• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.317-324
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• 2023

Background: COVID-19 pandemic represented a unique stressful event that affected the physical health and psychological well-being (PWB) of individuals and communities. Monitoring PWB is essential not only to clarify the burden on mental health effects but also to define targeted psychological-supporting measures. This cross-sectional study evaluated the PWB of Italian firefighters during the pandemic. Methods: Firefighters recruited during the pandemic period filled out a self-administered questionnaire, the Psychological General Well-Being Index, during the health surveillance medical examination. This tool is usually used to assess the global PWB and explores six subdomains: anxiety, depressed mood, positive well-being, self-control, general health, and vitality. The influencing roles of age, gender, working activities, COVID-19, and pandemic restrictive measures were also explored. Results: A total of 742 firefighters completed the survey. The aggregate median PWB global score was in the 'no distress"" range (94.3 ± 10.3), which was higher than that observed in studies conducted using the same tool in the Italian general population during the same pandemic period. Similar findings were observed in the specific subdomains, thus suggesting that the investigated population was in good PWB condition. Interestingly, significantly better outcomes were detected in the younger firefighters. Conclusion: Our data showed a satisfactory PWB situation in firefighters that could be related to different professional factors such as work organization and mental and physical training. In particular, our results would suggest the hypothesis that in firefighters, maintaining a minimum/moderate level of physical activity (consisting of even just going to work) might have a profoundly positive impact on psychological health and well-being.

• The monthly packaging world
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• s.348
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• pp.101-108
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• 2022

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.12
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• pp.477-482
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• 2020

The childhood obesity pandemic has emerged as an important public health problem in many countries. Obese children are likely to become obese adults, and adult obesity is associated with an increased risk of morbidity. Therefore, controlling the childhood obesity epidemic has become a top public health priority worldwide. The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may significantly impede this important mission and constitute an unprecedented tragedy in the global battle against childhood obesity. This manuscript presents evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic will aggravate the childhood obesity epidemic and lead to significant weight gain in school children by creating an unprecedented obesogenic environment. Within the last few months, many countries took uncompromising measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures and quarantine. While these steps are often necessary to ensure infection control, they may have a significant negative effect on children's mental and physical health. Physical, nutritional, and psychosocial factors that promote obesity in children during this special situation complementarily contribute to an unprecedented obesogenic environment. Large-scale quarantine and home confinement will impose new and unfamiliar stressors on children, thereby worsening the childhood obesity epidemic. Most importantly, adverse childhood events resulting from a predicted increase in domestic violence within the next few months will significantly contribute to this concern. The scenario presented in this review is of paramount public health importance and must be considered during future pandemic planning. Involved stakeholders, including governments, schools, and families, must make all possible efforts to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on childhood obesity.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.191-210
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• 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on global logistics and supply chains, leading to major discrepancies in logistics performance across countries worldwide. Through an examination of logistics performance index and supply chain tracking data, this study aimed to identify the changes in global supply chains and logistics environments during the pandemic. The analysis of the logistics performance index showed that overall, countries around the world, especially developed nations, showed improvements in metrics such as customs and border management efficiency, the quality of trade and transport infrastructure, capability and quality of logistics services, and cargo tracking abilities. However, the competitive pricing feasibility of international transportation and the on-time delivery frequency of goods saw a decline due to the pandemic's effects. The supply chain tracking data revealed that ports in Asian countries demonstrated high processing efficiency. In contrast, the U.S. and European countries took comparatively more time. Particularly for air cargo, parcels, and express shipments, the U.S. showed relatively longer processing times, leading to logistical delays. In conclusion, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Asian countries maintained relatively high efficiency in their logistics and trade environments. Conversely, the U.S. and some European countries showed delays and decreased efficiency in various metrics. In the future, efforts should be made to address delays and congestion, namely, the deceleration of logistics processes.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.127-145
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• 2022

Vaccine diplomacy is a manifestation of competition for political influence among great powers amidst the Covid-19 pandemic's blatant illustration of ineluctable interdependency across the global community. The reinforcement of trends bolstering global polity construction intensify concomitantly with nationalist populist value and attitude expressions increasing political polarization. The interdependency graphically illustrated in the Cold War-era's mutual assured destruction incentivized competition into indirect competitive intervention in the internal politics of third actors. Indirect international influence contestations included extended, de facto challenge competitions to generate soft power on behalf of the victor, e.g., the space race. The Covid-19 pandemic has intensified this competition to offer alternative development models while intense domestic political polarization undermines the mobilizational capacities for achieving sustainable development. In contrast to multinational and multiethnic states, nation states have an inherent mobilizational advantage because of the enhanced control capabilities available to the authorities without emphasizing coercion. Control through Gramscian hegemonic mechanisms is more readily feasible in nation states through the greater feasibility of commodification of social relations by states authorities regulating and channeling social competition to encourage social mobility and creativity. The regulation of the so-called private sector serves to manage and contain social competition while channeling it to develop the institutional capacities for control and allocation of developing societal human resources. It enhances developed state control mechanisms and international influence capacities. The appeal of offers of aid and assistance to the so-called developing world becomes ever more urgent amidst Anthropocene crises including its most recent, current Covid-19 pandemic disaster.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2023

This paper reviews the global effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents in South Korea, the U.S., Japan, and China. We reviewed research on deteriorated mental health, including increased suicide, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm. Various studies have shown that students' mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the number of students who committed suicide has significantly increased in the U.S. and Japan. Factors such as prior mental health status, change in daily routine, reduced physical activity, excessive screen time, overuse of electronic devices, and reduced social support have been reported to have a significant effect. The chain of deteriorating mental health among the youth began at the onset of COVID-19, social distancing, and school closure. As youths began to stay at home instead of going to school, they lost opportunities to connect with their friends or teachers, who could provide support outside of their homes. Young people spent less time on physical activity and more time online, which damaged their sleeping schedule and daily routine. In preparing for the post-pandemic phase, we should thoroughly analyze the long-term effects of the pandemic on youth mental health, while simultaneously tackling current imminent issues.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2022

Background: While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all aspects of health care, its impact on cardiac surgical practice and outcomes is yet to be determined. We compared the outcomes of our cardiac surgical practice from the past year during the pandemic to those in a similar pre-pandemic period. Methods: Retrospective data were collected from 307 patients who were involved in all adult cardiac surgical procedures performed between March 2020 and February 2021, which was considered the pandemic period, at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, India. These were compared with data from the 1-year period between March 2019 and February 2020. During that earlier period, 491 patients underwent surgery, and the surgical outcomes were assessed. Outpatient visit data were also collected to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on outpatient follow-up visits. Results: A 37% decrease in surgical case volume was observed during the study period. No difference was found in operative mortality between the 2 time periods (3.3% vs. 2.6%, p=0.383). Overall postoperative complications were less frequent during this period, at 23% compared to 38% the previous year (p<0.001). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a dramatic decrease in surgical volume and outpatient medical follow-up. However, the pandemic and its attendant social restrictions did not yield a significant change in the surgical outcomes of our patients. Hence, it is reasonable to continue cardiac surgical care during global health crises, and this can be done with good results.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.19-38
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• 2020

Purpose - The Korean government has been promoting the New Southern Policy (NSP) prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which damage global value chain (GVC). The purpose of this paper is to emphasize that the NSP should be developed to provide tangible support in corporate GVC adjustment, away from diplomatic activities in order to offset GVC losses due to COVID-19 and expand export capabilities. Design/methodology - Two research methodologies are combined for this paper: A computational general equilibrium (CGE) model is used to estimate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and NSP on Korea's exports, and the decomposition methodology (Wang, Wei and Zhu, 2013) to evaluate the stability of GVC. The conventional CGE model was modified to obtain an estimate for decomposition. The research methodology adopted in this study was attempted for the first time, and it can be widely used in future GVC research. Findings - Results found the effects of COVID-19 reduced Korea's total exports by 27% and GVC by more than 30%. In particular, VA in Korea's exports to the NSP region was found to have a huge impact in heavy industries and textiles, and its exports to Vietnam seemed to suffer the largest loss in GVC among ASEAN countries. If the NSP is implemented properly, it appears that it could offset much of the negative impacts of COVID-19, implying the importance of the effectiveness of the NSP. Originality/value - Many papers have assessed the NSP descriptively, and the GVC has been a topic for many publications. However, the impact of COVID-19 on Korea's GVC with the NSP countries has not been quantitatively studied. This paper emphasizes that the NSP should be pursued based on the results of quantitative analysis. In addition, the research methodology of this paper can be used for other GVC research with relevant modifications.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.23-55
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• 2023

Just as globalization has many aspects and has developed in various, sometimes contradictory ways with both positive and negative impacts, so too would the reverse process of deglobalization have wide-ranging effects for individuals, communities, and nations. Some parts of globalization began to fray during the coronavirus pandemic (e.g. failing supply chains and disarray in the global shipping industry). Deglobalization would bring about much more significant changes in focusing on local production and consumption, eschewing non-essential flights and international tourism, and replacing personal experience with virtual presence. These impacts would be particularly severe for Vietnam, since its government has placed intensive connectivity with global production at the center of its model for the rapid development on which much of its legitimacy rests and it has joined as many international, multilateral organizations, and protocols as it has been able to do. Through critical analysis of secondary data from a wide range of sources, this paper examines the motivations that people, institutions, and governments might have to pursue deglobalization and then seeks evidence for whether the changes that would bring have started to affect Vietnam. While it is difficult to be too certain about this while the pandemic continues, it is evident that pressures are building in the global north to reconfigure supply chains for greater security, to reduce carbon emissions through regulating long-distance exchanges, and to withdraw from personal contacts. It is argued that a focus on digitalization in economy and society will help to mitigate the negative effects of deglobalization on Vietnam, at least in the medium-term.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.42-46
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• 2009

Every year influenza contributes to the death of 72 people in the South korea, 20,000 in the U.S. and perhaps millions worldwide. The swine fever so-called the noble flu A H1N1, a strain of the flu virus, which jumped species and burst into the human population in March and April of this year. The outbreak of 2009 novel H1N1 was the fourth in 100 years. Fortunately, it led to today's comparatively tame swine flu than the vicious 1918, which was original H1N1 pandemic flu virus, killed at least 40 million worldwide in an ongoing pandemic era. Although the 2009 H1N1 which is still in full swing, this global flu epidemic is already teaching scientists valuable lessons about pandemics. Evidence accumulated these days indicates that the 2009 H1N1 was not entirely new to all human immune systems. This article introduces only an outline for our better understanding the basic mechanisms of influenza and the vaccination about longstanding fears of that worst-case scenario engendered pandemic that are paying off today.