envisioned it as a long-term project. In order to build an experimental dialogue between music and quantum physics, we created the DUALITY Portable Hybrid Piano System. This innovative instrument was essential for expanding the current sound of the classical piano. As a result, new compositions and new piano sounds were produced using various synthesizers and sound samples derived from scientific experiments. The key place for this dialogue between music and science was the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, where Andrija Pavlović, as a Kavli artist in residence, and Sonja Lončar, as an expert, spent several months in 2022 collaborating with scientists to compose new music. Later on, we collaborated with the visual artist “Incredible Bob” to develop the idea for the multimedia concert “LP Duo plays Beyond Quantum Music” to be performed at various locations, including the Scientific Institute MedILS Split (Croatia), the Theater Hall JDP Belgrade (Serbia), the Congress Hall TU Delft (the Netherlands), and open-air concerts at the Kaleidoskop Festival (Novi Sad, Serbia) and Ars Electronica Festival in Linz (Austria). Full article

The high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere have adverse effects on both the environment and human health, as well as on urban and faunal biodiversity. Short-term events, such as the burning of fireworks, attributable to human activity, result in a significant and rapid increase in PM concentration levels within the atmosphere. We present findings derived from observations made using low-cost PM sensors deployed as part of the Environmental Monitoring Network in Querétaro, Mexico. These sensors utilize the Environmental Geo Monitoring Stations (EMGA) device, developed by the Institute of Geosciences at UNAM. The observation period spanned from 10 December 2023 to 10 January 2024, encompassed the Christmas and New Year holidays, and focused on PM_2.5 concentrations, and a comparison with a similar period from 10 February 2024 to 10 March 2024 considered a typical activity period in the area. The results reveal two substantial increases in PM_2.5 concentrations (from less than 50 µg/m³ to more than 340 µg/m³) over time and spatial distribution during this period, with notable increases observed during the festive season coincident with the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Specifically, prolonged periods exceeding up to 6 h were noted on festivity days. This research offers insight into the effects, trends, and spatial–temporal distribution of pollutants within the city of Queretaro, which may be used as a reference for other cities around the world. Full article

Fishing is a socioeconomic activity with highly visible impacts on the water–land interface of cities. Tourism, the number and type of visitors, and attractions depend on the image and experience of coastal places. How has fishing evolved over time? How has planning attempted to influence and adapt the land use and built-up structures, leading to the activity’s development and commercialization? It utilizes three pairwise cases to analyze the land use transformations associated with fishing activities in cities and some of their most important structures, with impacts on tourism activities such as fish markets, waterfront and pier restaurants, festival marketplaces, and recreational facilities. The three pairwise cases are in three different regions of the world (i.e., North America, Southern Europe, and the Pacific Rim). New Bedford, Massachusetts (USA) and Figueira da Foz (Portugal) are utilized to analyze the land use transformations associated with fishing activities in cities. Fish markets in Tokyo (Japan) and Sydney (Australia) are analyzed to study built-up structures where fish are commercialized. Finally, the last pairwise waterfronts consisting of San Francisco (California, USA) and Fremantle (Western Australia) are examined to understand their fish consumption. The research design and methods comprised in loco visits to the six case studies; discussions with stakeholders; visual documentation and analysis; and a distillation of implications for public policy. The findings demonstrate that more attention needs to be paid to land use changes, the co-existence of working harbor operations with recreational uses, the accessibility to those areas, the “publicness” of the areas in terms of public spaces and other coastal amenities, and the impacts of mixed-use developments on adjacent residential areas. Many waterfronts have suffered radical changes and ought to be made more accessible, authentic, and livable not through the effects of nature or markets alone but with planning and urban design interventions. Full article

As governments in various countries and regions issue tourism-friendly policies in the post-pandemic period, the voices for tourism consumption recovery and innovative transformation have attracted great attention. Many scholars, experts and industry professionals in the field of festivals are actively exploring efficient solutions for festival marketing and sustainability. It is worth rethinking tourists’ consumption psychology and perceived image regarding exiting festival products as well as the antecedents that affect festival loyalty. The Qingdao International Beer Festival, as one of the most influential festivals in China, was selected as the research case for this study. The main goal of this study was to investigate festival consumption promotion mechanisms by proposing a conceptual framework in which the associations between destination familiarity, product familiarity and loyal intentions (re-patronage and recommendation) were examined with mediators of overall festival image, perceived value and overall satisfaction. The moderating role of visitor involvement in the proposed framework was also adequately demonstrated. Moreover, the causal recipes for loyalty intentions have also been identified by employing a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and a necessary condition analysis (NCA). The research findings are expected to provide a significant reference for the recovery and improvement in competitiveness of the entire festival industry. Full article