Development of Mental Health Indicators in Korea

Objective: Promoting mental health and preventing mental health problems are important tasks for international organizations and nations. Such goals entail the establishment of active information networks and effective systems and indicators to assess the mental health of populations. This being said, there is a need in Korea develop ways to measure the state of mental health in Korea. Methods: This paper reviews the mental health indicator development policies and practices of seven organizations, countries, and regions: WHO, OECD, EU, United States, Australia, UK, and Scotland. Using Delphi method, we conducted two surveys of mental health indicators for experts in the field of mental health. The survey questionnaire included 5 domains: mental health status, mental health factor, mental health system, mental health service, and quality of mental health services. We considered 124 potential mental health indicators out of more than 600 from indicators of international organizations and foreign countries. Results: We obtained the top 30 mental health indicators from the surveys. Among them, 10 indicators belong to the mental health system. The most important five mental health indicators are suicide rate, rate of increase in mental disorder treatment, burden caused by mental disorders, adequacy of identifying problems of mental health projects and deriving solutions, and annual prevalence of mental disorders. Conclusion: Our study provides information about the process for indicator development and the use of survey results to measure the mental health status of the Korean population. The aim of mental health indicator development is to improve the mental health system by better grasping the current situation. We suggest these mental health indicators can monitor progress in efforts to implement reform policies, provide community services, and involve users, families and other stakeholders in mental health promotion, prevention, care and rehabilitation

Outer Membrane Vesicles Derived From Escherichia coli Regulate Neutrophil Migration by Induction of Endothelial IL-8

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are spherical, proteolipid nanostructures that are constitutively released by Gram-negative bacteria including Escherichia coli. Although it has been shown that administration of E. coli OMVs stimulates a strong pulmonary inflammatory response with infiltration of neutrophils into the lungs in vivo, the mechanism of E. coli OMV-mediated neutrophil recruitment is poorly characterized. In this study, we observed significant infiltration of neutrophils into the mouse lung tissues in vivo, with increased expression of the neutrophil chemoattractant CXCL1, a murine functional homolog of human IL-8, on intraperitoneal administration of E. coli OMVs. In addition, OMVs and CD31-positive endothelial cells colocalized in the mouse lungs. Moreover, in vitro results showed that E. coli OMVs significantly increased IL-8 release from human microvascular endothelial cells and toll-like receptor (TLR)4 was found to be the main component for recognizing E. coli OMVs among human endothelial cell-associated TLRs. Furthermore, the transmigration of neutrophils was suppressed in the lung tissues obtained from TLR4 knockout mice treated with E. coli OMVs. Taken together, our data demonstrated that E. coli OMVs potently recruit neutrophils into the lung via the release of IL-8/CXCL1 from endothelial cells in TLR4- and NF-κB-dependent manners

Customized Energy Down-Shift using Iridium Complexes for Enhanced Performance of Polymer Solar Cells

School of Molecular Sciences(Chemistry)For the higher performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs), many researchers tried to develop new polymers that can absorb broader range of spectrum. However, there are some limits to absorb broader range with single donor. Therefore, multi donor systems and energy transfer systems have been researched. With two different donors it is easier to enhance absorption range. As a result, multi donor and energy transfer was successful to increase performance. However, the existing systems are applying polymer-polymer systems. When two different polymers are mixed, the compatibility between two polymers is critical to morphology of blend film. Also, in polymer-polymer energy transfer, the boundary between charge transfer and energy transfer is unclear. Therefore, for the first time, we developed customized iridium (Ir(III)) complexes, with Ir(III) complex incorporated into the active materials poly(thieno[3,4-b]-thiophene/benzodithiophene) (PTB7, amorphous) or poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT, high crystalline) as energy donor additives. The Ir(III) complex with the 2-phenyl quinolone ligand energy donor increased the power conversion efficiency of the corresponding devices by approximately 20%. The enhancements are attributed to the improved molecular compatibility and energy level between the Ir(III) complex and the active materials, long F??rster resonance energy transfer radius, and high energy down-shift efficiency. Overall, we reveal Ir(III) complex additives for amorphous and highly crystalline polymer active materialsthese additives would enable efficient energy transfer in polymer solar cells, while retaining the desirable active layer morphology, thereby resulting in improved light absorption and conversion.ope

Clinical Characteristics of Febrile UTI First Developed Over 5 Years of Age

Purpose Febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the commonest bacterial infections in children. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics of the first episode of febrile UTI occurring in children over 5 years compared to those in infants younger than a year. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 10 patients over 5 years, having febrile UTI, and 25 controls under 1 year. Clinical characteristics including symptoms at admission, the time interval between symptom onset and hospital visit and/or diagnosis, duration of fever, urinalysis, and other laboratory and imaging test results were compared between the two groups. Results Most patients in the control group showed only high fever at the time of presentation to the hospital. However, 60% of the case group had fever along with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as abdominal and flank pain, vomiting, as well as relatively mild pyuria. The case group showed a longer duration between symptom onset and hospital visit and/or diagnosis. Conclusions Delay in diagnosis and initiation of treatment of UTI increases the risk of permanent renal scarring and associated complications. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of febrile UTI is vital for very young infants, as well as children considering that febrile UTI could be an important cause of febrile illness in children over 5 years

Assessment of Disease Severity and Quality of Life in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis from South Korea

BACKGROUND: Data illustrating the impact of atopic dermatitis (AD) on lives of adults with AD in South Korea are limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess the AD disease severity and its impact on quality of life (QoL) in patients with AD from South Korea. METHODS: Patients with AD utilizing the specialist dermatology services of major hospitals in South Korea were assessed for disease severity using Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score, for QoL using Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) (for QoL), and for comorbidities and treatment experience via retrospective review of 12-month medical records. Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were also measured. RESULTS: Of the 1,163 patients, 695 (59.8%) were men (mean age [years]±standard deviation: 31.6±12.1). Overall, 52.9% (n=615) patients had moderate-to-severe disease (EASI\u3e7). The QoL of 72.3% (n=840) patients was affected moderately-to-severely (DLQI score: 6~30). Systemic immunosuppressants were used ≥1 over past 12 months in 51.9% (n=603) patients, and the most commonly used were cyclosporines (45.7%, n=531) and systemic corticosteroids (40.5%, n=471). Approximately, 10.8% (n=126) patients consulted or received treatment for AD-related eye problem. Of these, 40% (n=50) patients reported poor, very poor, or completely blind status; approximately, 16.7% patients (n=192) reported having depression or anxiety; and 35.5% (n=410) reported suicidal ideation or suicidal attempt. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of patients had moderate-to-severe AD, a compromised QoL, and ocular or mental health comorbidities, indicating a high disease burden despite systemic treatment. These findings highlight the importance of a holistic approach for the evaluation and treatment of patients with AD