Factors Affecting Decision Making Process for Fertility Preservation among Adult Asian American Women

Fertility preservation (FP) is a novel practice enabling women to have biological children in the future. Presently, Asian American women have one of the lowest fertility rates in the United States. However, little is known about the factors affecting FP decision-making in this population. To achieve a more comprehensive understanding of factors influencing decision-making for fertility preservation among Asian American women, the aims of this dissertation study were as follows: the first study (Chapter I) was performed to investigate factors affecting fertility preservation decision-making among healthy women and the second study (Chapter II) was conducted to examine fertility knowledge, intention, concern, anxiety, and traumatic stress and childbearing beliefs and to identify factors significantly influencing fertility preservation decision-making in healthy Asian American adult women. Chapter I presents an integrative review focusing on factors affecting fertility preservation for non-medical reasons in women. Previous study findings regarding influencing factors were categorized based on Hershberger et al.’s (2013) decision-making process model. The five categories of factors were cognitive, moral judgment, emotional, decision partner, and contextual factors. Among the cognitive factors, fertility intention was observed to be a strong indicator of engaging in fertility preservation. Also, fertility knowledge was found to have a positive association with fertility preservation intention. As for moral judgment factors, the percentages of study participants selecting fertility preservation varied depending on the study setting, the countries and cultures involved, and participants’ individual circumstances. The emotional factors included participants’ negative feelings about fertility, including anxiety and depression, and their paradoxical emotional reactions during the fertility preservation process. With respect to decision partner factors, some women’s choices regarding fertility and fertility preservation differed depending on whether they currently had a partner. Finally, regarding contextual factors, the most frequently observed factors associated with fertility preservation were level of education and career. Notably, women were found to change their minds about engaging in fertility preservation depending on their insurance coverage. Chapter II presents a primary research study exploring factors affecting decision-making for fertility preservation in adult Asian American women. The study was guided by Hershberger et al.’s (2013) decision-making process model and had a cross-sectional correlational online survey design. Data analysis was performed using the t-test, Chi-square, and binomial logistic regression. Among the 139 respondents, most participants reported that they had never been pregnant (87.8%) and had no children (91.4%). Among individuals having no children, 29.9% indicated that did not want to have a child. Among all participants, 43.9% reported that they would choose FP. We observed significant differences between FP and non-FP decision-making groups regarding decision-partner; considering postponing having a child; and the number of future children desired. Factors significantly associated with FP decision-making were fertility intention, traumatic stress, immigration generational status, and considering postponing having a child. Based on the findings, effective programs need to be developed to reduce traumatic stress of Asian American women and to enhance maternity and parenting support for this population

A qualitative exploration of young adults’ perceptions of a new intervention for alcohol use disorder

Due to the rising prevalence of alcohol use disorders among young adults, the need for effective and accessible interventions has become increasingly imperative. In acknowledgment of this issue, we developed a novel intervention known as contingency management plus problem solving therapy (CM-PST). The aim of the current study was to gain insight into the perspectives on the effectiveness of the newly developed CM-PST using focus group discussion among young adults who consume alcohol regularly. The study employed a qualitative research design, utilizing focus group discussions as the primary data collection method. Participants described their perceptions regarding the newly developed CM-PST. Semi-structured focus group sessions were conducted via Zoom in November 2022. A total of 19 young adults, aged 18-24 years old, participated in five focus group sessions. Data were analyzed using deductive content analysis. Participants demonstrated overall positive attitudes toward the novel intervention, recognizing the potential benefits, it could offer in terms of alcohol use reduction and emotional well-being. They emphasized the importance of incentives in motivating behavioral changes, as well as the practicality of problem-solving techniques in addressing everyday challenges. Additionally, participants provided valuable insights into potential barriers and implementation challenges, highlighting the need for flexible and personalized approaches to accommodate individual preferences and needs. The results of this study contribute to the growing body of literature on innovative intervention approaches for young adults facing alcohol use issues. The findings shed light on the acceptability and perceived effectiveness of the CM-PST intervention from the perspective of the target population.</p

Delivery of Cargo with a Bioelectronic Trigger

Biological systems exchange information often with chemical signals. Here, we demonstrate the chemical delivery of a fluorescent label using a bioelectronic trigger. Acid-sensitive microparticles release fluorescin diacetate upon low pH induced by a bioelectronic device. Cardiac fibroblast cells (CFs) uptake fluorescin diacetate, which transforms into fluorescein and emits a fluorescent signal. This proof-of-concept bioelectronic triggered delivery may be used in the future for real-time programming and control of cells and cell systems

Additional file 3 of Impact of media compositions and culture systems on the immunophenotypes of patient-derived breast cancer cells

Supplementary Material

Stage of adoption of breast cancer screening according to sociodemographic characteristics of the population (n = 2364; Korea, 2013).

<p>NCSP, National Cancer Screening Program</p><p>Stage of adoption of breast cancer screening according to sociodemographic characteristics of the population (n = 2364; Korea, 2013).</p

Multinomial logistic analysis of factors associated with each stage of adoption for breast cancer screening in Korea, 2013^a.

<p>^a Comparison to the pre-contemplation group</p><p>Multinomial logistic analysis of factors associated with each stage of adoption for breast cancer screening in Korea, 2013<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0132351#t004fn001" target="_blank">^a</a>.</p

Additional file 2 of Impact of media compositions and culture systems on the immunophenotypes of patient-derived breast cancer cells

Supplementary Material

Worry levels among Korean women for six major non-communicable diseases.

<p>^aThe mean difference between cancer worry and each disease is statistically significant at a level of significance of <i>P</i><0.05, ANOVA with Tukey’s test</p><p>Worry levels among Korean women for six major non-communicable diseases.</p

Additional file 1 of Impact of media compositions and culture systems on the immunophenotypes of patient-derived breast cancer cells

Supplementary Material

Bioactive Polymeric Metallosomes Self-Assembled through Block Copolymer–Metal Complexation

Spontaneous formation of polymeric metallosomes with uniform size (∼100 nm) was found to occur in aqueous medium through the reaction of an anticancer agent, (1,2-diaminocyclohexane)­platinum­(II) (DACHPt), with a Y-shaped block copolymer of ω-cholesteroyl-poly­(l-glutamic acid) and two-armed poly­(ethylene glycol) (PEGasus-PLGA-Chole). Circular dichroism spectrum measurements revealed that the PLGA segment forms an α-helix structure within the metallosomes, suggesting that secondary-structure formation of metallocomplexed PLGA segment may drive the self-assembly of the system into vesicular structure. These metallosomes can encapsulate water-soluble fluorescent macromolecules into their inner aqueous phase and eventually deliver them selectively into tumor tissues in mice, owing to the prolonged blood circulation. Accordingly, fluorescent imaging of the tumor was successfully demonstrated along with an appreciable antitumor activity by DACHPt moieties retained in the vesicular wall of the metallosomes, indicating the potential of metallosomes as multifunctional drug carriers