Isolation, characterization, and application of a lytic bacteriophage SSP49 to control Staphylococcus aureus contamination on baby spinach leaves.

Staphylococcus aureus, a major foodborne pathogen, is frequently detected in fresh produce. It often causes food poisoning accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. Additionally, the abuse of antibiotics to control S. aureus has resulted in the emergence of antibiotics-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin resistant S. aureus. Therefore, bacteriophage, a natural antimicrobial agent, has been suggested as an alternative to antibiotics. In this study, a lytic phage SSP49 that specifically infects S. aureus was isolated from a sewage sample, and its morphological, biological, and genetic characteristics were determined. We found that phage SSP49 belongs to the Straboviridae family (Caudoviricetes class) and maintained host growth inhibition for 30 h in vitro. In addition, it showed high host specificity and a broad host range against various S. aureus strains. Receptor analysis revealed that phage SSP49 utilized cell wall teichoic acid as a host receptor. Whole genome sequencing revealed that the genome size of SSP49 was 137,283 bp and it contained 191 open reading frames. The genome of phage SSP49 did not contain genes related to lysogen formation, bacterial toxicity, and antibiotic resistance, suggesting its safety in food application. The activity of phage SSP49 was considerably stable under various high temperature and pH conditions. Furthermore, phage SSP49 effectively inhibited S. aureus growth on baby spinach leaves both at 4 °C and 25 °C while maintaining the numbers of active phage during treatments (reductions of 1.2 and 2.1 log CFU/cm2, respectively). Thus, this study demonstrated the potential of phage SSP49 as an alternative natural biocontrol agent against S. aureus contamination in fresh produce.

Colon cancer: the 2023 Korean clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis and treatment

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in Korea and the third leading cause of death from cancer. Treatment outcomes for colon cancer are steadily improving due to national health screening programs with advances in diagnostic methods, surgical techniques, and therapeutic agents.. The Korea Colon Cancer Multidisciplinary (KCCM) Committee intends to provide professionals who treat colon cancer with the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice guidelines to improve outcomes and help them make decisions that reflect their patients’ values and preferences. These guidelines have been established by consensus reached by the KCCM Guideline Committee based on a systematic literature review and evidence synthesis and by considering the national health insurance system in real clinical practice settings. Each recommendation is presented with a recommendation strength and level of evidence based on the consensus of the committee.

The Effect of Body Image, Self-esteem and Depression on Sexual Function in Young Breast Cancer Survivors

Purpose@#This study aimed to investigate the influence of body image, self-esteem, and depression on sexual function in young breast cancer survivors. @*Methods@#Data were collected through an online questionnaire from 171 patients under 50 years of age between February and April 2023. The statistical analysis, performed using SPSS/WIN 26.0, included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression. The bias-corrected bootstrap method was employed for testing mediation using JASP 0.17.2. @*Results@#Sexual function correlated with body image (r=-.54, p<.001), selfesteem (r=.50, p<.001), and depression (r=-.60, p<.001). Regression analysis revealed depression, age, and cancer stage influenced sexual function. Body image and self-esteem indirectly influenced sexual function through depression. @*Conclusion@#A tailored sexual function improvement program for young breast cancer survivors should consider addressing issues related to body image, selfesteem and depression.

Multiomics profiling of buffy coat and plasma unveils etiology-specific signatures in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background/Aims@#Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Despite identification of several biomarkers for HCC diagnosis, challenges such as low sensitivity and intratumoral heterogeneity have impeded early detection, highlighting the need for etiology-specific blood biomarkers. @*Methods@#We generated whole-transcriptome sequencing (WTS) and targeted proteome data from buffy coat and plasma samples from HCC patients. By integrating etiological information on viral infection, we investigated the etiology-specific gene expression landscape at the blood level. Validation of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was performed using publicly available RNA-seq datasets and qRT‒PCR with AUC analyses. @*Results@#Differential expression analyses with multiomics data revealed distinct gene expression profiles between HBV-associated HCC and nonviral HCC, indicating the presence of etiology-specific blood biomarkers. The identified DEGs were validated across multiple independent datasets, underscoring their utility as biomarkers. Additionally, single-cell RNA-seq analysis of HCC confirmed differences in DEG expression across distinct immune cell types. @*Conclusions@#Our buffy coat WTS data and plasma proteome data may serve as reliable sources for identifying etiology-specific blood biomarkers of HCC and might contribute to discovery of therapeutic targets for HCC across different etiologies.

Sorafenib vs. Lenvatinib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma after atezolizumab/bevacizumab failure: A real-world study

Background/Aims@#Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (ATE+BEV) therapy has become the recommended first-line therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) because of favorable treatment responses. However, there is a lack of data on sequential regimens after ATE+BEV treatment failure. We aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of patients with advanced HCC who received subsequent systemic therapy for disease progression after ATE+BEV. @*Methods@#This multicenter, retrospective study included patients who started second-line systemic treatment with sorafenib or lenvatinib after HCC progressed on ATE+BEV between August 2019 and December 2022. Treatment response was assessed using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (version 1.1.). Clinical features of the two groups were balanced through propensity score (PS) matching. @*Results@#This study enrolled 126 patients, 40 (31.7%) in the lenvatinib group, and 86 (68.3%) in the sorafenib group. The median age was 63 years, and males were predominant (88.1%). In PS-matched cohorts (36 patients in each group), the objective response rate was similar between the lenvatinib- and sorafenib-treated groups (5.6% vs. 8.3%; P=0.643), but the disease control rate was superior in the lenvatinib group (66.7% vs. 22.2%; P<0.001). Despite the superior progression- free survival (PFS) in the lenvatinib group (3.5 vs. 1.8 months, P=0.001), the overall survival (OS, 10.3 vs. 7.5 months, P=0.353) did not differ between the two PS-matched treatment groups. @*Conclusions@#In second-line therapy for unresectable HCC after ATE+BEV failure, lenvatinib showed better PFS and comparable OS to sorafenib in a real-world setting. Future studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups are needed to optimize second-line treatment.

A Multicenter Survey of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in 2019 at Korean Medical Institutions

Background/Aims@#This study aimed to review the indications, methods, cooperation, complications, and outcomes of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). @*Methods@#Questionnaires were sent to 200 hospitals, of which 62 returned their questionnaires, with a response rate of approximately 30%. Descriptive statistics were calculated to analyze the responses to the questionnaires. @*Results@#In 2019, a total of 1,052 PEGs were performed in 1,017 patients at 62 hospitals. The main group who underwent PEG was older adult patients with brain disease, particularly stroke.Nutritional supply was an important purpose of the PEG procedure. “The pull method” was the most commonly used for initial PEG insertion. The complications related to PEG were mostly mild, with leakage being the most common. Patients who underwent PEG procedures were primarily educated regarding the post-procedure management and complications related to PEG.Preoperative meetings were skipped at >50% of the institutions. Regarding the cooperation between the nutrition support team (NST) and the physician performing PEG, few endoscopists answered that they cooperated with NST before and after PEG. Moreover, the rate of NST certification obtained by physicians performing PEG and the frequency of attendance at NST-related conferences were relatively low. @*Conclusions@#This study shows a similar trend to that found in the previous PEG guidelines.However, it covers new aspects, including team-based work for PEG procedure, nutrition support, and education for patients and guardians. Therefore, each medical institution needs to select an appropriate method considering the medical environment and doctor’s abilities.

A Novel Retractable Robotic Device for Colorectal Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection

Background/Aims@#Appropriate tissue tension and clear visibility of the dissection area using traction are essential for effective and safe endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). In this study, we developed a retractable robot-assisted traction device and evaluated its performance in colorectal ESD. @*Methods@#An experienced endoscopist performed ESD 18 times on an ex vivo porcine colon using the robot and 18 times using the conventional method. The outcome measures were procedure time, dissection speed, procedure-related adverse events, and blind dissection rate. @*Results@#Thirty-six colonic lesions were resected from ex vivo porcine colon samples. The total procedure time was significantly shorter in robot-assisted ESD (RESD) than in conventional ESD (CESD) (20.1±4.1 minutes vs 34.3±8.3 minutes, p<0.05). The submucosal dissection speed was significantly faster in the RESD group than in the CESD group (36.8±9.2 mm 2 /min vs 18.1±4.7 mm 2 /min, p<0.05). The blind dissection rate was also significantly lower in the RESD group (12.8%±3.4% vs 35.1%±3.9%, p<0.05). In an in vivo porcine feasibility study, the robotic device was attached to a colonoscope and successfully inserted into the proximal colon without damaging the colonic wall, and ESD was successfully performed. @*Conclusions@#The dissection speed and safety profile improved significantly with the retractable RESD. Thus, our robotic device has the potential to provide simple, effective, and safe multidirectional traction during colonic ESD.

A survey of current practices in post-polypectomy surveillance in Korea

Background/Aims@#We investigated the clinical practice patterns of post-polypectomy colonoscopic surveillance among Korean endoscopists. @*Methods@#In a web-based survey conducted between September and November 2021, participants were asked about their preferred surveillance intervals and the patient age at which surveillance was discontinued. Adherence to the recent guidelines of the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer (USMSTF) was also analyzed. @*Results@#In total, 196 endoscopists completed the survey. The most preferred first surveillance intervals were: a 5-year interval after the removal of 1–2 tubular adenomas 10 adenomas, 5–10 SSLs, and SSLs with dysplasia. In piecemeal resections of large polyps ( > 20 mm), surveillance colonoscopy was mostly preferred after 1 year for adenomas and 6 months for SSLs. The mean USMSTF guideline adherence rate was 30.7%. The largest proportion of respondents (40.8%–55.1%) discontinued the surveillance at the patient age of 80–84 years. @*Conclusions@#A significant discrepancy was observed between the preferred post-polypectomy surveillance intervals and recent international guidelines. Individualized measures are required to increase adherence to the guidelines.

Healthcare Utilization and Supportive Care Timing in South Korean People Living With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Background@#and Purpose Despite the growing demands and challenges faced by patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in accessing healthcare services, our understanding of this access remains poor. This study aimed to investigate the healthcare utilization patterns and timing of nutritional and respiration support in patients with ALS in South Korea. @*Methods@#A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients diagnosed with ALS at a single tertiary hospital between 2016 and 2019 and followed up for 2 years. We evaluated patient characteristics, healthcare utilization (hospital admissions, outpatient visits, and emergency department [ED] visits), and the timing of nutritional and respiration support (noninvasive positive pressure ventilation [NIPPV], tracheostomy, gastrostomy, and nasogastric tube) at 6-month intervals from the first outpatient visit. @*Results@#Among the 143 included patients, 73.4% were admitted at least once, 18.9% experienced unplanned admissions, and 30.1% visited the ED at least once during the study period.The most-common reason for ED visits was neurological symptoms during the first 6 months (59.1%), followed by respiratory symptoms. One fifth of patients who visited the ED underwent tracheostomy (20.9%) or NIPPV (20.9%). Two years after the first visit, 32.2% used a ventilator, and 13.3%, 26.6%, and 6.3% had undergone tracheostomy, gastrostomy, and nasogastric tube insertion, respectively. @*Conclusions@#During the 2 years following their first outpatient visit, 20% of patients with ALS experienced unplanned admissions and 30% visited the ED. An active and prompt supportivecare program should be implemented to ensure timely functional support in order to reduce these risks of unplanned admissions.

Prediction model of health-related quality of life in older adults according to gender using a decision tree model: a study based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Purpose@#The aim of this study was to predict the subgroups vulnerable to poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) according to gender in older adults. @*Methods@#Data from 5,553 Koreans aged 65 or older were extracted from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. HRQoL was assessed using the EQ-5D tool. Complex sample analysis and decision-tree analysis were conducted using SPSS for Windows version 27.0. @*Results@#The mean scores of the EQ-5D index were 0.93 ± 0.00 in men and 0.88 ± 0.00 in women. In men, poorer HRQoL groups were identified with seven different pathways, which were categorized based on participants’ characteristics, such as restriction of activity, perceived health status, muscle exercise, age, relative hand grip strength, suicidal ideation, the number of chronic diseases, body mass index, and income status. Restriction of activity was the most significant predictor of poorer HRQoL in elderly men. In women, the poorer HRQoL groups were identified with nine different pathways, which were categorized based on participants’ characteristics, such as perceived health status, restriction of activity, age, education, unmet medical service needs, anemia, body mass index, relative hand grip, and aerobic exercise. Perceived health status was the most significant predictor of poorer HRQoL in elderly women. @*Conclusion@#This study presents a predictive model of HRQoL in older adults according to gender and can be used to detect individuals at risk of poorer HRQoL.

Beyond Legal Boundaries: Public and Clinician Perspectives on Treatment Withdrawal in Infants With Poor Neurological Prognosis

Background@#Despite medical advancements in neonatal survival rates, many children have poor neurological outcomes. Because the law in Korea restricts the withdrawal of lifesustaining treatment to only cases of imminent death, treatment discontinuation may not be an option, even in patients with poor neurological prognosis. This study investigated the opinions of the general population and clinicians regarding life-sustaining treatment withdrawal in such cases using hypothetical scenarios. @*Methods@#We conducted a cross-sectional study on the general population and clinicians using a web-based questionnaire. The sample of the general population from an online panel comprised 500 individuals aged 20–69 years selected by quota sampling. The clinician sample comprised 200 clinicians from a tertiary university hospital. We created hypothetical vignettes and questionnaire items to assess attitudes regarding mechanical ventilation withdrawal for an infant at risk of poor neurological prognosis due to birth asphyxia at 2 months and 3 years after the incidence. @*Results@#Overall, 73% of the general population and 74% of clinicians had positive attitudes toward mechanical ventilator withdrawal at 2 months after birth asphyxia. The proportion of positive attitudes toward mechanical ventilator withdrawal was increased in the general population (84%, P < 0.001) and clinicians (80.5%, P = 0.02) at 3 years after birth asphyxia.Religion, spirituality, the presence of a person with a disability in the household, and household income were associated with the attitudes of the general population. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis of the general population, respondents living with a person with a disability or having a disability were more likely to find the withdrawal of the ventilator at 2 months and 3 years after birth asphyxia not permissible. Regarding religion, respondents who identified as Christians were more likely to find the ventilator withdrawal at 2 months after birth asphyxia unacceptable. @*Conclusion@#The general population and clinicians shared the perspective that the decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment in infants with a poor neurological prognosis should be considered before the end of life. A societal discussion about making decisions centered around the best interest of pediatric patients is warranted.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training for Psychiatry Residents in Korea / 신경정신의학

This review underscores the integration of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a critical component of psychiatry residency programs essential for the comprehensive training of residents. The core competencies psychiatry residents should develop as CBT therapists, including specific skills and knowledge domains, are outlined. In addition, the review addresses the necessary attitudes and techniques for faculty engaged in CBT supervision, providing insight into effective educational and supervisory strategies. The application of these principles in clinical training settings is discussed, highlighting their potential to improve the quality and effectiveness of CBT training in psychiatry residency programs.

Device Closure or Antithrombotic Therapy After Cryptogenic Stroke in Elderly Patients With a High-Risk Patent Foramen Ovale / 대한뇌졸중학회지

Background@#and Purpose In young patients (aged 18–60 years) with patent foramen ovale (PFO)- associated stroke, percutaneous closure has been found to be useful for preventing recurrent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). However, it remains unknown whether PFO closure is also beneficial in older patients. @*Methods@#Patients aged ≥60 years who had a cryptogenic stroke and PFO from ten hospitals in South Korea were included. The effect of PFO closure plus medical therapy over medical therapy alone was assessed by a propensity-score matching method in the overall cohort and in those with a high-risk PFO, characterized by the presence of an atrial septal aneurysm or a large shunt. @*Results@#Out of the 437 patients (mean age, 68.1), 303 (69%) had a high-risk PFO and 161 (37%) patients underwent PFO closure. Over a median follow-up of 3.9 years, recurrent ischemic stroke or TIA developed in 64 (14.6%) patients. In the propensity score-matched cohort of the overall patients (130 pairs), PFO closure was associated with a significantly lower risk of a composite of ischemic stroke or TIA (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24–0.84; P=0.012), but not for ischemic stroke. In a subgroup analysis of confined to the high-risk PFO patients (116 pairs), PFO closure was associated with significantly lower risks of both the composite of ischemic stroke or TIA (HR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.21–0.77; P=0.006) and ischemic stroke (HR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.23–0.95; P=0.035). @*Conclusion@#Elderly patients with cryptogenic stroke and PFO have a high recurrence rate of ischemic stroke or TIA, which may be significantly reduced by device closure.

A Case of MALToma Masquerading as a Lacrimal Caruncular Granuloma

Purpose@#To report a case of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALToma) that presented as a lacrimal caruncular granuloma.Case summary: A 38-year-old woman presented with a mass in the right lacrimal caruncle and had a history of incision and drainage. Examination revealed a 4-mm elevated mass at the lacrimal caruncle, which resembled a granuloma. The mass was excised under local anesthesia and a MALToma was diagnosed based on the histopathological examination. @*Conclusions@#Although rare, a MALToma can present as a granuloma-like lacrimal caruncular mass. Excision and biopsy of the lacrimal caruncular mass are essential to obtain a definitive diagnosis.

Association between Work-related Communication Devices Use during Work Outside of Regular Working Hours and Depressive Symptoms in Wage Workers

Background@#This study aimed to investigate the relationship between work-related communication devices use during work outside of regular working hours and depressive symptoms in wage workers. @*Methods@#Data from 50,538 workers aged 15 years or older who had participated in the 6th Korean Working Condition Survey (KWCS) were used. The final sample was 32,994 wage workers. The questionnaire asked the respondents how often they used communication devices for work during work outside of regular working hours. Depressive symptoms were assessed using WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between work-related communication devices use during work outside of regular working hours and depressive symptoms. @*Results@#The rate of depressive symptoms was highest among workers who did not use work-related communication devices during work outside of regular working hours. After adjusting for socio-demographic and work-related factors, the odds ratio of depressive symptoms among workers who used communication devices when working outside of regular working hours was 1.20 (95% CI: 1.09–1.32); the odds ratio of depressive symptoms in the group not using communication devices for free-time work was 1.66 (95% CI: 1.37–2.00), which was higher than that of the reference group, that is, workers who did not work outside of regular working hours, and was statistically significant. @*Conclusion@#Regardless of whether work-related communication devices are used, working outside of regular working hours increases depressive symptoms. The use of work-related communication devices during work outside of regular working hours can reduce the rate of depressive symptoms.

Artificial intelligence in colonoscopy: from detection to diagnosis

This study reviews the recent progress of artificial intelligence for colonoscopy from detection to diagnosis. The source of data was 27 original studies in PubMed. The search terms were “colonoscopy” (title) and “deep learning” (abstract). The eligibility criteria were: (1) the dependent variable of gastrointestinal disease; (2) the interventions of deep learning for classification, detection and/or segmentation for colonoscopy; (3) the outcomes of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), precision, F1, intersection of union (IOU), Dice and/or inference frames per second (FPS); (3) the publication year of 2021 or later; (4) the publication language of English. Based on the results of this study, different deep learning methods would be appropriate for different tasks for colonoscopy, e.g., Efficientnet with neural architecture search (AUC 99.8%) in the case of classification, You Only Look Once with the instance tracking head (F1 96.3%) in the case of detection, and Unet with dense-dilation-residual blocks (Dice 97.3%) in the case of segmentation. Their performance measures reported varied within 74.0–95.0% for accuracy, 60.0–93.0% for sensitivity, 60.0–100.0% for specificity, 71.0–99.8% for the AUC, 70.1–93.3% for precision, 81.0–96.3% for F1, 57.2–89.5% for the IOU, 75.1–97.3% for Dice and 66–182 for FPS. In conclusion, artificial intelligence provides an effective, non-invasive decision support system for colonoscopy from detection to diagnosis.

Global lineage evolution pattern of sars-cov-2 in Africa, America, Europe, and Asia: A comparative analysis of variant clusters and their relevance across continents.

Objective: The objective of this study is to provide a comparative analysis of variant clusters and their relevance across Africa, America, Europe, and Asia, in order to understand the evolutionary patterns of the virus across different regions and to inform the development of targeted interventions and genomic surveillance eforts. Methods: The study analyzed the global lineage evolution pattern of 74, 075 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes from 32 countries across four continents, focusing on variant clusters and their relevance across regions. Variants were weighted according to their hierarchical level. The correlation between variants was visualized through Dimensionality reduction analysis and Pairwise Pearson's correlation. We presented a reconstructed phylogenetic tree based on correlation analysis and variant weights. Results: The analysis revealed that each continent had distinct variant clusters and different evolutionary patterns. The Americas had two clustered variants before lineage divergence and a downstream confluence lineage, Europe had bifurcation into two global lineages with an early occurrence of certain cluster while Asia had a downstream confluence of two large lineages diverging by two distinct clusters. Based on the cluster patterns of shared variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Africa demonstrated a relatively clear distinction among three distinct regions. Conclusions: The study provides insights into the evolutionary patterns of SARS-CoV-2 and highlights the importance of international collaboration in tracking and responding to emerging variants. The study found that the global pandemic was driven by Omicron variants that evolved with significant differences between countries and regions, and with different patterns across continents.

Status of Using Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Patients with Cancer in Korea: an Online Survey of Online Cancer Support Groups (KCSG PC21-20) / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#An increasing number of patients with cancers are interested in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which lacks scientific evidence. This study aimed to determine how CAM was used and how media affected patients in online cancer support groups (OCSG). @*Materials and Methods@#Between August 18 and September 12, 2021, an online survey was conducted among the members of OCSG. The survey consisted of five parts: baseline characteristics, attitudes toward and experience with CAM, source of information and reliabilities, experience with anthelmintics, and online health information literacy and usage. @*Results@#Among the 644 responders, a total of 221 patients with cancer completed the survey, and 78.2% (173/221) used CAM. The users’ median age was 52 years; 46.8% were males, and 43.9% had metastatic disease. Fifty-three CAM users (30.6%) discussed their physicians about CAM. In addition, 16.2% (28/173) of CAM users had the experience of anthelmintics. The use of anthelmintics in patients with cancers was associated with younger age (odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84 to 0.95), metastatic disease (OR, 10.88; 95% CI, 3.39 to 34.86), previous exposure to CAM information (OR, 5.57; 95% CI, 1.01 to 30.72), experience with more types of CAM (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.29 to 3.05), and side effects (OR, 5.10; 95% CI 1.46 to 17.75). @*Conclusion@#Use of anthelmintics, a CAM of which information is widespread online, is affected by several factors. This study will provide essential information for developing a CAM management strategy in this digital age.

Factors Affecting Radiation Protective Behaviors in Perioperative Nurses Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior: Path Analysis

Purpose@#The aim of this study was to identify the factors explaining protective behaviors against radiation exposure in perioperative nurses based on the theory of planned behavior. @*Methods@#This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 229 perioperative nurses participated between October 3 and October 20, 2021. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 23.0 and AMOS 23.0 software. The three exogenous variables (attitude toward radiation protective behaviors, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) and two endogenous variables (radiation protective intention and radiation protective behaviors) were surveyed. @*Results@#The hypothetical model fit the data (χ2/df = 1.18, SRMR = .02, TLI = .98, CFI = .99, RMSEA = .03). Radiation protective intention (β = .24, p = .001) and attitude toward radiation protective behaviors (β = .32, p = .002) had direct effects on radiation protective behaviors. Subjective norm (β = .43, p = .002) and perceived behavior control (β = .24, p = .003) had direct effects on radiation protective intention, which explained 38.0% of the variance. Subjective norm (β = .10, p = .001) and perceived behavior control (β = .06, p = .002) had indirect effects via radiation protective intention on radiation protective behaviors. Attitude toward radiation protective behaviors, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were the significant factors explaining 49.0% of the variance in radiation protective behaviors. @*Conclusion@#This study shows that the theory of planned behavior can be used to effectively predict radiation protective behaviors in perioperative nurses. Radiation safety guidelines or education programs to enhance perioperative nurses’ protective behaviors should focus on radiation protective intention, attitude toward radiation protective behaviors, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control.

Differential Expression of NME4 in Trophoblast Stem-Like Cells and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Normal Pregnancy and Preeclampsia

Background@#Preeclampsia (PE) is known to arise from insufficient trophoblast invasion as uterine spiral arteries lack remodeling. A significant reduction in placental perfusion induces an ischemic placental microenvironment due to reduced oxygen delivery to the placenta and fetus, leading to oxidative stress. Mitochondria are involved in the regulation of cellular metabolism and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). NME/NM23 nuceloside diphosphate kinase 4 (NME4) gene is known to have the ability to supply nucleotide triphosphate and deoxynucleotide triphosphate for replication and transcription of mitochondria. Our study aimed to investigate changes in NME4 expression in PE using trophoblast stem-like cells (TSLCs) from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as a model of early pregnancy and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) as a model of late preterm pregnancy. @*Methods@#Transcriptome analysis using TSLCs was performed to identify the candidate gene associated with the possible pathophysiology of PE. Then, the expression of NME4 associated with mitochondrial function, p53 associated with cell death, and thioredoxin (TRX) linked to ROS were investigated through qRT-PCR, western blotting and deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay. @*Results@#In patients with PE, NME4 was significantly downregulated in TSLCs but upregulated in PBMNCs. p53 was shown to be upregulated in TSLCs and PBMNCs of PE. In addition, western blot analysis confirmed that TRX expression had the tendency to increase in TSLCs of PE. Similarly, TUNEL analysis confirmed that the dead cells were higher in PE than in normal pregnancy. @*Conclusion@#Our study showed that the expression of the NME4 differed between models of early and late preterm pregnancy of PE, and suggests that this expression pattern may be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of PE.