The associations of health behaviors and working hours with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in Korean wage workers: a cross-sectional study

Objectives@#We investigated differences in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels by age group according to working hours, socioeconomic level, health behavior and status, and occupational class, and aimed to identify factors affecting hs-CRP levels in various age groups using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination from 2016 to 2018. @*Methods@#The study included a total of 4,786 male wage workers across the nation, aged between 19 and 65. Data from 4,674 workers were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and weekly working hours were associated with hs-CRP, a biomarker of inflammation. Participants with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25.0 kg/m2 showed significantly higher hs-CRP levels than those with a BMI 23.0 to 25.0 kg/m2 . Workers with highrisk drinking and metabolic syndrome showed significantly higher hs-CRP levels in the 50 to 65 years group. Obesity, walking 0 to 149 min/wk, and working ≥61 hours a week were associated with significantly higher hs-CRP levels in the 35 to 49 years group. The factors that significantly affected hs-CRP levels were different among age groups. @*Conclusion@#Plans to adjust working hours should be considered health behaviors, such as drinking and physical activity, and health conditions, such as metabolic syndrome and obesity, according to workers’ age.

Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy: The management of mosaic embryos / 대한생식의학회지

As the resolution and accuracy of diagnostic techniques for preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) are improving, more mosaic embryos are being identified. Several studies have provided evidence that mosaic embryos have reproductive potential for implantation and healthy live birth. Notably, mosaic embryos with less than 50% aneuploidy have yielded a live birth rate similar to euploid embryos. This concept has led to a major shift in current PGT-A practice, but further evidence and theoretically relevant data are required. Proper guidelines for selecting mosaic embryos suitable for transfer will reduce the number of discarded embryos and increase the chances of successful embryo transfer. We present an updated review of clinical outcomes and practice recommendations for the transfer of mosaic embryos using PGT-A.

Clinical application of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping and karyomapping for preimplantation genetic testing of Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease

Purpose@#Preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders (PGT-M) has been successfully used to prevent couples with monogenic disorders from passing them on to their child. Charcot–Marie–Tooth Disease (CMT) is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive extremity muscle degeneration and loss of sensory function. For the first time in Korea, we report our experience of applying single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping and karyomapping for PGT-M of CMT disease. @*Materials and Methods@#Prior to clinical PGT-M, preclinical tests were performed using genotypes of affected families to identify informative single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with mutant alleles. We performed five cycles of in vitro fertilization PGT-M in four couples with CMT1A, CMT2A, and CMT2S in CHA Fertility Center, Seoul Station. @*Results@#From July 2020 through August 2021, five cycles of PGT-M with karyomapping in four cases with CMT1 and CMT2 were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 17 blastocysts were biopsied and 15 embryos were successfully diagnosed (88.2%).Ten out of 15 embryos were diagnosed as unaffected (66.7%). Five cycles of PGT-M resulted in four transfer cycles, in which four embryos were transferred. Three clinical pregnancies were achieved (75%) and the prenatal diagnosis by amniocentesis for all three women confirmed PGT-M of karyomapping. One woman delivered a healthy baby uneventfully and two pregnancies are currently ongoing. @*Conclusion@#This is the first report in Korea on the application of karyomapping in PGT-M for CMT patients. This study shows that karyomapping is an efficient, reliable and accurate diagnostic method for PGT-M in various types of CMT diseases.

Identification of unbalanced complex chromosomal rearrangements in IVF-derived embryos during NGS analysis of preimplantation genetic testing: A case report

Complex chromosome rearrangements (CCRs) are structural chromosomal rearrangements involving at least three chromosomes and more than two breakpoints. CCR carriers are generally phenotypically normal but related to higher risk of recurrent miscarriage and having abnormal offspring with congenital anomalies. However, most of CCR carriers are not aware of their condition until genetic analysis of either abortus or affected baby or parental karyotyping is performed. Herein, we present the case that CCR carrier patients can be identified by preimplantation genetic testing of preimplantation embryos. An infertile male patient with severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia was diagnosed balanced reciprocal translocation, 46,XY,t(3;11) (p26;p14) at first. After attempting the first preimplantation genetic testing for structural rearrangement (PGT-SR) cycle, we found the recurrent segmental gain or loss on 21q21.3-q22.3 of five out of nine embryos. As a result of karyotype re-analysis, the patient’s karyotype showed a balanced CCR involving chromosomes 3, 11, and 21 with three breakpoints 3p26, 11p14, and 21q21. The patient underwent two PGT-SR cycles, and a pregnancy was established after the transfer of an euploid embryo in the second cycle. Amniocentesis confirmed that the baby carried normal karyotype without mosaicism. At 37 weeks gestation, a healthy girl weighting 3,050 g was born.

The Relation between Interpersonal Attitude and Communication Competence of New Visiting Nurses in Community Health Center / 한국직업건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relations of interpersonal attitude and communication competence of new community health nurses. METHODS: The research design was a correlational study. The data were collected from 136 visiting nurses using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. RESULTS: The type of interpersonal attitude in subjects was I+U+ and the score of communication competence was 3.6. Among 15 sub-dimensions, the highest score was responsiveness and the lowest was assertiveness. There were no significant differences in communication competence by general characteristics. Factors influencing on communication competence in new visiting nurses were interpersonal attitude I+(I am OK) (beta=.34) and I-(I am not OK) (beta=-.28). CONCLUSION: Education program, stressing the self-awareness, is necessary to increase positive interpersonal attitude and communication competence for reemployment of community health nurses. Furthermore, in order to reinforce assertiveness, institutional support should be accompanied with the efforts of individual level.

The Relation Between the Occupational Stress and Fatigue Level of Neonatal Nurses / 산업간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate occupational stress and fatigue level of neonatal nurses and to assess relationship between the two of them. METHODS: Subjects were 109 neonatal nurses working at 2 university hospitals and 9 women's hospitals in D city, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis by the SPSS/WIN 15.0. RESULTS: The mean score of nurses' occupational stress level was 3.22, and the highest was 'night shift' among the 7 subcategories, and fatigue level was 62.0, and the highest was physical fatigue in configuration field. In logistic regression analyses, 'heavy workload' and 'inadequate physical environment' led to most occupational stress. CONCLUSION: In addition to significantly higher levels of occupational stress of neonatal nurses, the cumulative fatigue also resulted in decreased quality of nursing, job satisfaction and nursing productivity; therefore, appropriate number of nurses and improvement of work environment is necessary. Furthermore, to reduce the occupational stress and fatigue, we should try to develop adequate clinical guidelines and intervention strategies and apply them in neonatal care unit.

Factors Affecting the Depression of the Elderly Women in Poverty / 農村醫學 地域保健

OBJECTIVES: This study was to investigate the factors affecting the depression of the elderly women in poverty in community. METHODS: The subjects were 1,208 elderly women over 65 years who were enrolled in the Public Health Care Center from Apr. 2008 to Jun. 2008. Data were collected using questionnaires including general characteristics, health related behaviors and health status by nurses at the time of enrollment. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square-test, Pearson correlation coefficients and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The major findings of this study are as follows: The elderly women in poverty show a tendency to have lower level in income, education, self-rated health, cognitive function compared with ordinary women in old age. The predictors of depression of the elderly women in poverty were spouse's existence or nonexistence, type of insurance, cognitive function, and self-rated health. OBJECTIVES: These findings suggest the need to develop nursing strategies for decreasing depression in the elderly women in poverty. To decrease the depression of the elderly women, the above-mentioned major influencing factors should be considered.

Clinical Outcomes of Frozen-thawed Embryo Transfer after Microsurgical Removal of Damaged Blastomere / 대한불임학회지

OBJECTIVE: Human infertility clinics have been faced the demand for improving clinical results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of microsurgical removal of damaged blastomeres (DB) in frozen-thawed embryos on the clinical outcomes. METHODS: From January 2003 to May 2004, out of 258 thawing ET cycles were divided into three groups: Group-1 (n=46): Intact cleavaged embryos after thawing. Remained cycles with embryos containing DB were randomly divided into two groups. Group-2 (n=102): Drilling zona pellucida (ZP) of frozen-thawed embryos by acidified Tyrode's solution. Group-3 (n=110): Drilling ZP and removal of DB. Embryos after microsurgical manipulation were transferred into the uterus of patients. RESULTS: Clinical profiles and the mean number of transferred embryos among three groups were not different. Pregnancy and implantation rates were similar in three groups. It were 30.4% and 9.3% in Group-1, 29.4% and 7.8% in Group-2, and 26.4% and 7.6% in group-3, respectively. Miscarriage rate in Group-3 (37.9%) was slightly higher than those in Group-1 and Group-2 (14.3% and 23.3%), but it was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Intact cleaving embryos after DB removal showed higher potent of pregnancy and implantation. We could not find any improvement of clinical outcome by removal of DB in frozen-thawed embryos.

The Changes in Degree of Fatigue and Salivary Cortisol with the Elapse of Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients / 성인간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to develop the basis of scientific nursing intervention by examining the changes of stress level with elapse of post chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. The design of this study was a longitudinal descriptive study. The subjects of this study was patients receiving chemotherapy from March 1, 1998 to June 30, 1998 at K university hospital in Taegu. The number of subjects was 14 and they were given treatment every 21 days, a cycle of chemotherapy. The changes of their stress with the elapse of chemotherapy were examined every other day. The changes of stress reaction were measured by fatigue and salivary cortisol level. The instrument used to measure fatigue was the revised Pipe Fatigue Scale which was developed by Piper(1984). The reliability of this instrument was Cronbach's alpha .997. The Salivary cortisol was meausured to examine the stress physiological reaction, analyzed using radioimmunoassay. Data was analyzed by computer using the SPSS WIN 7.0 program. Frequency, and Wilcoxon Singned Ranks test were used to examine the changes in degree of fatigue and salivary cortisol with the elapse of chemotherapy. The relationship between fatigue and salivary cortisol was examined using Spearman's rho. The results of this study were as follows: 1) The degree of fatigue was increased a little on the third day 5.64( +/- 1.86)(z=-1.85, p=.06) compared with that of fatigue on the basic day. After that, the degree of fatigue was continuously decreased. it had tendancy to increase a little as patients visited the clinic for next chemotherapy. 2) The mean of salivary cortisol concentration was the higest shortly before chemotherapy. 3) The relationship of fatigue and salivary cortisol was r= .4(p=.098). To sum up, the degree of fatigue was the highest on the third day and salvary cortisol was the highest shortly before chemotherapy. Because the stress reaction of cancer patient receiving chemotherapy was the higest within 3 days in one cycle, it will be effective to provide specified nursing interventions to reduce stress within 3 days after chemotherapy.