Relationship between qualitative and quantitative loneliness and suicidal ideation by occupational classification in the working-age population: a nationally-representative survey.

BACKGROUND: Rising digitalization and individualism in the workplace after the COVID-19 pandemic have increased loneliness and related problems in the working-age population. The potential effects of various forms of loneliness on suicidal ideation may differ depending on employment status. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study based on a national survey of mental health in the general Korean population. We classified occupations as "employed," "self-employed," or "unemployed." Loneliness was assessed using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, which measures both qualitative and quantitative aspects of loneliness. Suicidal ideation was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS: A total of 1770 participants aged 30-65 years (mean age: 47.7 years) were included. The mean loneliness score was 43.9 (SD = 10.4), and 28% of the participants experienced a high level of loneliness. The prevalence ratio for suicidal ideation in the group with high levels of loneliness was 3.06 (95% CI 2.57, 3.63) compared to the group with low levels of loneliness. In our subgroup analysis, we consistently observed an association between loneliness and suicidal ideation across the employed group; however, the employed was more related with qualitative loneliness, the self-employed and the unemployed were more related with quantitative loneliness. CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness was associated with suicidal ideation. According to employment status, the associations were consistent, but there were interactions between type of loneliness and employment status. These findings suggest that interventions to reduce loneliness and prevent suicidal ideation should be tailored to specific employment groups, focusing on qualitative aspects for employed individuals and quantitative aspects for self-employed and unemployed individuals.

Indirect-to-direct bandgap transition in GaP semiconductors through quantum shell formation on ZnS nanocrystals.

Although GaP, a III-V compound semiconductor, has been extensively utilized in the optoelectronic industry for decades as a traditional material, the inherent indirect bandgap nature of GaP limits its efficiency. Here, we demonstrate an indirect-to-direct bandgap transition of GaP through the formation of quantum shells on the surface of ZnS nanocrystals. The ZnS/GaP quantum shell with a reverse-type I heterojunction, consisting of a monolayer-thin GaP shell grown atop a ZnS core, exhibits a record-high photoluminescence quantum yield of 45.4% in the violet emission range (wavelength = 409 nm), validating its direct bandgap nature. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that ZnS nanocrystals, as the growth platform for GaP quantum shells, play a crucial role in the direct bandgap formation through hybridization of electronic states with GaP. These findings suggest potential for achieving direct bandgaps in compounds that are constrained by their inherent indirect energy gaps, offering a strategy for tailoring energy structures to significantly improve efficiencies in optoelectronics and photovoltaics.

Highly Interconnected Thermal Conduction Highway for Highly Thermally Conductive and Mechanically Strong Polymeric Composites.

Industrial implementation of highly thermally conductive polymeric composites has been hindered by several hurdles, such as the low intrinsic thermal conductivity (TC) of polymers, the use of expensive thermally conductive fillers, and difficulty in processing composites with high filler loading. In this study, we introduce a straightforward fabrication method for a high TC polymeric composite with a programmed internal structure of a highly interconnected thermal conduction highway (HITCH) by the simple addition of partially cured resin fragments into the conventional filler/resin combination. Critical variables, such as the concentration of the added resin fragments and the local concentration of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) in the HITCH, as well as the packing density of the fragments, were systematically tuned to maximize the TC with the use of the least amount of the filler. Careful choice of the compositions enabled a significant TC enhancement of the composite by 2.6 times (6.5 W/mK) compared to the value of the conventional composite at the same overall concentration of hBN (∼2.5 W/mK). Finally, a composite with high TC (∼12 W/mK) and strong tensile strength (∼22.6 MPa), which is good enough for most practical thermal management applications, could be successfully fabricated with the use of the least amount of the filler (∼34 wt %). The comprehensive study of the HITCH composite here can be easily extended to other combinations with various fillers and matrices and may provide a library to researchers looking for advanced materials for future thermal management systems.

Spatial Control of Nickel Vacancies in Colloidal NiMgO Nanocrystals for Efficient and Stable All-inorganic Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

Colloidal quantum dot (QD)-based light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) have reached the pinnacle of quantum efficiency and are now being actively developed for next-generation displays and brighter light sources. Previous research has suggested utilizing inorganic hole-transport layers (HTLs) to explore brighter and more stable QD-LEDs. However, the performance metrics of such QD-LEDs with inorganic HTLs generally lag behind those of organic-inorganic hybrid QD-LEDs employing organic HTLs. In this study, colloidal NiMgO nanocrystals (NCs) with spatially controlled Mg are introduced as HTLs for realizing efficient and stable all-inorganic QD-LEDs. During the co-condensation of Ni and Mg precursors to produce valence band-lowered NiMgO NCs, incorporating ≈2% Mg into the NiO lattice creates additional Ni vacancies (VNi) within and on the NCs, influencing the hole concentration and mobility of the NiMgO NC films. Passivating the VNi exposed on the surface with magnesium hydroxide allows for tuning the electrical properties of the NiMgO NCs relative to those of an electron transport layer, allowing for a balanced charge supply and suppressed negative charging of the QDs. Optimized all-inorganic QD-LEDs employing NiMgO NCs achieved a peak external quantum efficiency of 16.4%, peak luminance of 269 455 cd m⁻2, and a half-life of 462 690 h at 100 nit.

Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity of Residue from Bioethanol Production Using Seaweed Biomass.

This study explores the potential of producing bioethanol from seaweed biomass and reusing the residues as antioxidant compounds. Various types of seaweed, including red (Gelidium amansii, Gloiopeltis furcata, Pyropia tenera), brown (Saccharina japonica, Undaria pinnatifida, Ascophyllum nodosum), and green species (Ulva intestinalis, Ulva prolifera, Codium fragile), were pretreated with dilute acid and enzymes and subsequently processed to produce bioethanol with Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4741. Ethanol production followed the utilization of sugars, resulting in the highest yields from red algae > brown algae > green algae due to their high carbohydrate content. The residual biomass was extracted with water, ethanol, or methanol to evaluate its antioxidant activity. Among the nine seaweeds, the A. nodosum bioethanol residue extract (BRE) showed the highest antioxidant activity regarding the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibition of H2O2-treated RAW 264.7 cells. These by-products can be valorized, contributing to a more sustainable and economically viable biorefinery process. This dual approach not only enhances the utilization of marine resources but also supports the development of high-value bioproducts.

Association between Circadian Rhythm-Disturbing Factors and Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2020).

Background: Circadian misalignment is associated with metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to examine the association between circadian rhythm-disturbing factors and metabolic syndrome. Methods: We used data from the 7th and 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2016 and 2020, which surveyed 16,253 individuals. Circadian rhythm-disturbing factors were defined as follows: sleep duration outside the reference group (6-8 hours), irregular breakfast, shift work, and physical inactivity. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for metabolic syndrome was calculated based on the number of circadian rhythm-disturbing factors present in adults over the age of 19 years. Results: Among a total of 16,253 participants (mean age 48.2±15 years), metabolic syndrome was found in 5,237 participants (29.3 %). The participants were classified into three categories based on the number of circadian rhythm-disturbing factors as follows: 2,627 (15.6%) did not have any factors, 6,406 (38.13%) had one factor, and 7,220 (46.3%) had two or more factors. Participants with a single circadian rhythm-disturbing factor were 21% more likely to have metabolic syndrome (aOR, 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-1.36), and participants with two or more factors were 27% more likely to have metabolic syndrome (aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.12-1.43). Conclusion: Circadian rhythm-disturbing factors were significantly associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults. This finding has potential clinical implications for maintaining circadian rhythms by avoiding certain factors to prevent metabolic syndrome. Further studies are required to confirm these findings.

Influence of Sleep Stage on the Determination of Positional Dependency in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

OBJECTIVES: The supine sleep position and the rapid eye movement (REM) stage are widely recognized to exacerbate the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Position-dependent OSA is generally characterized by an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) that is at least twice as high in the supine position compared to other sleep positions. However, this condition can be misdiagnosed if a particular sleep stage-REM or non-REM (NREM)-predominates in a specific position. We explored the impact of the sleep stage on positional dependency in OSA. METHODS: Polysomnographic data were retrospectively analyzed from 111 patients with OSA aged 18 years or older, all of whom had an AHI exceeding five events per hour and slept in both supine and non-supine positions for at least 5% of the total sleep time. The overall ratio of non-supine AHI to supine AHI (NS/S-AHI ratio) was compared between total, REM, and NREM sleep. Additionally, a weighted NS/S-AHI ratio, reflecting the proportion of time spent in each sleep stage, was calculated and compared to the original ratio. RESULTS: The mean NS/S-AHI ratio was consistent between the entire sleep period and the specific sleep stages. However, the NS/S-AHI ratios for individual patients displayed poor agreement between total sleep and the specific stages. Additionally, the weighted NS/S-AHI ratio displayed poor agreement with the original NS/S-AHI ratio, primarily due to discrepancies in patients with mild to moderate OSA. CONCLUSION: The weighted NS/S-AHI ratio may help precisely assess positional dependency.

Relationship between menopausal hormone therapy and colorectal cancer: a cohort study utilizing the health insurance database in South Korea (HISK)-II.

OBJECTIVE: Many studies have demonstrated that menopausal hormone therapy is associated with a reduced risk for colorectal cancer. This study investigated the relationship between specific hormone therapy regimens and colorectal cancer risk in postmenopausal women in South Korea using national insurance claims data. METHODS: This population-based, retrospective cohort study used insurance data provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service between 2007 and 2020. The hormone therapy group comprised women ≥40 years of age who underwent hormone therapy for the first time between 2011 and 2014. The control group included women ≥40 years of age who visited medical institutions for menopause-related issues during the same period but did not undergo hormone therapy. RESULTS: After 1:1 propensity score matching, 153,736 women were grouped into either the hormone therapy or nonhormone therapy groups. The incidence of colorectal cancer was 46 and 53 per 100,000 person-years in the nonhormone therapy and hormone therapy groups, respectively. Hormone therapy was associated with an increased risk for colorectal cancer (hazard ratio 1.124 [95% confidence interval 1.002-1.261]). Subgroup analysis, according to hormone therapy type, revealed no significant differences in the risk of colorectal cancer for estrogen plus progestogen or estrogen therapy alone; however, tibolone was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to nonhormone therapy (hazard ratio, 1.178 [95% confidence interval, 1.021-1.359]). CONCLUSIONS: This study found an increased risk of colorectal cancer in women receiving hormone therapy, and tibolone was significantly associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. However, the magnitude of the increase was small and unlikely to be of clinical significance.

Music from Noise-Canceling Headphones Is Beneficial against Anxiety in Male Bladder Cancer Patients Undergoing Follow-Up Cystoscopy: A Prospective Randomized Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Bladder cancer, with a greater incidence in males than in females, requires frequent cystoscopies. We aimed to evaluate the effect of music played through noise-canceling headphones on male bladder cancer patients during follow-up cystoscopy. METHODS: A total of 160 male bladder cancer patients undergoing follow-up flexible cystoscopy were randomly divided into the noise-canceling headphones without music group and the noise-canceling headphones with music group (groups 1 and 2, respectively; n = 80 per group). The patients' clinical characteristics were examined, and objective and subjective measurements were compared before and after cystoscopy. The primary outcomes that were evaluated included the visual analog scale (VAS, 0-10) and the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI, 20-80). Other outcomes, including vital signs and scores for assessing satisfaction and the willingness to repeat the procedure, were also examined. RESULTS: The characteristics of the patients in groups 1 and 2, and their pre-cystoscopy status, did not differ significantly. Although post-cystoscopy vital signs for the objective parameters and VAS pain scores were similar between the groups, subjective parameters were not. When compared with group 1, post-cystoscopy STAI-state scores were significantly lower in group 2, whereas patients' satisfaction scores and the willingness to repeat the procedure were significantly higher in group 2 (p = 0.002, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively). Additionally, in group 2, STAI-state scores changed significantly after the procedure when compared with before the procedure (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Providing music to male bladder cancer patients through noise-canceling headphones was found to reduce anxiety during cystoscopy and to improve patient satisfaction and willingness to undergo repeat cystoscopy.

Spiritual nursing education programme for nursing students in Korea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: This study conducts a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand the characteristics and contents of studies on spiritual nursing education programmes and their effects. METHODS: The literature search included five databases (RISS, KISS, DBpia, Science ON, and KmBase) published in South Korea until September 30, 2021. Nine studies were included in the final review, with six for the meta-analysis using the RevMan 5.4. 1 programme. The programmes targeted nursing students and nurses in the RN-BSN course and employed methods such as lecturing, discussions, and case presentations. The contents focused on self-spirituality awareness, spirituality-related concepts, understanding others' spirituality, and the process and application of spiritual nursing. RESULTS: The meta-analysis revealed statistically significant effects on spiritual nursing competencies, spirituality, spiritual well-being, existential well-being, and spiritual needs, except self-esteem. Spiritual nursing education was effective in enhancing spiritual nursing competencies. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that spiritual nursing education effectively improves spiritual nursing competency, indicating a need for increased focus and administrative and financial support for such education in schools and hospitals. Furthermore, future studies should employ randomised experimental designs to examine the effects of online education programmes with short training time on clinical nurses in hospitals.

Repeatability of feed efficiency and its relationship with carcass traits in Hanwoo steers during their entire growing and fattening period.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the repeatability of feed efficiency and its association with carcass traits in Hanwoo steers during the entire growing and fattening periods. METHODS: The growth and intake of thirty-six Hanwoo steers (259±19.7 kg; nine months) were monitored throughout five periods, including two growing periods (GP) and three fattening periods (FP). The steers were fed two types of concentrate mixes with varying nutrient compositions until they reached a target weight of 800 kg for slaughter. For each period, steers were categorized into three classes based on their feed efficiency rankings using residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Feed efficiency repeatability was assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient, decomposition of random errors, and the Theil segregation index (TSI). The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between feed efficiency and carcass traits. RESULTS: The results demonstrated a significant and high correlation with RFI, but not FCR, during the growing or fattening stages (r>0.5; p<0.01). When steers were classified according to their feed efficiency rankings, 58% of the animals in the high RFI class (low efficient) initially (GP 1) remained in the same class by the last period (FP 3), whereas steers were randomly distributed based on FCR. The repeatability, assessed by the decomposition of random errors, was higher for RFI (0.61) than for FCR (0.15). The TSI also indicated that RFI rankings, rather than FCR rankings, are more likely to be maintained. Moreover, a weak association was observed between feed efficiency and carcass traits. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, RFI repeatability throughout the GP and FP surpassed that of the FCR, with steers classified as high RFI during the GP more likely to remain in the same class during the FP. Feed efficiency was weakly correlated with carcass traits.

Health and medical experience of migrant workers: qualitative meta-synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Migrant workers in Korea are contributing to economic development by resolving labour shortages due to the increase in the ageing population, and they have become necessary and important in the Korean economy. However, long working hours, poor working conditions, and cultural differences can cause migrant workers to experience disadvantages in using health and medical services. Therefore, this study aimed to understand and analyse the health and medical service experience of migrant workers in Korea by reviewing previous studies in order to improve their health and access to medical services. METHOD: The qualitative meta-synthesis method suggested by Thomas and Harden was used. The key question for searching the literature is 'What is the status of the use of health and medical service by migrant workers in Korea and the attributes that affect them?' Five electronic databases (RISS, KCI, KISS, Science ON, and KMbase) were searched for Korean literature published in academic journals until 6 November 2022 using a combination of "migrant worker or foreign worker or foreign labourer or migrant" and "medical or health" in Korean. RESULTS: A total of nine studies out of 1,006 were included in the review after methodological quality assessment using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP). The results of studies were synthesised into three themes and ten sub-themes: 'Personal factors' of personal health beliefs and the financial burden of healthcare costs; 'Cultural factors' of cultural differences in the lifestyle, cultural differences in the healthcare environment, and traditional medicine in the country; and 'Socio-institutional factors' of poor and difficult working environment, insufficient information about medical institutions, policies with a lack of practical applicability, systems of healthcare institutions, and healthcare services usage. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the experiences of migrant workers in using health and medical care services. The results of this study can be used as a basis for improving the health of migrant workers and access to healthcare services. Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to improve the health management ability of migrant workers by developing a health management platform that can support Korean medical information and provide professional and accurate self-health management information.

Deep learning algorithm for the automated detection and classification of nasal cavity mass in nasal endoscopic images.

Nasal endoscopy is routinely performed to distinguish the pathological types of masses. There is a lack of studies on deep learning algorithms for discriminating a wide range of endoscopic nasal cavity mass lesions. Therefore, we aimed to develop an endoscopic-examination-based deep learning model to detect and classify nasal cavity mass lesions, including nasal polyps (NPs), benign tumors, and malignant tumors. The clinical feasibility of the model was evaluated by comparing the results to those of manual assessment. Biopsy-confirmed nasal endoscopic images were obtained from 17 hospitals in South Korea. Here, 400 images were used for the test set. The training and validation datasets consisted of 149,043 normal nasal cavity, 311,043 NP, 9,271 benign tumor, and 5,323 malignant tumor lesion images. The proposed Xception architecture achieved an overall accuracy of 0.792 with the following class accuracies on the test set: normal = 0.978 ± 0.016, NP = 0.790 ± 0.016, benign = 0.708 ± 0.100, and malignant = 0.698 ± 0.116. With an average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.947, the AUC values and F1 score were highest in the order of normal, NP, malignant tumor, and benign tumor classes. The classification performances of the proposed model were comparable with those of manual assessment in the normal and NP classes. The proposed model outperformed manual assessment in the benign and malignant tumor classes (sensitivities of 0.708 ± 0.100 vs. 0.549 ± 0.172, 0.698 ± 0.116 vs. 0.518 ± 0.153, respectively). In urgent (malignant) versus nonurgent binary predictions, the deep learning model achieved superior diagnostic accuracy. The developed model based on endoscopic images achieved satisfactory performance in classifying four classes of nasal cavity mass lesions, namely normal, NP, benign tumor, and malignant tumor. The developed model can therefore be used to screen nasal cavity lesions accurately and rapidly.

Effects of Dietary Crude Protein Level of Concentrate Mix on Growth Performance, Rumen Characteristics, Blood Metabolites, and Methane Emissions in Fattening Hanwoo Steers.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of varying levels of dietary crude protein (CP) on growth performance, rumen characteristics, blood metabolites, and methane emissions in fattening Hanwoo steers. Twenty-four steers, weighing 504 ± 33.0 kg (16 months old), were assigned to four dietary treatments with different CP concentrations (15, 18, 19, and 21% of CP on a dry matter (DM) basis). A linear increasing trend in the average daily gain (ADG) was observed (p = 0.066). With increased dietary CP levels, the rumen ammonia concentration significantly increased (p < 0.001), while the propionate proportion linearly decreased (p = 0.004) and the proportions of butyrate and valerate linearly increased (p ≤ 0.003). The blood urea exhibited a linear increase (p < 0.001), whereas the blood non-esterified fatty acids and cholesterol showed a linear decrease (p ≤ 0.003) with increasing dietary CP. The methane concentration from eructation per intake (ppm/kg), forage neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake, total NDF intake, and ADG exhibited linear decreases (p ≤ 0.014) across the treatments. In conclusion, increasing the dietary CP up to 21% in concentrates demonstrated a tendency to linearly increase the ADG and significantly decrease the propionate while increasing the butyrate. The methane concentration from eructation exhibited a tendency to linearly decrease with increasing dietary CP.

Immediate-start peritoneal dialysis without break-in-period: an 18-year retrospective cohort study on patient survival.

Background: Immediate-start peritoneal dialysis (ISPD) is an effective renal replacement therapy that can prevent central venous catheterization due to its immediate initiation of peritoneal dialysis (PD) after catheter insertion without a break-in period. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ISPD on long-term patient survival. Methods: In this retrospective single-center cohort study, 178 consecutive patients who started PD from August 2005 to March 2023 were enrolled, from whom 144 patients with ISPD were analyzed. PD was initiated without a break-in period within 24 hours of catheter insertion using percutaneous needle-guidewire technique. The primary outcome was patient survival, estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with patient survival. Results: The median follow-up period was 4.00 years (interquartile range, 1.23‒5.75 years). The mean age of patients was 61.6 ± 13.6 years; 58 patients (40.3%) were male and 93 patients (64.6%) were diabetic. Overall patient survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 98.5%, 93.5%, 92.1%, and 65.6%, respectively. The technique survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 88.1%, 74.9%, 63.2%, and 40.2%, respectively. The peritonitis-free survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 92.3%, 76.0%, 59.4%, and 28.0%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, diabetes was the only factor associated with patient survival and technique survival. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that patient survival and technique survival rates were relatively high in ISPD patients who were catheterized using percutaneous needle-guidewire technique.

Treatment Outcomes of Olfactory Neuroblastoma: A Multicenter Study by the Korean Sinonasal Tumor and Skull Base Surgery Study Group.

OBJECTIVES: Due to the rarity of olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB), there is ongoing debate about optimal treatment strategies, especially for early-stage or locally advanced cases. Therefore, our study aimed to explore experiences from multiple centers to identify factors that influence the oncological outcomes of ONB. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 195 ONB patients treated at nine tertiary hospitals in South Korea between December 1992 and December 2019. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate oncological outcomes, and a Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to analyze prognostic factors for survival outcomes. Furthermore, we conducted 1:1 nearest-neighbor matching to investigate differences in clinical outcomes according to the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: In our cohort, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 78.6%, and the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 62.4%. The Cox proportional hazards model revealed that the modified Kadish (mKadish) stage and Dulguerov T status were significantly associated with DFS, while the mKadish stage and Hyams grade were identified as prognostic factors for OS. The subgroup analyses indicated a trend toward improved 5-year DFS with dural resection in mKadish A and B cases, even though the result was statistically insignificant. Induction chemotherapy did not provide a survival benefit in this study after matching for the mKadish stage and nodal status. CONCLUSION: Clinical staging and pathologic grading are important prognostic factors in ONB. Dural resection in mKadish A and B did not show a significant survival benefit. Similarly, induction chemotherapy also did not show a survival benefit, even after stage matching.

The timing of adenomyosis diagnosis and its impact on pregnancy outcomes: a national population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Adenomyosis impacts pregnancy outcomes, although there is a lack of consensus regarding the actual effects. It is likely, however, that the severity of adenomyosis or ultrasound findings or timing of diagnosis can have different effects on adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). METHODS: In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of the timing of adenomyosis diagnosis on pregnancy outcomes. Singleton pregnant women who delivered between 2017 and 2022 were analyzed based on the timing of adenomyosis diagnosis, using a national database. The final cohort was classified into three groups: 1) group 1, without adenomyosis; 2) group 2, those diagnosed with adenomyosis before pregnancy; and 3) group 3, those diagnosed with adenomyosis during pregnancy. RESULTS: A total of 1,226,475 cases were ultimately included in this study. Women with a diagnosis of adenomyosis had a significantly higher risk of APOs including hypertensive disorder during pregnancy (HDP), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), postpartum hemorrhage, placental abruption, preterm birth, and delivery of a small-for-gestational-age infant even after adjusting for covariates. In particular, concerning HDP, the risk was highest in group 3 (group 2: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.15 vs. group 3: aOR, 1.36). However, the highest GDM risk was in group 2 (GDM; group 2: aOR, 1.24 vs. group 3: aOR, 1.04). CONCLUSION: The increased risk of APO differed depending on the timing of adenomyosis diagnosis. Therefore, efforts for more careful monitoring and prevention of APOs may be necessary when such women become pregnant.

Safety, quality, and microbial community analysis of salt-fermented shrimp (Saeu-jeot) in South Korea.

This study thoroughly explores the quality and safety aspects of saeu-jeot, a popular salt-fermented shrimp in South Korea, with a specific focus on products fermented in underground tunnels. In this study, an extensive analysis of key quality factors (pH, salinity, total nitrogen [TN], and amino nitrogen [AN]), along with detailed investigation into chemical hazards (volatile basic nitrogen [VBN] and biogenic amines [BAs]), and microbiological hazards (total aerobic bacteria [TAB], fecal indicator bacteria, halophilic bacteria, and foodborne pathogens) were performed. The results indicate that the shrimp grade did not dramatically affect the quality and safety of the saeu-jeot. However, given the prevalent small-scale production of saeu-jeot, the study strongly underscores the pressing need for the establishment of a standardized manufacturing process. The absence of grade-dependent variations in quality highlights the critical importance of implementing standardized procedures to ensure the consistent quality and safety of saeu-jeot, particularly in the context of its frequent small-scale production. These findings provide crucial insights for the industry to enhance practices and meet quality and safety standards effectively.

Breast cancer risk association with postmenopausal hormone therapy: Health Insurance Database in South Korea-based cohort study.

CONTEXT: Although many physicians have been concerned that the menopausal hormones used currently in clinical practice may affect the risk of breast cancer, there are currently few informative updated studies about the associations between menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and the risk of breast cancer. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the association between the risk of breast cancer and MHT using the National Health Insurance Database in South Korea (HISK) cohort between 2002 and 2019 retrospectively. METHODS: Postmenopausal women over 40 years of age from 2003 to 2011 were selected as the subject population, and their follow-up data were collected until 2019. We analyzed the risk and mortality of breast cancer according to the type of MHT received, namely, tibolone, combined estrogen plus progestin by manufacturer (CEPM), oral estrogen, combined estrogen plus progestin by physician (CEPP), or topical estrogen. RESULTS: The risk of breast cancer increased in the CEPM group [hazard ratio (HR) 1.439, 95% CI 1.374-1.507, P-value < .001] in comparison with the non-MHT group. However, no significant associations were found between the use of tibolone, oral estrogen, CEPP, or topical estrogen and breast cancer risk in comparison with the non-MHT group (HR 0.968, 95% CI 0.925-1.012; HR 1.002, 95% CI 0.929-1.081; HR 0.929, 95% CI 0.75-1.15; HR 1.139, 95% CI 0.809-1.603). The mortality rate from breast cancer is lower in the MHT group in comparison with the non-MHT group, indicating that significant associations were found for tibolone, CEPM, and oral estrogen (HR 0.504, 95% CI 0.432-0.588; HR 0.429, 95% CI 0.352-0.522; HR 0.453 95% CI 0.349-0.588, P-value < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the risk of breast cancer is increased by drugs in the CEPM group but not by tibolone, oral estrogen, CEPP, or topical estrogen. The mortality rate from breast cancer is lower with MHT (tibolone, CEPM, oral estrogen) than without MHT.

Association between breast diseases and symptomatic uterine fibroids by using South Korean National Health Insurance database.

Both the uterus and breasts have sex hormone dependence, yet there are few studies on the association between breast disease and uterine fibroids (UFs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of benign breast disease (BBD), carcinoma in situ (CIS), and breast cancer (BC) in women treated for UFs compared to women who were not treated for UFs. This retrospective cohort study used national health insurance data from January 1st, 2011, to December 31st, 2020. We selected women between 20 and 50 years old who (1) were treated for UFs (UF group) or (2) visited medical institutions for personal health screening tests without UFs (control group). We analyzed independent variables such as age, socioeconomic status (SES), region, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), delivery status, menopausal status, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), endometriosis, hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), and dyslipidemia based on the first date of uterine myomectomy in the UF group and the first visiting date for health screening in the non-UF group. There were 190,583 and 439,940 participants in the UF and control groups, respectively. Compared with those of the control group, the RRs of BBD, CIS, and BC were increased in the UF group. The hazard ratios (HRs) of BBD, CIS, and BC in the UF group were 1.335 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.299-1.372), 1.796 (95% CI 1.542-2.092), and 1.3 (95% CI 1.198-1.41), respectively. When we analyzed the risk of BC according to age at inclusion, UFs group had the increased risk of BCs in all age groups in comparison with control group. Women with low SES (HR 0.514, 95% CI 0.36-0.734) and living in rural areas (HR 0.889, 95% CI 0.822-0.962) had a lower risk of BC. Our study showed that women with UFs had a higher risk of BBD, CIS, and BC than those without UFs. This result suggests that women with UFs should be more conscious of BC than those without UFs. Therefore, doctors should consider recommending regular breast self-exams, mammography, or ultrasound for the early detection of BC in women with UFs.