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Background and Objectives@#To evaluate the impact of smoking in young adults on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the clustering effect of behavioral risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and depression. @*Methods@#A Korean nationwide population-based cohort of a total of 3,280,826 participants aged 20–39 years old who underwent 2 consecutive health examinations were included. They were followed up until the date of CVD (myocardial infarction [MI] or stroke), or December 2018 (median, 6 years). @*Results@#Current smoking, early age of smoking initiation, and smoking intensity were associated with an increased risk of CVD incidence. Even after quitting smoking, the risk of MI was still high in quitters compared with non-smokers. Cigarette smoking, obesity, and depression were independently associated with a 1.3–1.7 times increased risk of CVD, and clustering of 2 or more of these behavioral risk factors was associated with a 2–3 times increased risk of CVD in young adults. @*Conclusions@#In young adults, cigarette smoking was associated with the risk of CVD, and the clustering of 2 or more behavioral risk factors showed an additive risk of CVD.
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Purpose@#Eating behaviors are influenced by food environments, such as availability and/or accessibility of healthy food options. In this study, we examined the relationship between healthy eating-out options and the intention to eat healthily in adults residing in Daqing, China, using an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB). @*Methods@#Data were collected via an online survey conducted from April to May 2021 using a previously validated questionnaire in Daqing. A total number of 308 subjects aged 18–64, either Daqing oilfield workers or their family members were eligible and finally included in the analysis. The relationships among the attributes and the quality of healthy eatingout options, the three major constructs of TPB, and the intentions of healthy eating were examined using multiple linear regression analyses. @*Results@#Subjective norms (p = 0.049) and perceived behavioral control (PBC) (p = 0.000) were significantly related to the healthy eating intention. The quality and attributes of the food served statistically significantly explained the intention to eat healthily. After controlling for age, sex, and body mass index, not the quality but the attributes of food served (p = 0.037), subjective norms (p = 0.016), and PBC (p = 0.000) had a significant relationship with the intention to eat healthily. The model explained 83.7% of the variance. @*Conclusion@#The healthy eating-out choices, along with subjective norms and PBC of TPB, may be a potential determinant of healthy eating intention among Chinese adults living in Daqing, China. Policy implications have highlighted that not only the personal intention to eat healthy foods, but also the available healthy food environment may be important for the choice of healthy options by the population of interest. Therefore, building an environment for healthy eating choices and campaigns aimed at increasing consumer awareness of healthy eating are equally important for a smart eating choice.
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Purpose@#This study investigated the relationship between 3 major constructs of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), i.e., attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control (PBC) and past experience of healthy eating and intentions of healthy eating in the short-term and long-term in adults living in Shanghai and parts of Anhui Province, China. @*Methods@#The online study questionnaire for this cross-sectional study was based on previously validated items. A total of 408 Chinese adults (aged 18–64 years) residing in Shanghai and parts of Anhui Province, China were included to examine relationships between 3 major constructs of TPB and past experience of healthy eating, and short-term and long-term intentions of healthy eating. Multiple linear regression model adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI) was employed to test relationships. @*Results@#Only PBC among 3 major constructs of TPB was significantly related to short-term (p < 0.001) and long-term (p = 0.002) intention of healthy eating after adjustment for age and BMI. Past experience of healthy eating was more significantly related to long-term intention (p < 0.001) compared to short-term (p = 0.020) intention of healthy eating. The short-term and long-term intention models explained 70.5% and 48.8% of the variance, respectively. @*Conclusion@#PBC is a potential determinant of both short-term and long-term behavioral intention of healthy eating regardless of past experience of healthy eating in adults residing in Shanghai and parts of Anhui Province, China. Our results indicate that programs promoting healthy eating to Chinese adults incorporate PCB to perform healthy eating under his or her control.
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Purpose@#In 2015, the South Korean government legislated the Act for the Improvement of Training Conditions and Status of Medical Residents (Medical Resident Act). This study investigated changes in the working and learning environment pre- and post-implementation of the Medical Resident Act in 2017, as well as changes in training conditions by year post-implementation. @*Methods@#An annual cross-sectional voluntary survey was conducted by the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) between 2016 and 2019. The learning and working environment, including extended shift length, rest time, learning goals, and job satisfaction, were compared by institution type, training year, and specialty. @*Results@#Of the 55,727 enrollees in the KIRA, 15,029 trainees took the survey, and the number of survey participants increased year by year (from 2,984 in 2016 to 4,700 in 2019). Overall working hours tended to decrease; however, interns worked the most (114 hours in 2016, 88 hours in 2019; P<0.001). Having 10 hours or more of break time has gradually become more common (P<0.001). Lunch breaks per week decreased from 5 in 2017 to 4 in 2019 (P<0.001). Trainees’ sense of educational deprivation due to physician assistants increased from 17.5% in 2016 to 25.6% in 2018 (P<0.001). Awareness of tasks and program/work achievement goals increased from 29.2% in 2016 to 58.3% in 2018 (P<0.001). Satisfaction with the learning environment increased over time, whereas satisfaction with working conditions varied. @*Conclusion@#The Medical Resident Act has brought promising changes to the training of medical residents in Korea, as well as their satisfaction with the training environment.
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Purpose@#In 2015, the South Korean government legislated the Act for the Improvement of Training Conditions and Status of Medical Residents (Medical Resident Act). This study investigated changes in the working and learning environment pre- and post-implementation of the Medical Resident Act in 2017, as well as changes in training conditions by year post-implementation. @*Methods@#An annual cross-sectional voluntary survey was conducted by the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) between 2016 and 2019. The learning and working environment, including extended shift length, rest time, learning goals, and job satisfaction, were compared by institution type, training year, and specialty. @*Results@#Of the 55,727 enrollees in the KIRA, 15,029 trainees took the survey, and the number of survey participants increased year by year (from 2,984 in 2016 to 4,700 in 2019). Overall working hours tended to decrease; however, interns worked the most (114 hours in 2016, 88 hours in 2019; P<0.001). Having 10 hours or more of break time has gradually become more common (P<0.001). Lunch breaks per week decreased from 5 in 2017 to 4 in 2019 (P<0.001). Trainees’ sense of educational deprivation due to physician assistants increased from 17.5% in 2016 to 25.6% in 2018 (P<0.001). Awareness of tasks and program/work achievement goals increased from 29.2% in 2016 to 58.3% in 2018 (P<0.001). Satisfaction with the learning environment increased over time, whereas satisfaction with working conditions varied. @*Conclusion@#The Medical Resident Act has brought promising changes to the training of medical residents in Korea, as well as their satisfaction with the training environment.
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Purpose@#The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to investigate how the psychological constructs of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) affect the individual intention of behaviors in adults. Social support is also important in enabling the stability of healthy eating. This study examined the relationship between three major constructs of TPB as well as social support and the intention of healthy dietary behaviors in adults residing in Beijing, China using the extended TPB. @*Methods@#The study questionnaire was based on previously validated items and an online survey was conducted from October to November 2020. Using a total of 244 Chinese adults in Beijing, multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the relationships between three major constructs of TPB as well as the social support and intention of healthy eating. @*Results@#Among the three major constructs of TPB, subjective norms (p = 0.044) and PBC (p = 0.000) were significantly related to the behavioral intention of healthy eating (p = 0.000), and the model explained 76.6% of the variance of the behavioral intention from the three constructs of TPB included in the multiple linear regression model. The additional inclusion of social support to the model did not increase the explanatory power of the model to describe the behavioral intention of healthy eating. The subjective norms (p = 0.040) and PBC (p = 0.000) were still significant where social support did not explain the variance of the behavioral intention adequately. @*Conclusion@#The subjective norms and PBC may be potential determinants of the behavioral intention of healthy eating in adults residing in Beijing, China. These study results can be used to promote healthy eating in Chinese adults living in urban areas. Large-scale intervention studies will be needed to determine if social norms and PBC predict the actual behaviors of healthy eating in Chinese adults
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Purpose@#To evaluate the surgical outcomes of microincision pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and intravitreal torsional phacoemulsification in eyes with dropped nuclear fragments following complicated cataract surgery. @*Methods@#A retrospective analysis of 22 eyes of 22 patients who underwent microincison PPV for lens fragments dropped into the vitreous cavity during cataract surgery between January 2014 and December 2017 with a minimum 6-month follow-up was performed. Pre- and postoperative visual acuity, and intra- and postoperative complications (retinal detachment, retinal tear, cystoid macular edema, and thermal burns of the sclerotomy site) were recorded. @*Results@#The study included 17 males and 5 females. The mean age of patients was 71.3 ± 8.2 years. The mean interval between cataract surgery and PPV was 0.4 ± 0.8 days, and all PPV procedures were performed within 3 days after cataract surgery. The mean best-corrected visual acuity (LogMAR) was 1.37 ± 0.79 in the preoperative state, which improved significantly to 0.21 ± 0.15 in the postoperative state (p < 0.001). No complication such as thermal burns of the sclerotomy site and retinal damage due to lens fragments occurred during intravitreal torsional phacoemulsification. Postoperative cystoid macular edema occurred in two eyes, which was managed medically. No retinal detachment was noted. @*Conclusions@#Microincision PPV and intravitreal phacoemulsification using a torsional phacoemulsification probe for lens fragments dropped into the vitreous cavity during cataract surgery was a safe and effective method, which resulted in visual improvement without any complication directly attributable to the probe.
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Purpose@#This study aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of 23-gauge (g) micro-incision vitrectomy surgery (MIVS) and 25-g MIVS for lens fragments that dropped into the vitreous cavity during cataract surgery. @*Methods@#This study was a comparative, retrospective, and interventional case series study based on a medical records review. Sixty-six eyes of 66 patients with dropped lens fragments in the vitreous cavity during MIVS, performed between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2017, were included. The characteristics of the patients and their visual acuity, operation time duration, and complication rate were analyzed retrospectively. @*Results@#23-MIVS and 25-g MIVS were performed on 41 and 25 eyes, respectively. The mean value of best-corrected visual acuity (logMAR) improved significantly from 1.79 ± 1.12 to 0.36 ± 0.63 in the 23-g group and from 1.82 ± 1.15 to 0.31 ± 0.53 in the 25-g group (p < 0.001). The mean operation time was 33.0 ± 6.8 minutes in the 23-g group and 32.3 ± 6.9 minutes in the 25-g group, with no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.694). There were two cases of postoperative cystoid macular edema in the 23-g group; however, no significant difference with regard to postoperative complications was found between the two groups (p = 0.262). @*Conclusions@#23- and 25-g MIVS for lens fragments dropped into the vitreous cavity during cataract surgery is a comparably safe and effective method for reducing the size of the incision and shortening the operation time.
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Apx toxins are a virulent factor of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App). At least four genes, apxC, apxA, apxB, and apxD, are involved in the release of Apx toxins from App. apxA encodes Apx toxins, whereas apxB and apxD encode exporters. Some serotypes of App such as serotype 2 retain apxIBD, apxIICA, and ,i>apxIIICABD. Although the specificity of the ApxIB/ApxID exporter to ApxII has been established in those serotypes, that to ApxIII is under-studied. We constructed an apxIB- and apxID-lacking mutant strain of the App serotype 2 to study whether the ApxIB/ApxID exporter is capable of secreting both ApxII and ApxIII toxins.
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Purpose@#To report a case of nutritional optic neuropathy due to folic acid deficiency and who recoverd from oral supplementation with folic acid.Case summary: A 45-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of visual disturbance and color vision on the both eye without pain. There were no abnormal findings in the anterior segment and retina. An afferent pupillary defect was found in the left eye. Visual field examination showed central scotoma in both eyes and total color blindness on Hahn color vision test. The patient had a history of chronic alcoholism and had not eaten often recently. The folic acid level was decreased in the blood and after oral folic acid supplementation, visual acuity and visual field recovered after 6 weeks. @*Conclusions@#We report a new case of nutritional optic neuropathy due to folic acid deficiency and who recovered from oral supplementation with folic acid.
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Purpose@#To report a case of nutritional optic neuropathy due to folic acid deficiency and who recoverd from oral supplementation with folic acid.Case summary: A 45-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of visual disturbance and color vision on the both eye without pain. There were no abnormal findings in the anterior segment and retina. An afferent pupillary defect was found in the left eye. Visual field examination showed central scotoma in both eyes and total color blindness on Hahn color vision test. The patient had a history of chronic alcoholism and had not eaten often recently. The folic acid level was decreased in the blood and after oral folic acid supplementation, visual acuity and visual field recovered after 6 weeks. @*Conclusions@#We report a new case of nutritional optic neuropathy due to folic acid deficiency and who recovered from oral supplementation with folic acid.
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Apx toxins are a virulent factor of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App). At least four genes, apxC, apxA, apxB, and apxD, are involved in the release of Apx toxins from App. apxA encodes Apx toxins, whereas apxB and apxD encode exporters. Some serotypes of App such as serotype 2 retain apxIBD, apxIICA, and ,i>apxIIICABD. Although the specificity of the ApxIB/ApxID exporter to ApxII has been established in those serotypes, that to ApxIII is under-studied. We constructed an apxIB- and apxID-lacking mutant strain of the App serotype 2 to study whether the ApxIB/ApxID exporter is capable of secreting both ApxII and ApxIII toxins.
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PURPOSE: We explored the mydriatic effects of injected intracameral epinephrine after phacoemulsification (PE) combined with phacovitrectomy to treat proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS: We enrolled 96 patients (96 eyes) who underwent phacovitrectomy to treat PDR; we used ImageJ software to measure pupil sizes and the ratios of pupil to cornea area (PCA) before and after PE and after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). We compared pupil sizes between those who received intracameral epinephrine (0.001% w/v) after PE but before PPV (study group, 46 eyes) and patients not so treated (control group, 50 eyes). RESULTS: The PCA ratios of the study group were 0.52 ± 0.11 before PE, 0.43 ± 0.12 after PE, and 0.51 ± 0.11 after PPV, respectively. Changes in pupil size were significant (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 respectively). The PCA ratios of the control group were 0.52 ± 0.10 before PE, 0.39 ± 0.15 after PE, and 0.43 ± 0.15 after PPV, respectively. Changes in pupil size after PE were significant (p = 0.011) but the change after PPV was not (p = 0.056). CONCLUSIONS: Intracameral epinephrine given after PE but before PPV effectively dilates the pupils during phacovitrectomy to treat PDR.
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Humans , Cornea , Diabetic Retinopathy , Epinephrine , Mydriatics , Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis , Phacoemulsification , Pupil , VitrectomyABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To report a case of full-thickness macular hole following intravitreal aflibercept injection in a patient with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). CASE SUMMARY: A 70-year-old man presented to our department with gradually decreasing vision in his left eye. Best-corrected visual acuity was measured as 0.8 in the right eye and 0.2 in the left eye. Fundus examination, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed occult choroidal neovascularization associated with subretinal fluid in the left eye. The patient received several intravitreal ranibizumab and bevacizumab injections in his left eye but responded poorly to the treatment. The patient was switched to intravitreal aflibercept injection. After 1 month, the best corrected visual acuity in the left eye was decreased to 0.05. Although the fundus examination was indistinct, OCT confirmed the presence of a full-thickness macular hole. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling and fluid-gas exchange, 20% SF6 gas injection, phacoemulsification, and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. One month after the operation, the best corrected visual acuity was 0.2. The macular hole was closed completely, as confirmed by OCT. CONCLUSIONS: Although the occurrence of a full-thickness macular hole after intravitreal aflibercept injection in the treatment of choroidal neovascularization with wet AMD is uncommon, physicians should pay attention for this complication.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Bevacizumab , Choroidal Neovascularization , Fluorescein Angiography , Lens Implantation, Intraocular , Macular Degeneration , Membranes , Phacoemulsification , Ranibizumab , Retinal Perforations , Subretinal Fluid , Tomography, Optical Coherence , Visual Acuity , VitrectomyABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Africa , Carcinoma, Basal Cell , Myiasis , Sarcophagidae , Wounds and InjuriesABSTRACT
Hodgson's bats are critically endangered in South Korea. This study analyzed the concentrations of elements in liver, kidney, and intestine tissues from a Hodgson's bat found dead in the wild. The concentrations of essential elements followed the order Fe > Zn > Cu >Mn > Se in the three tissues. Hg was detected at the highest concentrations among the non-essential elements analyzed in the liver and kidney tissues, while As was the most highly concentrated non-essential element in the intestine. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of tissue element concentrations in Hodgson's bats.
Subject(s)
Chiroptera , Intestines , Kidney , Korea , LiverABSTRACT
Exercise is one of the most common stressors in horses. Although various physiological parameters such as cortisol respond to exercise, there is no reliable parameter for the measurement of exercise-induced stress in sport horses. This study was performed to discover a new biomarker with high sensitivity for exercise-induced stress. The expression of fos mRNA was increased more than 10-fold in horse blood samples collected after an hour of exercise, as compared with before the exercise. The plasma cortisol levels were also increased after the exercise, but only by about two-fold. The fos mRNA levels were well-correlated with plasma cortisol concentrations. These findings suggest that fos mRNA expression in blood may be useful for the measurement of exercise-induced stress in horses.