Enhanced toxicity-free astaxanthin extraction from Haematococcus pluvialis via concurrent cell disruption and demulsification.

The extraction of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis involves the utilization of petroleum-derived organic solvents or supercritical CO2, beset by safety concerns, high costs, and environmental sustainability limitations. This study, in contrast, employed a method involving the adjustment of salt concentration, propylene glycol, and vegetable oil fraction to disrupt emulsion in aqueous cell lysates for facilitating the separation of astaxanthin. Under optimized conditions, an astaxanthin-containing oil with a content of 1.88% was obtained even with the use of wet biomass, and four rounds of consecutive extraction resulted in a cumulative recovery yield of 66.41%. This process produced astaxanthin-enriched soybean oil with 9.49 times improved antioxidant capacity that satisfies a requirement for health functional application. Omitting the solvent removal and drying processes, which consume tremendous energy, can reduce the production cost by 2.98 times compared to conventional methods. Consequently, this study suggests an effective technique for producing edible oil containing H. pluvialis-derived astaxanthin.

Relationship between rheological properties, sensory perception, and overall acceptability of thickened liquids for dysphagia in young and old healthy individuals.

This study investigated the relationship between rheological properties, sensory perception, and overall acceptability in healthy young and old groups for dysphagia thickened liquids. Unflavored (UTL) and flavored (FTLP) thickened liquids were prepared using tap water or pomegranate juice at 10 different viscosity levels. The rheological properties were then evaluated via syringe flow test and line spread test (LST). When the apparent viscosity levels of UTL and FTLP were similar, the syringe test and LST results were also similar, indicating consistent flow behavior. Sensory perception evaluations showed that the young group better distinguished viscosity differences between stages compared to the old group. Regarding overall acceptability, the old group preferred samples with higher apparent viscosity than the young group. Principal component analysis and k-means cluster analysis were used to explore correlations between variables and classify thickened liquids into four groups. This can serve the foundation for standardized texture grades of dysphagia thickened liquids, considering rheological characteristics and sensory profiles.

Increased Multiplexity in Optical Tissue Clearing-Based Three-Dimensional Immunofluorescence Microscopy of the Tumor Microenvironment by Light-Emitting Diode Photobleaching.

Optical tissue clearing and three-dimensional (3D) immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy is transforming imaging of the complex tumor microenvironment (TME). However, current 3D IF microscopy has restricted multiplexity; only 3 or 4 cellular and noncellular TME components can be localized in cleared tumor tissue. Here we report a light-emitting diode (LED) photobleaching method and its application for 3D multiplexed optical mapping of the TME. We built a high-power LED light irradiation device and temperature-controlled chamber for completely bleaching fluorescent signals throughout optically cleared tumor tissues without compromise of tissue and protein antigen integrity. With newly developed tissue mounting and selected region-tracking methods, we established a cyclic workflow involving IF staining, tissue clearing, 3D confocal microscopy, and LED photobleaching. By registering microscope channel images generated through 3 work cycles, we produced 8-plex image data from individual 400 µm-thick tumor macrosections that visualize various vascular, immune, and cancer cells in the same TME at tissue-wide and cellular levels in 3D. Our method was also validated for quantitative 3D spatial analysis of cellular remodeling in the TME after immunotherapy. These results demonstrate that our LED photobleaching system and its workflow offer a novel approach to increase the multiplexing power of 3D IF microscopy for studying tumor heterogeneity and response to therapy.

Comparison of microbial diversity and metabolites on household and commercial doenjang.

In this study, the microbial diversity, free amino acid (FAA), and biological activities of household doenjang (HDJ) from four different regions and commercial doenjang (CDJ) four manufacturers were analyzed. And volatile flavor compound (VFC) and isoflavone profiles were analyzed using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. The major bacterial genus in 1HDJ and 2HDJ was Bacillus (97.5%), while in 3HDJ and 4HDJ, it was Enterobacter (47.5%) and Pseudomonas (80%), respectively. Tetragenococcus was the main bacterial genus of CDJ. The Zygosaccharomyces genus among yeast was comparatively high in all samples. In all samples, glutamic acid predominated among the FAAs, and the 3-methyl butanal, benzeneacetaldehyde, and diallyl disulphide were major VFCs. CDJ contained higher levels of isoflavone-glycoside and total phenolics. Except for 3HDJ and 4CDJ, the isoflavone-aglycone and total flavonoid contents were higher in HDJ. The correlation between bacterial genus and metabolited of doenjang showed that Tetragenococcus was closely related to glutamic acid, Bacillus was related to aglycones and ammonia, and Pseudomonas was highly related to isovaleric acid. While, correlation between yeast genus and metabolited of doenjang confirmed that Candida, Hanseniaspora, and Saccharomyces were related with furfural, benzeneacetaldehyde, and 3-methyl butanal, respectively. The results of this study can be utilized as basic data for the industrialization and development of doenjang.

Changes in walking practice and associated factors during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has induced many lifestyle changes, with reductions in healthy activities, including walking. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify strategies to maintain good health during a pandemic. Demographics, walking habits, health behaviors, health status, recognition of social capital, and changes in walking practice of 800 residents were evaluated using a structured questionnaire. Among the participants, 73.9%, 15.8%, and 10.4% reported no change, a decrease, and an increase in walking practice, respectively. Individuals in their 50 s and 60 s showed 6.388- and 5.054-times greater increases in walking, respectively, than did those aged 19-29 years. Walking increased more among high-income people than among low-income people. Additionally, walking practice increased in people participating in social gatherings, those with pets that needed walks, those with a COVID-19 history, those who considered walking as both a habitual and leisure activity, those with nearly no stress, and those satisfied with their safety, the natural environment, and public transportation; other health behaviors or conditions were not related to an increase in walking practice. To maintain good health during a pandemic, walking practice should be promoted in people in their 20 s and low-income groups. Moreover, people should be encouraged to attend meetings, including online interaction, and safe walking routes should be created within the community. Walking should be encouraged as a method of relieving stress, and the benefits of walking for recovery after an infectious disease should be emphasized. Furthermore, the direct effects of walking should be studied.

Report from an online workshop on family physician socialization: Reaffirmation using a hypothetical case.

This letter provides a report of our online workshop on the professional socialization of family physicians attended by family medicine residents and staff doctors in Japan. Participants engaged in small group discussions after reading hypothetical cases that threatened the identity of family physicians. Participants considered the importance of reaffirming and improving their strengths during discussions.

Electrocardiographic P terminal force in lead V1, its components, and the association with stroke and atrial fibrillation or flutter.

BACKGROUND: The electrocardiographic (ECG) marker P terminal force V1 (PTFV1) is generally perceived as a marker of left atrial pathology and has been associated with atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between PTFV1 components (duration and amplitude) and incident AF and stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA). METHODS: The study included patients with an ECG recorded at the Copenhagen General Practitioners Laboratory in 2001 to 2011. PTFV1 ≥4 mV·ms was considered abnormal. Patients with abnormal PTFV1 were stratified into tertiles based on duration (PTDV1) and amplitude (PTAV1) values. Cox regressions adjusted for age, sex, and relevant comorbidities were used to investigate associations between abnormal PTFV1 components and AF and stroke/TIA. RESULTS: Of 267,636 patients, 5803 had AF and 18,176 had stroke/TIA (follow-up 6.5 years). Abnormal PTFV1 was present in 44,549 subjects (16.7%) and was associated with an increased risk of AF and stroke/TIA. Among patients with abnormal PTFV1, the highest tertile of PTDV1 (78-97 ms) was associated with the highest risk of AF (hazard ratio [HR] 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-1.52) and highest risk of stroke/TIA (HR 1.13; 95% CI 1.05 -1.20). For PTAV1, the highest tertile (78-126 µV) conferred the highest risk of AF and stroke/TIA (HR 1.20; 95% CI 1.09-1.32; and HR 1.21; 95% CI 1.14-1.25, respectively). CONCLUSION: Abnormal PTFV1 was associated with an increased risk of AF and stroke/TIA. Increasing PTDV1 showed a dose-response relationship with the development of AF and stroke/TIA, whereas the association between PTAV1 and AF was less apparent.

Prediction of Microsatellite Instability in Colorectal Cancer Using a Machine Learning Model Based on PET/CT Radiomics

Purpose@#We investigated the feasibility of preoperative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/ computed tomography (CT) radiomics with machine learning to predict microsatellite instability (MSI) status in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. @*Materials and Methods@#Altogether, 233 patients with CRC who underwent preoperative FDG PET/CT were enrolled and divided into training (n=139) and test (n=94) sets. A PET-based radiomics signature (rad_score) was established to predict the MSI status in patients with CRC. The predictive ability of the rad_score was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) in the test set. A logistic regression model was used to determine whether the rad_score was an independent predictor of MSI status in CRC. The predictive performance of rad_score was compared with conventional PET parameters. @*Results@#The incidence of MSI-high was 15 (10.8%) and 10 (10.6%) in the training and test sets, respectively. The rad_score was constructed based on the two radiomic features and showed similar AUROC values for predicting MSI status in the training and test sets (0.815 and 0.867, respectively; p=0.490). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the rad_score was an independent predictor of MSI status in the training set. The rad_score performed better than metabolic tumor volume when assessed using the AUROC (0.867 vs. 0.794, p=0.015). @*Conclusion@#Our predictive model incorporating PET radiomic features successfully identified the MSI status of CRC, and it also showed better performance than the conventional PET image parameters.

Impact of Awareness Time Interval on the Effect of Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Nationwide Study

Purpose@#The awareness time interval (ATI), the time from the witnessed event to emergency medical service (EMS) activation, is an important factor influencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) outcomes. Since bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BCPR) is provided after cardiac arrest is recognized, the effect of BCPR may vary depending on ATI delay. We aimed to investigate whether ATI modifies the effect of BCPR on OHCA outcomes. @*Materials and Methods@#A population-based observational study was conducted with EMS-treated witnessed adult (≥18 years) OHCAs between 2013 and 2018. The exposure variable was provision of BCPR. The primary outcome was a good neurological outcome defined as cerebral performance category scale 1or 2 (good CPC). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted using the ATI group (–1, 1–5, 5– min) as the interaction term. @*Results@#Of 34366 eligible OHCAs, 65.5% received BCPR. EMS was activated within 1 min in 45.9%, within 1–5 min in 29.2%, and after 5 min in 24.9% cases. In the adjusted interaction model, compared with no BCPR, a longer ATI resulted in smaller adjusted odds ratios for good CPC in the BCPR group [5.33 (4.17–6.82) for ATI ≤1 min, 5.14 (4.00–6.60) for 1–5 min, and 2.14 (1.63–2.81) for ATI >5 min]. @*Conclusion@#The effect of BCPR on improving the chances for a good neurological outcome decreased as time from collapse to EMS activation increased. The importance of early recognition of OHCA and EMS activation should be emphasized in BCPR training.

Prediction of Postoperative Lung Function in Lung Cancer Patients Using Machine Learning Models / 결핵및호흡기질환

Background@#Surgical resection is the standard treatment for early-stage lung cancer. Since postoperative lung function is related to mortality, predicted postoperative lung function is used to determine the treatment modality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive performance of linear regression and machine learning models. @*Methods@#We extracted data from the Clinical Data Warehouse and developed three sets: set I, the linear regression model; set II, machine learning models omitting the missing data: and set III, machine learning models imputing the missing data. Six machine learning models, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), Ridge regression, ElasticNet, Random Forest, eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and the light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) were implemented. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second measured 6 months after surgery was defined as the outcome. Five-fold cross-validation was performed for hyperparameter tuning of the machine learning models. The dataset was split into training and test datasets at a 70:30 ratio. Implementation was done after dataset splitting in set III. Predictive performance was evaluated by R2 and mean squared error (MSE) in the three sets. @*Results@#A total of 1,487 patients were included in sets I and III and 896 patients were included in set II. In set I, the R2 value was 0.27 and in set II, LightGBM was the best model with the highest R2 value of 0.5 and the lowest MSE of 154.95. In set III, LightGBM was the best model with the highest R2 value of 0.56 and the lowest MSE of 174.07. @*Conclusion@#The LightGBM model showed the best performance in predicting postoperative lung function.

Corticosteroid outcome may be dependent of duration of use in severe COVID-19

Background/Aims@#For patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who require supplemental oxygen, the evidence of the optimal duration of corticosteroid is limited. This study aims to identify whether long-term use of corticosteroids is associated with decreased mortality. @*Methods@#Between February 10, 2020 and October 31, 2021, we analyzed consecutive hospitalized patients with COVID-19 with severe hypoxemia. The patients were divided into short-term (≤ 14 days) and long-term (> 14 days) corticosteroid users. The primary outcome was 60-day mortality. We performed propensity score (PS) analysis to mitigate the effect of confounders and conducted Kaplan-Meier curve analysis. @*Results@#There were 141 (52%) short-term users and 130 (48%) long-term corticosteroid users. The median age was 68 years and the median PaO2/FiO2 at admission was 158. Of the patients, 40.6% required high-flow nasal cannula, 48.3% required mechanical ventilation, and 11.1% required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The overall 60-day mortality rate was 23.2%, and that of patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) was 22.9%. The Kaplan-Meier curve for 60- day survival in the PS-matched cohort showed that corticosteroid for > 14 days was associated with decreased mortality (p = 0.0033). There were no significant differences in bacteremia and HAP between the groups. An adjusted odds ratio for the risk of 60-day mortality in short-term users was 5.53 (95% confidence interval, 1.90–18.26; p = 0.003). @*Conclusions@#For patients with severe COVID-19, long-term use of corticosteroids was associated with decreased mortality, with no increase in nosocomial complications. Corticosteroid use for > 14 days can benefit patients with severe COVID-19.

Standardized Suicide Prevention Program for Gatekeeper Intervention of North Korean Defectors in South Korea

Objective@#North Korean defectors (NKDs) have experienced substantial difficulties during the migration and settlement in South Korea. They have a high prevalence of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal behaviors. The high prevalence of mental disorders among NKDs can lead to a high suicide rate. However, there are no suicide prevention programs for NKDs. This study aims to customize a suicide prevention program with content suitable for NKDs’ particular circumstances. @*Methods@#A multidisciplinary research team developed this program based on domestic and international gatekeeper training programs for suicide prevention and articles related to suicide prevention. @*Results@#We developed a multi-part gatekeeper training program, “Suicide CARE for NKDs.” In the “Introduction,” trainees learn about the need for the program and its importance. In “Careful observation,” trainees learn to recognize linguistic, behavioral, and situational signals of suicide risk. In “Active listening,” trainees learn how to ask about suicidal thoughts and to listen empathetically. In “Risk evaluation and expert referral,” trainees learn to evaluate suicide risk and to connect NKDs with institutes or services. @*Conclusion@#We expect this program to become useful for training gatekeepers to prevent suicide among NKD. A future follow-up study is needed to confirm the efficacy of the program.

Risk Factors for Various Cognitive Function Decline Trajectories in Adults Over 40 Years of Age: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective@#The aims of our study were to identify distinct trajectories of cognitive function using the group-based trajectory model. We also investigate which demographic factors act as risk factors for cognitive decline in each group. @*Methods@#The data from the Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center, from 2005 to 2019. The number of study subjects was 637. We used a group-based model to identify cognitive function trajectories. Multinomial logistic regression was employed to define risk factors for cognitive function decline. @*Results@#The cognitive function trajectories among adults over 40 years of age were heterogeneous. We identified four trajectories: high (27.3%), medium (41.0%), low (22.7%), and rapid decline (9.1%). Older age, male, low educational level, bad dietary habits, diabetes mellitus, technical worker, and lower income increased the likelihood of a cognitive function decline. @*Conclusion@#A younger age, a higher educational level, professional worker, good dietary habits, no diabetes mellitus, and no obesity improved cognitive function. A combination of these factors can improve “cognitive reserve” and delay cognitive decline. Interventions to prevent cognitive decline are needed after identification of high-risk groups for cognitive decline.

Effect of preoperative immunonutrition on fecal microbiota in colon cancer patients: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES@#This study aimed to evaluate the effect of preoperative immunonutrition on the composition of fecal microbiota following a colon cancer surgery.MATERIALS/METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of preoperative immunonutrition on the postoperative outcomes of colon cancer surgery. Patients with primary colon cancer were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive additional preoperative immunonutrition or a normal diet alone.Oral nutritional supplementation (400 mL/day) with arginine and ω-3 fatty acids were administered to patients in the immunonutrition group for 7 days prior to surgery. Thirtytwo fecal samples were collected from 16 patients in each group, and the composition of fecal microbiota was compared between the 2 groups. @*RESULTS@#At the phylum level, no significant difference was observed in the composition of microbiota between the 2 groups (Firmicutes, 69.1% vs. 67.5%, P = 0.624; Bacteroidetes, 19.3% vs. 18.1%, P = 0.663; Actinobacteria, 6.7% vs. 10.6%, P = 0.080). The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (4.43 ± 2.32 vs. 4.55 ± 2.51, P = 0.897) was also similar between the 2 groups. At the genus level, the proportions of beneficial bacteria such as Faecalibacterium spp. (8.1% vs. 6.4%, P = 0.328) and Prevotella spp. (6.9% vs. 4.8%, P = 0.331) were higher, while that of Clostridium spp. was lower (0.5% vs. 1.2%, P = 0.121) in the immunonutrition group, but the difference was not significant. @*CONCLUSIONS@#Immunonutrition showed no significant association with the composition of fecal microbiota. The relationship between immunonutrition and the fecal microbiota should be investigated further in large-scale studies.

Treatment Outcomes of Oral Acitretin versus Alitretinoin for Psoriasis:A Retrospective Review of 65 Cases / 대한피부과학회지

Background@#Oral acitretin (ACT) has been approved for the treatment of psoriasis (PSO), whereas alitretinoin (ALI) has been prescribed off-label. Few studies have compared the efficacy of these two therapeutics. @*Objective@#To evaluate the clinical outcomes of oral ACT versus ALI for treating PSO. @*Methods@#Sixty-five patients diagnosed with PSO and treated with ACT or ALI were reviewed. Patient demographics, clinical efficacy, and adverse effects were evaluated. Treatment efficacy was assessed using physician’s global assessment (PGA) and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). @*Results@#A total of 38 cases in the ACT group and 27 cases in the ALI group in PSO were retrospectively reviewed. No significant intergroup differences were noted in the proportion of patients achieving PGA score of “clear” or “almost clear” (18.42% vs. 22.22%; p=0.71). The reduction rate of PASI from baseline was higher in the ALI group (24.30% vs. 22.74%; p=0.68), while the rate of achieving 75% improvement in PASI was higher in the ACT group (18.42% vs. 14.81%; p=0.75); no significantly differences were noted. The ALI group had fewer adverse effects (6/27 [22.22%]) than the ACT group (10/38 [26.32%]), and no severe events occurred in either group. @*Conclusion@#ALI can be considered an off-label treatment option for a limited patient population.

Trends in Corneal Transplantation Revealed by KONOS and Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service Annual Reports

Purpose@#To analyze trends in corneal transplantation surgery and determine the number of domestic and imported corneal grafts used in South Korea.Method: The total number of keratoplasties and number of each individual surgical procedure conducted in 2010 and 2020 were identified using Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data. The number of keratoplasties using domestic corneas in 2010 and 2020 was determined from the annual report of the Korean Network for Organ Sharing (KONOS). The number of keratoplasties using imported corneas was calculated by subtracting the number of keratoplasties using domestic corneas from the total number of keratoplasties. @*Results@#In 2010, 802 keratoplasties were performed in Korea, of which 299 (37.3%) used imported corneas; 715 (89.2%) were penetrating keratoplasties and 87 (10.8%) were anterior lamellar keratoplasties. In 2020, 911 keratoplasties were done in Korea and 564 (61.9%) used imported corneas; 541 (59.4%) were penetrating keratoplasties, 60 (6.6%) were anterior lamellar keratoplasties, and 310 (34.0%) were endothelial keratoplasties. From 2010 to 2020, the number of penetrating keratoplasties in Korea decreased, while the numbers of endothelial keratoplasties and keratoplasties using imported corneas increased. @*Conclusions@#There was a 30% decrease in the number of penetrating keratoplasties from 2010 to 2020, and a 30% increase in the numbers of endothelial keratoplasties and keratoplasties using imported corneas. The proportions of endothelial keratoplasties and imported corneas have increased steadily in Korea over the last 10 years.

A Case of Contact Lens Induced Acute Red Eye

Purpose@#To report a rare case of acute red eye in a contact lens user.Case summary: An 18-year-old female presented with decreased visual acuity and ocular pain in the right eye for 4 days. The patient had used contact lenses for > 8 hours a day, even while sleeping at night, for the past 3 months. Corneal epithelial edema and punctate stromal infiltration along with diffuse conjunctival hyperemia and corneal limbal injection in the right eye were observed in slit lamp examination. The uncorrected and corrected visual acuities of the right eye were 0.02 (20/1000) and 0.16 (20/125), respectively. The right eye had an intraocular pressure of 10 mmHg, and the left eye was within normal range. The patient stopped wearing contact lenses and was prescribed steroid and antibiotic eye drops and artificial tears. The corrected visual acuity increased to 0.5 (20/40) on the first day of treatment and to 1.0 (20/20) after 2 months. The cornea and conjunctiva also returned to the normal appearance. @*Conclusions@#It is important to differentiate contact lens-induced acute red eye from microbial keratitis. Discontinuation of contact lens use and education are required to prevent acute red eye caused by contact lens use.

Clinical significance of drug cessation on medication-related

Objectives@#Suspending bisphosphonates (BPs) to reduce the risk and severity of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) remains controversial. In this study, we quantitatively evaluated the clinical significance of BP suspension before surgery in osteoporosis patients with MRONJ. @*Materials and Methods@#We analyzed 24 osteoporosis patients with MRONJ who were treated from 2012 to 2020 at Seoul National University Dental Hospital and compared the treatment outcomes of those who suspended BPs with those who did not. The number of surgical interventions, follow-up panoramic radiographs for relative bone density measurement, and laboratory blood tests including white blood cells, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, absolute neutrophil count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and alkaline phosphatase were analyzed. ANOVA, Student’s t-test, and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare results. Fisher’s exact test was used to discover the association between treatment outcome and BP suspension, and Pearson’s correlation test was used to measure the statistical relationship between the changes in serum inflammatory markers. @*Results@#The number of interventions was significantly higher in the non-drug suspension group due to recurrence (P<0.05). The relative bone density in patients who suspended BPs was significantly different over time (P<0.05), with the highest density at one-year follow-up. Fisher’s exact test shows an association between successful treatment outcomes and BP suspension. The alkaline phosphatase and erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels decreased significantly in the BP-suspended group, and a positive correlation was found between these elevated markers. @*Conclusion@#A significant increase in bone density throughout follow-up and a lower number of interventions were found in the BP suspension group compared to the non-drug suspension group. Also, BP suspension decreased inflammatory markers in the serum after surgery, resulting in good treatment outcomes. BP suspension is a prognostic factor for MRONJ and should be implemented before surgery.

Oral spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma on mandible with anaplastic lymphoma kinase expression mimicking inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor

Oral spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma (SCRMS) with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) expression is extremely rare, and its diagnosis is very challenging in the absence of clinical or pathological indicators. This case presented with gingival swelling and alveolar bone resorption and was suspected clinically to be periodontitis. A biopsy was performed and, due to immunoreactivity with ALK, the patient was misdiagnosed with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. However, based on the combined histological and immunohistochemical features, a revised diagnosis of SCRMS with ALK expression was finally concluded. We believe that this report makes a significant contribution to the precise diagnosis of this rare disease for proper treatment.

The Effect of Socioeconomic Status to Depression of Perimenopause Women: Pathway Analysis Using the Reserve Capacity Model

Purpose@#Based on the Reserve Capacity Model, this study investigated the effects of pre- and postmenopausal women’s socioeconomic status (SES) on depression, focusing on the mediating effects of self-esteem, happiness, and family relationship satisfaction with social network relationships. @*Methods@#This cross-sectional study involved secondary analysis of national data on 771 perimenopause women gathered from the 16th Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) 2021. A path analysis model was constructed to evaluate the relationship between SES, social network satisfaction, self-esteem, perceived health status, and depression. Data were analyzed using ADANCO 2.3.1 and Mplus 8.4. @*Results@#Although SES had no direct effect on depression, it did affect depression through self-esteem, happiness, and satisfaction with family relationships. @*Conclusion@#The findings of this study indicate that perimenopausal women’s personal resources—psychosocial variables such as self-esteem and happiness—had a higher effect on depression than tangible reserves like SES. Therefore, interventions for enhancing self-esteem and happiness may prevent depression in perimenopausal women effectively.