Nurse-midwifery education through graduate programs to provide a sufficient number of high quality nurse-midwives

There is a decrease in the number of new midwives, resulting from the shutdown of midwifery education program in hospitals due to a decrease in birthrate in the Republic of Korea. To solve this problem, the current medical laws on midwifery education system in Korea should be revised; nurse-midwifery specialist programs must be established in educational institutes with nursing programs. To support this argument, the midwifery education programs of America, Europe, Australia, and Japan have been discussed, and a nurse-midwifery specialist curriculum at the master's level, based on the nurse-practitioner system of Korea, has been suggested. Since this assertion is very important and urgent for solving the future population problem of Korea and providing health care for women and children, it should be realized into action immediately

Factors influencing post-traumatic stress disorder among police officers in South Korea

ObjectivesThis study aims to identify critical incident trauma (CIT), social support, resilience, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Korean police officers and to determine factors related to PTSD to obtain basic data for developing a PTSD intervention.MethodsA mixed-methods approach was adopted by administering structured questionnaires to Korean police officers and conducting semi-structured interviews with seven Korean police stakeholders. The structured questionnaires elicited information on CIT, social support, resilience, and PTSD. Data from 189 participants were analyzed using independent t-tests, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analysis. The interview data, which elicited information on difficulties and coping strategies after CIT, police organizational culture, current status of counseling programs, and suggestions for PTSD interventions, were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis.ResultsFactors that are significantly related to PTSD (28.7% of variance) are very healthy subjective health status (B = −0.44, p = 0.013), CIT (B = 0.18, p ≤ 0.001), social support (B = −0.38, p ≤ 0.001), and resilience (B = −0.18, p = 0.044). The stakeholders revealed the following PTSD-related factors: the difficulties and limitations of overcoming traumatic experiences, coping strategies, police counseling program status, and opinions on PTSD-related programs.ConclusionPerceived health status, CIT, social support, and resilience had a strong relationship with PTSD. Therefore, the success of PTSD interventions for Korean police officers should be considered

Cognitive improvement after long-term electrical stimulation of bilateral anterior thalamic nucleus in refractory epilepsy patients

AbstractIntroductionThe cognitive and behavioral effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) administered to the deep cerebral nuclei for epilepsy treatment is unknown. We investigated the cognitive outcomes at least 12 months after DBS to the bilateral anterior thalamic nucleus (ATN) for controlling intractable epilepsy.MethodsNine patients with intractable epilepsy who were not candidates for resective surgery, but who were treated by bilateral ATN DBS underwent cognitive and behavioral assessments before implantation and more than 1 year after DBS surgery. Postoperative cognitive assessments were carried out under a continuous stimulation mode.ResultsThe mean seizure-reduction rate of these patients after ATN DBS was 57.9% (35.6–90.4%). Cognitive testing showed favorable results for verbal fluency tasks (letter and category, p<0.05), and a significant improvement in delayed verbal memory was observed (p=0.017). However, we did not observe any significant changes in general abilities (IQ, MMSE), information processing (digit forward and backward, Trail A, and Digit Symbol), or executive function (Trail B and WCST). Interestingly, we did not observe any significant cognitive decline approximately 1 year (mean, 15.9 months) after ATN DBS surgery.ConclusionsWe showed that ATN DBS not only resulted in promising clinical effects but was also associated with improvements in both verbal recall and oral information processing, which may be related to the bilateral activation of the fronto-limbic circuit following DBS surgery. Further controlled, long-term studies with larger populations are warranted for elucidating the clinical effects of ATN DBS

Acute perimyocarditis mimicking acute myocardial infarction in a 12-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Differential diagnosis of chest pain in the pediatric population is important but can be challenging. A 12-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy presented with chest pain, cardiac enzyme elevation, and convex ST elevations in the inferior leads with reciprocal ST depression in the anterior leads on electrocardiogram. Echocardiography on admission revealed normal left ventricular function. Suspecting acute myocardial infarction, we performed invasive coronary angiography, which revealed normal coronary arteries. A follow-up electrocardiogram showed an acute pericarditis pattern with concave ST elevations in most leads and PR depression, and follow-up echocardiography revealed global left ventricular dysfunction, suggestive of acute perimyocarditis. Ibuprofen was administered for acute pericarditis, and a continuous milrinone infusion was commenced for myocardial dysfunction. The chest pain improved by the next day, and the ST segment elevations normalized on day 4. Echocardiography on day 9 revealed improved left ventricular function. The patient was discharged on day 11, and he is doing well without chest pain through 12 months of follow-up. The last electrocardiogram showed normal sinus rhythm without ST change. Differential diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction and acute perimyocarditis is important for proper treatment strategies and the different prognoses of these two conditions

WITHDRAWN: Effects of various glycerol concentrations and thawing temperatures on CASA parameters and acrosomal integrity of frozen–thawed canine spermatozoa

This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy

Lactic acid bacteria affect serum cholesterol levels, harmful fecal enzyme activity, and fecal water content

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are beneficial probiotic organisms that contribute to improved nutrition, microbial balance, and immuno-enhancement of the intestinal tract, as well as lower cholesterol. Although present in many foods, most trials have been in spreads or dairy products. Here we tested whether <it>Bifidobacteria </it>isolates could lower cholesterol, inhibit harmful enzyme activities, and control fecal water content.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>In vitro </it>culture experiments were performed to evaluate the ability of <it>Bifidobacterium </it>spp. isolated from healthy Koreans (20~30 years old) to reduce cholesterol-levels in MRS broth containing polyoxyethanylcholesterol sebacate. Animal experiments were performed to investigate the effects on lowering cholesterol, inhibiting harmful enzyme activities, and controlling fecal water content. For animal studies, 0.2 ml of the selected strain cultures (10⁸~10⁹CFU/ml) were orally administered to SD rats (fed a high-cholesterol diet) every day for 2 weeks.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>B. longum </it>SPM1207 reduced serum total cholesterol and LDL levels significantly (<it>p </it>< 0.05), and slightly increased serum HDL. <it>B. longum </it>SPM1207 also increased fecal LAB levels and fecal water content, and reduced body weight and harmful intestinal enzyme activities.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Daily consumption of <it>B. longum </it>SPM1207 can help in managing mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia, with potential to improve human health by helping to prevent colon cancer and constipation.</p

The Association between Disturbed Eating Behavior and Socioeconomic Status: The Online Korean Adolescent Panel Survey (OnKAPS)

Background: A limited amount of research, primarily conducted in Western countries, has suggested that higher socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with higher risk of eating disorders (EDs). However, little is known about this association in Asian countries. We examined the association of SES with disturbed eating behavior (DEB) and related factors in Korean adolescents. Subjects A nationwide online panel survey was conducted in a sample of adolescents (n = 6,943, 49.9% girls). DEB was measured with the 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Participants who scored ≥20 on the EAT-26 were considered to have DEB. Participants’ SES was determined based on self-reported household economic status. Results: The prevalence of DEB was 12.7%: 10.5% among boys and 14.8% among girls. Both boys and girls with DEB were more likely to perceive themselves as obese, experience higher levels of stress, and have lower academic achievement. The risk for DEB was significantly higher in boys of higher SES than in those of middle SES (OR = 1.45, 95%CI = 1.05–1.99 for high SES; OR = 5.16, 95%CI: 3.50–7.61 for highest SES). Among girls, higher risk of DEB was associated with the highest and lowest SES (OR = 1.52, 95%CI: 1.13–2.06 for lowest SES; OR = 2.22, 95%CI: 1.34–3.68 for highest SES). Conclusions: Despite the lower prevalence of obesity in Korea compared with Western countries, the prevalence of DEB in Korean adolescents was high, especially among girls. Moreover, the association between SES and DEB followed a U-shaped curve for girls and a J-shaped curve for boys

Enhancement of angiogenic and vasculogenic potential of endothelial progenitor cells by haptoglobin

AbstractEndothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were transfected with the haptoglobin (Hp) gene to investigate the effect of Hp on cell function. Hp potentiated the gene expression of various pro-angiogenic factors in the EPCs. The Hp-modified EPCs also increased in vitro tube formation on Matrigel compared with control cells. In hindlimb ischaemia models, Hp–EPCs showed a greater ability for improving blood perfusion and recovery from ischaemic injury. These results indicate that Hp improves EPC function in neovasculogenesis, which suggests that ex vivo modification of EPCs with the Hp gene can be applied to the treatment of vascular damage