Outcomes of trauma education workshop in Vietnam: improving diagnostic and surgical skills

Abstract Background Unintentional injuries have emerged as a significant public health issue in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), especially in Vietnam, where there is a poor quality of care for trauma. A scarcity of formal and informal training opportunities contributes to a lack of structure for treating trauma in Vietnam. A collaborative trauma education project by the JW LEE Center for Global Medicine in South Korea and the Military Hospital 175 in Vietnam was implemented to enhance trauma care capacity among medical staff across Ho Chi Minh City in 2018. We aimed to evaluate a part of the trauma education project, a one-day workshop that targeted improving diagnostic and surgical skills among the medical staff (physicians and nurses). Methods A one-day workshop was offered to medical staff across Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 2018. The workshop was implemented to enhance the trauma care knowledge of providers and to provide practical and applicable diagnostic and surgical skills. To evaluate the workshop outcomes, we utilized a mixed-methods survey data. All participants (n = 27) voluntarily completed the post-workshop questionnaire. Quality of contents, satisfaction with teaching skills, and perceived benefit were used as outcomes of the workshop, measured by 5-point Likert scales (score: 1–5). Descriptive statistics were performed, and open-ended questions were analyzed by recurring themes. Results The results from the post-workshop questionnaire demonstrated that the participants were highly satisfied with the quality of the workshop contents (mean = 4.32 standard deviation (SD) = 0.62). The mean score of the satisfaction regarding the teaching skills was 4.19 (SD = 0.61). The mean score of the perceived benefit from the workshop was 4.17 (SD = 0.63). The open-ended questions revealed that the program improved their knowledge in complex orthopedic surgeries neglected prior to training. Conclusions Positive learning experiences highlighted the need for the continuation of the international collaboration of skill development and capacity building for trauma care in Vietnam and other LMIC

Association between hemoglobin glycation index and cardiometabolic risk factors in Korean pediatric nondiabetic population

Purpose The hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) represents the degree of nonenzymatic glycation and has been positively associated with cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs) and cardiovascular disease in adults. This study aimed to investigate the association between HGI, components of metabolic syndrome (MS), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in a pediatric nondiabetic population. Methods Data from 3,885 subjects aged 10–18 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011–2016) were included. HGI was defined as subtraction of predicted glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) from measured HbA1c. Participants were divided into 3 groups according to HGI tertile. Components of MS (abdominal obesity, fasting glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood pressure), and proportion of MS, CMRF clustering (≥2 of MS components), and elevated ALT were compared among the groups. Results Body mass index (BMI) z-score, obesity, total cholesterol, ALT, abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, and CMRF clustering showed increasing HGI trends from lower-to-higher tertiles. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed the upper HGI tertile was associated with elevated triglycerides (odds ratio, 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.18–2.30). Multiple linear regression analysis showed HGI level was significantly associated with BMI z-score, HbA1c, triglycerides, and ALT. When stratified by sex, age group, and BMI category, overweight/obese subjects showed linear HGI trends for presence of CMRF clustering and ALT elevation. Conclusions HGI was associated with CMRFs in a Korean pediatric population. High HGI might be an independent risk factor for CMRF clustering and ALT elevation in overweight/obese youth. Further studies are required to establish the clinical relevance of HGI for cardiometabolic health in youth

Synaptic Transistors Exhibiting Gate-Pulse-Driven, Metal-Semiconductor Transition of Conduction

Neuromorphic devices have been investigated extensively for technological breakthroughs that could eventually replace conventional semiconductor devices. In contrast to other neuromorphic devices, the device proposed in this paper utilizes deep trap interfaces between the channel layer and the charge-inducing dielectrics (CID). The device was fabricated using in-situ atomic layer deposition (ALD) for the sequential deposition of the CID and oxide semiconductors. Upon the application of a gate bias pulse, an abrupt change in conducting states was observed in the device from the semiconductor to the metal. Additionally, numerous intermediate states could be implemented based on the number of cycles. Furthermore, each state persisted for 10,000 s after the gate pulses were removed, demonstrating excellent synaptic properties of the long-term memory. Moreover, the variation of drain current with cycle number demonstrates the device’s excellent linearity and symmetry for excitatory and inhibitory behaviors when prepared on a glass substrate intended for transparent devices. The results, therefore, suggest that such unique synaptic devices with extremely stable and superior properties could replace conventional semiconducting devices in the future

Analysis of endogenous lipids during intestinal wound healing.

Intestinal wound healing is a new therapeutic goal for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as complete healing of the mucosa is the key element of clinical remission in IBD. Previous studies showed that termination of inflammation can be achieved by adding pro-resolving lipids like DHA and EPA exogenously. However, the roles of these lipids in mucosal healing have not been investigated. To recapitulate intestinal healing process, mice were received dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) for 7 days in the drinking water followed by regular tap water for 5 additional days. DSS-induced intestinal inflammation featuring body weight loss, histological tissue damage, increased cytokine production and infiltration of inflammatory cells was gradually reduced upon switching to water. To investigate whether endogenous lipids play a role in mucosal healing, the lipidomics analysis of mouse serum was performed. Reduced levels of arachidonic acid, the biosynthetic precursor of prostaglandin F (PGF)2α, 19H-PGF1α, the metabolite of prostacyclin, and 20H-PGF2α, the metabolite of PGF2α, suggest subsiding inflammation. In contrast, increased levels of an active metabolite of resolvin D1 along with decreased levels of its precursor DHA as well as decreased levels of the precursor of resolvin E, 18-hydroxy-eicosapentaenoic acid, suggest inauguration of mucosal healing by endogenous lipids. Furthermore, exogenously supplied fish oil enhanced the process even further. These results suggest the presence of mucosal healing regulated by endogenous pro-healing lipids and also indicate that the remission state of IBD could be prolonged by enhancing the levels of these lipids

Individual and regional characteristics associated with changes in mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea

Mental health has been a major public health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the effects of COVID-19 on mental health and whether individual and regional characteristics are associated with the changes in mental health. We estimated district-specific changes in the prevalence of moderate stress, extreme stress, and depression before and during the COVID-19 pandemic after adjusting for the time trend of mental health outcomes. Then, a meta-regression was conducted to examine the associations between district-level characteristics and changes in mental health due to the pandemic. The prevalence of moderate stress, extreme stress, and depression increased during the pandemic and the increases were more prominent in districts with high population density and in individuals aged 19-59 years, with a high education level, and with high household income. The % with reduced physical activity due to the pandemic were positively associated with increases in stress; while, the % that have mutual trust among neighbors and the number of sports facilities were negatively associated with increases in stress. Local tax per person had a positive association with increase in depression. Our study provides epidemiological evidence into the mental health consequences of the pandemic, which can inform the priority of resource allocation for managing mental health.Y