A 35-month-old boy who ingested laundry detergent pods and underwent veno-pulmonary extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support

Laundry detergent pod (LDP) exposure has been reported to be fatal in children younger than 2 years, leading to respiratory or central nervous system depression. While gastrointestinal irritation is the most common symptom, there are reported cases of severe acidosis with respiratory depression or pneumonia, resulting in mortality. To our best knowledge, there is no report on a case of LDP exposure presenting with acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Here, we present a case of a child with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome following LDP exposure, who was successfully treated with veno-pulmonary extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and steroids.

Clinical Utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent Restructured Form in the Assessment of Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders in Adolescents: A Preliminary Approach

Objectives@#This study investigated whether the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent Restructured Form (MMPI-ARF) can differentiate between two groups of adolescents, one diagnosed with internalizing disorders and another with externalizing disorders, and examined the clinical utility of the MMPI-A-RF by examining which subscales can significantly discriminate between these two groups. @*Methods@#A total of 105 adolescents aged 13–18 years completed the MMPI-A-RF (53 internalizing disorder and 52 externalizing disorder groups). Independent t-test, chi-square test ( χ 2 ), and discriminant analysis were used to examine whether MMPI-A-RF can distinguish between the two groups. @*Results@#Sixteen MMPI-A-RF scales best predicted differences between the groups with internalizing and externalizing disorders.Fourteen scales (Higher-Order Scale [Emotional/Internalizing Dysfunction], Restructured Clinical [RC] Scale [RC demoralization, Somatic Complaints (RC1), and Low Positive Emotions (RC2)], Personality Psychopathology Five Scale [Introversion/Low Positive Emotionality-Revised, Negative Emotionality/Neuroticism-Revised], Somatic/Cognitive Scale [Malaise, Head Pain Complaints, and Gastrointestinal Complaints], Internalizing Scale [Stress/Worry, Self-Doubt], Externalizing Scale [Negative School Attitudes], Interpersonal Scale [Social Avoidance, Shyness]) were associated with the internalizing disorder group, whereas two scales (Externalizing Scale [Conduct Problems, Negative Peer Influence]) were associated with the externalizing disorder group. @*Conclusion@#The MMPI-A-RF can be an efficient assessment tool for a quick diagnosis as it can classify individuals with internalizing and externalizing disorders in clinical settings that lack a variety of assessment tools for children and adolescents.

Validation of a physical activity classification table in Korean adults and elderly using a doubly labeled water method / 한국영양학회지

Purpose@#This study evaluated the validity of a physical activity classification table (PACT) based on total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity level (PAL) measured using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method in Korean adults and the elderly. @*Methods@#A total of 141 (male 70, female 71) adults and elderly were included. The reference standards TEEDLW , PALDLW were measured over a 14-day period using DLW. A 24-hour physical activity diary was kept for three days (two days during the week and one day on the weekend). PALPACT was calculated by classifying the activity type and intensity using the PACT. PALPACT was multiplied by resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry to estimate TEEPACT . @*Results@#The mean age of the study participants was 50.5 ± 18.8 years, and the mean body mass index was 23.4 ± 3.3 kg/m2 . A comparison of TEEDLW and TEEPACT by sex and age showed no significant differences. The bias, the difference between TEEDLW and TEEPACT , was male 17.3 kcal/day and female −4.5 kcal/day. The percentage of accurate predictions (values within ± 10% of the TEEDLW ) of TEEPACT was 58.6% in males and 54.9% in females, with the highest prediction values in the age group 40–64 years (70.9%) in males and over 65 years (73.9%) in females. The spearman correlation coefficient (r) between TEEPACT and TEEDLW was 0.769, indicating a significant positive correlation (p < 0.001). @*Conclusion@#In this study, the use of a new PACT for calculating TEE and PAL was evaluated as valid. A web version of the software program and a smartphone application need to be developed using PACT to make it easier to apply for research purposes.

Optimal timing for performing percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage to severe acute cholecystitis patients who visit the emergency department

Objective@#Severe acute cholecystitis is an infectious disease that requires immediate gallbladder drainage. Although percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) is the most common method of gallbladder drainage, the optimal timing remains unclear. @*Methods@#This study is a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with severe acute cholecystitis who underwent PTGBD between July 2018 to June 2021. This study investigated the effect of time from emergency department arrival to PTGBD (tPTGBD) on patient prognosis. @*Results@#Totally, 48 patients were included in this study. Based on the cutoff value calculated using the Youden index, the group with tPTGBD of <5.93 hours had a shorter hospital stay (10 vs. 13.5 days, P=0.021), lower portion of progression (27:5 [15.6%] vs. 7:9 [56.3%], P=0.004), even they had a higher initial SOFA score (6 vs. 4.6, P=0.049). However, no statistical difference was obtained for the length of ICU stay between both groups (1 vs. 2, P=0.617). @*Conclusion@#Executing PTGBD to severe acute cholecystitis patients within 5.93 hours after presenting at the emergency department is associated with reduced progression and hospital stay.

Assessing the Fear Factor of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Korea Using the COVID-19 Phobia Scale: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background@#A study on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) phobia among students revealed that fear of contracting COVID-19 was associated with commuting to school and spending time with others at school. Therefore, it is the need-of-the-hour for the Korean government to identify factors affecting COVID-19 phobia among university students and to consider these factors while framing the policy direction for the process of returning to normalcy in university education. Consequently, we aimed to identify the current state of COVID-19 phobia among Korean undergraduate and graduate students and the factors affecting COVID-19 phobia. @*Methods@#This cross-sectional survey was conducted to identify the factors affecting COVID-19 phobia among Korean undergraduate and graduate students. The survey collected 460 responses from April 5 to April 16, 2022. The questionnaire was developed based on the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S). Multiple linear regression was performed on the C19P-S scores using five models with the following dependent variables: Model 1, total C19P-S score; Model 2, psychological subscale score; Model 3, psychosomatic subscale score; Model 4, social subscale score; and Model 5, economic subscale score. The fit of these five models was established, and a P-value of less than 0.05 (F test) was considered statistically significant. @*Results@#An analysis of the factors affecting the total C19P-S score led to the following findings: women significantly outscored men (difference: 4.826 points, P = 0.003); the group that favored the government’s COVID-19 mitigation policy scored significantly lower than those who did not favor it (difference: 3.161 points, P = 0.037); the group that avoided crowded places scored significantly higher than the group that did not avoid crowded places (difference: 7.200 points, P < 0.001); and those living with family/friends scored significantly higher than those in other living situations (difference: 4.606 points, P = 0.021). Those in favor of the COVID-19 mitigation policy had significantly lower psychological fear than those who were against it (difference: -1.686 points, P = 0.004). Psychological fear was also significantly higher for those who avoided crowded places compared to those who did not difference: 2.641 points, P < 0.001). Fear was significantly higher in people cohabitating than those living alone (difference: 1.543 points, P= 0.043). @*Conclusion@#The Korean government, in their pursuit of a policy that eases COVID-19-related restrictions, will also have to spare no efforts in providing correct information to prevent the escalation of COVID-19 phobia among people with a high fear of contracting the disease. This should be done through trustworthy information sources, such as the media, public agencies, and COVID-19 professionals.

Psychosocial Factors Affecting Post-acute Stroke Patients’ Rehabilitation Adherence / 재활간호학회지

Purpose@#This study aimed to investigate the psychosocial factors that affect resilience, social support, uncertainty, and depression on rehabilitation adherence in post-acute stroke patients. @*Methods@#Data were collected from 2019 September 2 to 2020 February 4 using structured questionnaires. Participants were 124 patients who visited a university-affiliated hospital in C city. Using SPSS/WIN 21.0 program, the data were analyzed with independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé ́ test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. @*Results@#Rehabilitation adherence among stroke patients was positively correlated with resilience (r=.38, p<.001), social support (r=.43, p<.001), and negatively correlated with uncertainty (r=-.28, p=.002). The most influencing factor of rehabilitation adherence among stroke patients was inconvenience in daily life (β=.29, p=.001), resilience (β=.25, p=.012), social support (β=.23, p=.021), activities of daily living (β=.17, p=.038), and uncertainty (β=-.22, p=.017). The relevant variables have a 30.6% influence (F=11.85, p<.001) on the rehabilitation adherence of stroke patients. @*Conclusion@#Nursing professionals should pay attention to providing personalized and targeted approaches to maximize stroke patients’ resilience and social support and reduce their uncertainty. There is a need to provide and activate integrated programs that identify and link family and community support systems.

Enhancement of bioactivity and osseointegration in Ti-6Al-4V orthodontic mini-screws coated with calcium phosphate on the TiO 2 nanotube layer / 대한치과교정학회지

Objective@#This study evaluated the effect of cyclic pre-calcification treatment on the improvement of bioactivity and osseointegration of Ti-6Al-4V miniscrews. @*Methods@#The experimental groups were: an untreated group (UT), an anodized and heat-treated group (AH), and an anodized treatment followed by cyclic pre-calcification treatment group (ASPH). A bioactive material with calcium phosphate was coated on the mini-screws, and its effects on bioactivity and osseointegration were evaluated in in vitro and in vivo tests of following implantation in the rat tibia. @*Results@#As a result of immersing the ASPH group in simulated body fluid for 2 days, protrusions appearing in the initial stage of hydroxyapatite precipitation were observed. On the 3rd day, the protrusions became denser, other protrusions overlapped and grew on it, and the calcium and phosphorus concentrations increased. The removal torque values increased significantly in the following order: UT group (2.08 ± 0.67 N·cm), AH group (4.10 ± 0.72 N·cm), and ASPH group (6.58 ± 0.66 N·cm) with the ASPH group showing the highest value (p < 0.05). In the ASPH group, new bone was observed that was connected to the threads, and it was confirmed that a bony bridge connected to the adjacent bone was formed. @*Conclusions@#In conclusion, it was found that the surface treatment method used in the ASPH group improved the bioactivity and osseointegration of Ti-6Al-4V orthodontic miniscrews.

Effects of the Type of Intraoperative Fluid in Living Donor Kidney Transplantation: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

Purpose@#Perioperative fluid management in kidney transplant recipients is crucial to supporting the fluid, acid-base, and electrolyte balance required for graft perfusion. However, the choice of intraoperative crystalloids in kidney transplantation remains controversial. We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study to evaluate the impact of intraoperative fluids on acidbase and electrolyte balance and graft outcomes. @*Materials and Methods@#We included 282 living donor kidney transplant recipients from January 2010 to December 2017. Patients were classified into two groups based on the type of intraoperative crystalloids used (157 patients in the half saline group and 125 patients in the balanced crystalloid solutions group, Plasma-lyte). @*Results@#Compared with the half saline group, the Plasma-lyte group showed less metabolic acidosis and hyponatremia during surgery. Hyperkalemia incidence was not significantly different between the two groups. Changes in postoperative graft function assessed by blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were significantly different between the two groups. Patients in the Plasma-lyte group exhibited consistently higher glomerular filtration rates than those in the half saline group at 1 month and 1 year after transplantation after adjusting for demographic differences. @*Conclusion@#Intraoperative Plasma-lyte can lead to more favorable results in terms of acid-base balance during kidney transplantation. Patients who received Plasma-lyte showed superior postoperative graft function at 1 month and 1 year after transplantation.Further studies are needed to evaluate the superiority of intraoperative Plasma-lyte over other types of crystalloids in relation to graft outcomes.

Mental Health and Quality of Life for Healthcare Workers in a University Hospital Under COVID-19

Objective@#The aim of this study was to assess the psychosocial characteristics of the employees working at a university hospital and investigated the factors affecting their quality of life (QOL) under COVID-19. @*Methods@#This study enrolled 1,191 healthcare workers from a university hospital, including doctors, nurses, administrative officer and technicians. Besides demographic information, depression, anxiety, somatization, insomnia, resilience, and QOL were assessed. @*Results@#The nurses presented significantly higher scores for anxiety, depression and showed significantly higher insomnia scores and significantly lower resilience scores. The occupations showed significant differences in the QOL and sub-groups, including the overall quality of life and general health (F=4.774, p<0.001), psychological domain (F=6.230, p<0.001), and environment domain (F=5.254, p<0.001). There was a positive correlation between the QOL and resilience (r=0.608, p<0.01). However, depression (r=-0.502, p<0.01), anxiety (r=-0.425, p<0.01), somatization (r=-0.364, p<0.01), and insomnia (r=-0.385, p<0.01) showed negative correlations with the QOL. Resilience was the most important factor influencing the QOL. @*Conclusion@#The results of this study showed that low resilience adversely affected the QOL and the mental health of the healthcare workers, which consequently had a direct effect on the quality of medical care given to patients.

Feasibility of Pediatric Low-Dose Facial CT Reconstructed with Filtered Back Projection Using Adequate Kernels

Purpose@#To evaluate the feasibility of pediatric low-dose facial CT reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) using adequate kernels. @*Materials and Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and imaging data of children aged 0.05). Group A showed a 76.9% reduction in radiation dose compared to Group B (3.2 ± 0.2 mGy vs. 81.9 ± 11.1 mGy; p < 0.001). @*Conclusion@#The addition of a soft tissue kernel image to conventional CT reconstructed with FBP enables the use of pediatric low-dose facial CT protocol while maintaining image quality.

The Korean Version of Fear of COVID-19 Scale: Psychometric Validation in the Korean Population

Objective@#Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has psychological effects such as anxiety and depression as well as direct infection in people. The Fear of COVID-19 scale is a scale that can measure anxiety related to COVID-19 in a short time. The purpose of this study was to verify the reliability and validity the Korean version of Fear of COVID-19 scale (KF-COVID-19S). @*Methods@#The data of total 186 normal adults and 17 patients were finally used for the statistical analysis. For internal consistency, Cronbach’s α was calculated. For concurrent and discriminant validity, the correlations with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS), Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument Brief Form (WHOQOLBREF) were analyzed. For construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted. @*Results@#Cronbach alpha was 0.88. The two-factor model (factor 1: Physical fear, factor 2: Emotional fear) showed significantly positive correlations and appeared to be “good” fitness (CFI=0.906, IFI=0.907, NFI=0.902). @*Conclusion@#The KF-COVID-19S can be a useful scale that can measure the physical and emotional fears associated with COVID-19 in a short time. Because the psychiatric patients are a more vulnerable group to the fear, it is thought that the KF-COVID-19S will help to determine the patient’s level of anxiety and make a therapeutic plan for the underlying mental disorder.

Patients at High Risk for Failure of Penetrating Keratoplasty

Purpose@#We report the clinical characteristics and the primary underlying diseases of patients at high risk for failure of penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) in Korea. @*Methods@#Patients at high risk of PKP failure among those who visited the ophthalmological clinics of tertiary care hospitals in Korea from April 2019 to April 2020 and who were indicated for PKP were retrospectively enrolled. We epidemiologically investigated 119 eyes of 104 patients via medical chart review. @*Results@#Herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis was the most common primary underlying disease (26.1%). The most common primary cause of poor bilateral visual acuity was Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) (41.7%) followed by chemical burns (19.4%). Of the 119 eyes, 40.3% had a history of previous PKP and 20.2% had undergone three or more PKP. The average number of prior PKPs was 1.02 ± 1.46. Corneal neovascularization and corneal opacity were reported in 82.4 and 92.4% of cases, respectively. As the severity of these conditions increased, the eye distributions became larger. Of all patients, 47.9 and 31.9%, respectively, received the highest corneal neovascularization and corneal opacity scores. @*Conclusions@#Our study of patients at high risk of PKP failure improves our understanding of the relevant clinical characteristics and primary underlying diseases. Such patients require careful observation and aggressive treatment. Possible alternatives to PKP should be considered if PKP consistently fails. This study will aid clinicians in deciding whether to proceed to surgery if a poor postoperative prognosis is predictable.

Nobiletin Exhibits Neuroprotective Effects against Mitochondrial Complex I Inhibition via Regulating Apoptotic Signaling

Nobiletin, a polymethoxylated flavonoid found in citrus, has been studied because of its modulatory functions in cellular signaling cascades, and effects to prevent mitochondrial calcium overload and neuronal cell death. Particularly, we previously reported that nobiletin induced changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential through K + channel regulation, suggesting that nobiletin might exert neuroprotective effects via regulating mitochondrial functions associated with the electron transport chain (ETC) system. This study investigated whether nobiletin regulated mitochondrial dysfunction mediated by ETC system downregulation by inhibiting complex I (CI) and complex III (CIII) in pure mitochondria and the cortical neurons of rats. The results showed that nobiletin significantly reduced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, inhibited apoptotic signaling, enhanced ATP production and then restored neuronal viability under conditions of CI inhibition, but not CIII inhibition.These effects were attributed to the downregulation of translocation of apoptosis-induced factor (AIF), and the upregulation of CI activity and the expression of antioxidant enzymes such as Nrf2 and HO-1. Together with our previous study, these results indicate that the neuroprotective effects of nobiletin under mitochondrial dysfunction may be associated with its function to activate antioxidant signaling cascades. Our findings suggest the possibility that nobiletin has therapeutic potential in treating oxidative neurological and neurodegenerative diseases mediated by mitochondrial dysfunction.

Prenatal Exposure to High Cortisol Induces ADHD-like Behaviors with Delay in Spatial Cognitive Functions during the Post-weaning Period in Rats

High levels of cortisol in blood are frequently observed in patients with major depressive disorders and increased cortisol level induces depressivelike symptoms in animal models. However, it is still unclear whether maternal cortisol level during pregnancy is a critical factor resulting in neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring. In this study, we increased cortisol level in rats by repetitively injecting corticosterone subcutaneously (Corti.Mom, 20 mg/kg/day) during pregnancy and evaluated the behavioral patterns of their pups (Corti.Pups) via forced swimming (FS), open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM) and Morris water maze (MWM) tests during the immediate post-weaning period (postnatal day 21 to 25). In results, corticosterone significantly increased plasma cortisol levels in both Corti.Moms and Corti.Pups. Unlike depressive animal models, Corti.Pups showed higher hyperactive behaviors in the FS and OF tests than normal pups (Nor.Pups) born from rats (Nor.Moms) treated with saline. Furthermore, Corti.Pups spent more time and traveled longer distance in the open arms of EPM test, exhibiting higher extremity. These patterns were consistent with behavioral symptoms observed in animal models of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. Additionally, Corti.Pups swam longer and farther to escape in MWM test, showing cognitive declines associated with attention deficit. Our findings provide evidence that maternal cortisol level during pregnancy may affect the neuroendocrine regulation and the brain development of offspring, resulting in heterogeneous developmental brain disorders such as ADHD.

Long-term impact of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on emergency department utilization in a metropolitan emergency department in Korea

Purpose@#As coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has been prolonged, it became crucial to analyze the long-term impact of the pandemic on emergency department (ED) utilization for efficient use of emergency medicine resources. @*Methods@#We reviewed the data of children (≤ 18 years) who visited the ED in Daejeon, Korea, from February 2019 through January 2021. This period was dichotomized by February 2020 into the reference and pandemic periods. The latter period was further divided into the early (February-August 2020) and late pandemic periods. Between the reference and pandemic periods, and between the early and late pandemic periods, we respectively compared proportions of children in all patients (including adults), age groups, high acuity (the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale 1-2), diagnostic codes, visits via ambulances, ED length of stay, and ED disposition. @*Results@#Compared to the reference and early pandemic periods, the pandemic and late pandemic periods respectively showed changes as follows: proportion of children in all patients (from 29.8% to 19.0% and from 19.8% to 18.1%; all Ps < 0.001), children younger than 5 years (from 56.7% to 49.9% and from 52.1% to 47.4%; all Ps < 0.001), high acuity (from 12.0% to 7.8% [P < 0.001] and from 8.8% to 6.7% [P = 0.004]), “Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (S00-T98; from 30.0% to 49.0% and from 48.3% to 49.8%),” and “Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99; from 29.6% to 10.3% and from 12.8% to 7.5%).” Increases in the visits via ambulances, ED length of stay, children undergoing intensive care unit hospitalization or death were noted only in comparison between the reference and pandemic periods. @*Conclusion@#A long-term impact of the pandemic on ED use may be a decrease in the proportion of young or ill children.

The Korean Version of Fear of COVID-19 Scale: Psychometric Validation in the Korean Population

Objective@#Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has psychological effects such as anxiety and depression as well as direct infection in people. The Fear of COVID-19 scale is a scale that can measure anxiety related to COVID-19 in a short time. The purpose of this study was to verify the reliability and validity the Korean version of Fear of COVID-19 scale (KF-COVID-19S). @*Methods@#The data of total 186 normal adults and 17 patients were finally used for the statistical analysis. For internal consistency, Cronbach’s α was calculated. For concurrent and discriminant validity, the correlations with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS), Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument Brief Form (WHOQOLBREF) were analyzed. For construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted. @*Results@#Cronbach alpha was 0.88. The two-factor model (factor 1: Physical fear, factor 2: Emotional fear) showed significantly positive correlations and appeared to be “good” fitness (CFI=0.906, IFI=0.907, NFI=0.902). @*Conclusion@#The KF-COVID-19S can be a useful scale that can measure the physical and emotional fears associated with COVID-19 in a short time. Because the psychiatric patients are a more vulnerable group to the fear, it is thought that the KF-COVID-19S will help to determine the patient’s level of anxiety and make a therapeutic plan for the underlying mental disorder.

Anticoccidial Effect of CS 32 Compounds Against Eimeria tenella Infection in Chickens

Coccidiosis-causing Eimeria species are transmitted in poultry via the oral-fecal route and can lead to hemorrhagic diarrhea and mortality. This results in enormous economic losses in the poultry industry. Furthermore, its resistance to some currently used antibiotics is increasing. This has prompted the development of new alternative drug therapies that address the issue of chemical-free meat production. Effective management of infectious diseases in veterinary practice includes the induction of protective and adaptive immunity by treatment with an alternative agent. In this study, we evaluated the anticoccidial effects of dietary supplementation of Chosun University (CS) 32 compounds (0.1% and 1.0%) against Eimeria tenella, which was isolated and purified from the supernatant of culture broth of Bacillus strain (KCTC18250P), as well as its effect on the growth rate and feed efficiency in chickens. Overall, we observed a decrease in lesion scores and oocyte output in CS 32 compounds-treated chickens. We concluded that 0.1% CS 32 compounds displayed anticoccidial effects against E. tenella infection.

Korean Mothersafe Center 10th Anniversary: Outcome and Future Prospects

PURPOSE@#The purpose of this report is to organize the history of Korean Mothersafe, a professional teratology information center. Throughout its domestic and international activities, Mothersafe has firm role to write journals and books, to provide counseling, to run educational courses on maternal and fetal toxicology, and so on. This paper delineates the achievements in last ten years and discusses the vision of Mothersafe.@*METHODS@#In order to formulate the accomplishments of Korean Mothersafe, the volume of counseling calls are carefully reviewed by their contents, counselees, and the consultation results, etc. Textbooks and journals based on the data from Mothersafe are evaluated. Other roles of the Mothersafe, such as hosting symposium and running public programs are also noted.@*RESULTS@#Korean Mothersafe provided 76,555 counseling to 45,933 expectant women and 30,622 breast-feeding women. The database has total 52,130 enrollments from 2010 to 2019. A total of 33 papers are published regarding medication, alcohol, smoking, radiation, etc. A specialized book on maternal-fetal toxicology was published and teratology part of obstetrics textbook was updated. Education programs and symposiums were held and primary care programs for expectant parents are run by Mothersafe.@*CONCLUSION@#Korean Mothersafe has contributed to safe environments for numerous pregnant and breast-feeding women regarding medication, drinking, smoking, and other hazardous substances. The huge database provided evidence for researches, textbooks and seminars, etc. Korean Mothersafe is now facing a new challenge to go forward through social dynamics with many issues regarding prevention and continuance of pregnancy, abortion, and so on.

Enhanced Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties of Processed Eucommiae Cortex

Eucommiae Cortex (EC), bark of Eucommia ulmoides, has been known as a traditional medicine to regulate hypertension and immune system. Because silk of gum in the EC blocks the release of active ingredients, EC generally has been utilized after processing with carbonization or salt-water to breakdown it. This study aimed to investigate the differences of non-processed EC and processed EC on antioxidant and anticancer properties. Antioxidant capacity was assessed by measuring the content of total polyphenols, reducing power, and ABTS radical scavenging effect. And anticancer effects were examined by evaluating the viability of pancreatic cancer cells and wound healing ability. The results demonstrated that processed EC contained more content of polyphenols and exhibited more potent reducing power and radical scavenging effect than non-processed EC. In addition, processed EC more efficiently inhibited proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells. These results suggest that processing of medicinal plants can improve the biological properties such as antioxidant or anticancer activity, which may lead to the development of herbal medicine treatment technology.

Additive Role of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Vessel Density Measurements in Glaucoma Diagnoses

PURPOSE: This study compared the glaucoma diagnostic abilities of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). In addition, the possibility of enhancing diagnostic capability by combining the two modalities was investigated. METHODS: A total of 131 healthy eyes and 113 glaucomatous eyes were imaged by both OCT and OCTA. In OCT, glaucoma was defined as when the color of the superior or inferior quadrant of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness map was yellow (borderline, <5%) or red (outside normal limits, <1%). In OCTA, glaucoma was determined using the cut-off value of the superior or inferior peripapillary vessel density, calculated after receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Sensitivity and specificity were determined by OCT alone, by OCTA alone, or by OCT and OCTA combined. RESULTS: The sensitivity of OCT (86.7%) was better than that of OCTA (74.3%), whereas the specificity of OCTA (87.0%) was better than that of OCT (67.9%). When these two modalities were combined, both sensitivity and specificity were enhanced (90.3% and 92.4%, respectively). Among the 131 eyes, 32 were misdiagnosed as glaucomatous by OCT but accurately diagnosed as normal by OCTA. These eyes were myopic, with a longer axial length and a thinner and temporally displaced peak of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, causing the false positive result in OCT. CONCLUSIONS: When OCTA was combined with OCT, the specificity of glaucoma diagnoses were enhanced. OCTA may compensate for the shortcomings of OCT in the diagnosis of glaucoma.