Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the influencing factors on health-related quality of life in childbearing women. Methods: This study used data from the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The participants were 1,348 women aged 19–49 years. Results: Health-related quality of life in childbearing women affecting factors are stress level, depression recognition, self-related health, and current smoking, having 40.1% explaining power (F=59.94, p=0.05). Conclusion Personal mental health care programs and nonsmoking programs should be developed to improve health-related quality of life in childbearing women. There is a need to establish a section dedicated to women's health promotion, and the section makes a policy for women's health care according to the life cycle dedicated to women's health promotion.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of cognitive flexibility and e-learning digital literacy on the learning flow of nursing students who had experienced e-learning. Methods: The research design for this study was a descriptive survey using convenience sampling. Data were collected using online questionnaires completed by 134 nursing students in A city and P city. The data were analyzed using percentages, mean values, standard deviations, Pearson‘s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression with SPSS for Windows version 22.0. Results: Positive correlations were found between learning flow and e-learning digital literacy (r = .43, p < .001), between learning flow and cognitive flexibility (r = .52, p < .001), and between e-learning digital literacy and cognitive flexibility (r = .65, p < .001). In the multiple regression analysis, cognitive flexibility (β = .42, p < .001) was a significant predictor that explained 27% of variance in learning flow. Conclusion The results of this study show that cognitive flexibility is a factor influencing learning flow in nursing students. Based on the results of the study, educational programs aiming to improve learning flow should include methods that improve cognitive flexibility.

PURPOSE: Reduced heart rate variability significantly increases cardiovascular mortality. Metabolic syndrome increases the cardiac autonomic dysfunction. Recently, increasing cardiovascular mortality has been reported in patients with schizophrenia. This study was done to compare heart rate variability between adults with and without schizophrenia and to compare the relationship of heart rate variability to metabolic syndrome in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: This was a descriptive and correlational study in which 719 adults without schizophrenia and 308 adults with schizophrenia took part between May and June 2008. We measured the following: five-minute heart rate variability; high-frequency, low-frequency, the ratio of low-frequency to high-frequency, and the Standard Deviation of all the normal RR intervals. Data was also collected on metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting glucose. RESULTS: The Standard Deviation of all the normal RR intervals values of heart rate variability indices were 1.53+/-0.18. The low-frequency and high-frequency values of heart rate variability indices were significantly higher in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia (3.89+/-1.36; 3.80+/-1.20) than those in the healthy participants (2.20+/-0.46; 2.10+/-0.46). There were no significant differences between the schizophrenic patients with and without metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that schizophrenia patients have significantly lower cardiac autonomic control, but they have significantly higher low-frequency and high-frequency values than those of healthy adults. Use of antipsychotic drug may affect the autonomic nervous system in schizophrenic patients. Metabolic syndrome was not associated with cardiac autonomic control in schizophrenia patients.
Adult ; Autonomic Nervous System/physiopathology ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases/complications/diagnosis/mortality ; Cholesterol, HDL/blood ; Female ; *Heart Rate ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*complications/*physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Obesity/etiology ; Schizophrenia/*complications/mortality/*physiopathology ; Triglycerides/blood

Polymyositis (PM) is a subset of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. The muscles involved with PM are typically proximal and distal limb muscles, but paraspinal muscles are rarely affected. The primary PM clinical symptom is gradual proximal muscle weakness but unusually abnormal trunk posture. Bent spine syndrome (BSS), also referred to camptocormia, is defined as an abnormal flexion of the trunk, appearing in standing position. An idiopathic axial myopathy is the most common cause of primary BSS. A few cases of inflammatory myopathy, a secondary BSS, have been reported. We describe a 59-year–old polymyositis patient with normal finding on an magnetic resonance imaging femur scan who presented with BSS only, myopathic findings on electromyography and elevation of muscle enzymes.
Electromyography ; Extremities ; Femur ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscles ; Muscular Diseases ; Myositis ; Paraspinal Muscles ; Polymyositis* ; Posture ; Spine*

In the present study, the use of dogs with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as a disease model for necrotizing encephalitis (NE) was assessed. Twelve healthy dogs were included in this study. Canine forebrain tissues (8 g), including white and grey matter, were homogenized with 4 mL of phosphate-buffered saline for 5 min in an ice bath. The suspension was emulsified with the same volume of Freund's complete adjuvant containing 1 mg/mL of killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra. Under sedation, each dog was injected subcutaneously with canine brain homogenate at four sites: two in the inguinal and two in the axillary regions. A second injection (booster) was administered to all the dogs using the same procedure 7 days after the first injection. Clinical assessment, magnetic resonance imaging, cerebrospinal fluid analyses, necropsies, and histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations were performed for the dogs with EAE. Out of the 12 animals, seven (58%) developed clinically manifest EAE at various times after immunization. Characteristics of canine EAE models were very similar to canine NE, suggesting that canine EAE can be a disease model for NE in dogs.
Animals ; Brain/*pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dog Diseases/*immunology ; Dogs ; Encephalitis/immunology/*veterinary ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/immunology/*veterinary ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique/veterinary ; Immunization/veterinary ; Immunohistochemistry/veterinary ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/veterinary ; Male ; Necrosis/immunology/*veterinary

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem, and accurate and rapid diagnosis of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extended drug-resistant (XDR) TB is important for appropriate treatment. In this study, performances of solid and liquid culture methods were compared with respect to MDR- and XDR-TB isolate recovery and drug susceptibility testing. METHODS: Sputum specimens from 304 patients were stained with Ziehl-Neelsen method. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) isolates were tested for recovery on Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium and the BacT Alert 3D system. For drug susceptibility testing of Mtb, isolates were evaluated on M-KIT plates and the BacT Alert 3D system. RESULTS: The recovery rates were 94.9% (206/217) and 98.2% (213/217) for LJ medium and the BacT Alert 3D system, respectively (kappa coefficient, 0.884). The rate of drug resistance was 13.4% for at least one or more drugs, 6.0% for MDR-TB and 2.3% for XDR-TB. M-KIT plate and BacT 3D Alert 3D system were comparable in drug susceptibility testing for isoniazid (97.7%; kappa coefficient, 0.905) and rifampin (98.6%; kappa coefficient, 0.907). Antibiotic resistance was observed using M-KIT plates for 24 of the total 29 Mtb isolates (82.8%). CONCLUSION: The liquid culture system showed greater reduction in the culture period, as compared with LJ medium; however, drug susceptibility testing using M-KIT plates was advantageous for simultaneous testing against multiple drug targets.
Diagnosis ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; Korea* ; Methods ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Rifampin ; Sputum ; Tertiary Care Centers* ; Tuberculosis

Gitelman's syndrome (GS), a hereditary disease characterized by hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypocalciuria, is a salt-losing renal tubulopathy. Herein, we describe a case of a 28-year-old woman diagnosed with atypical GS accompanying chondrocalcinosis. One year ago, she presented with vomiting, hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, and hypocalciuria, and was tested by diuretic challenge test. As a result, she was diagnosed with atypical GS with normomagnesemia and treated with spironolactone and potassium supplementation. Meanwhile, acute arthritis of the right 1st metatarsophalangeal joint occurred. On the radiographies of the knees, chondrocalcinosis was observed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in Korea of GS with chondrocalcinosis. Antialdosterone therapy or magnesium supplementation is effective in preventing the progression of chondrocalcinosis; thus, early diagnosis and treatment of GS are important.
Adult ; Alkalosis ; Arthritis ; Chondrocalcinosis* ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn ; Gitelman Syndrome* ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Knee ; Korea ; Magnesium ; Metatarsophalangeal Joint ; Potassium ; Spironolactone ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of patient education (PE) on patients' satisfaction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to compare nurse-led education with medical doctor (MD)-led education. METHODS: Patients were enrolled by categorizing in two groups, nurse-led and MD-led education, randomization was performed. Face-to-face education was conducted two times, and changes in patient satisfaction before and after PE were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS; 0 to100 mm) and patients' satisfaction questionnaire (PSQ). Changes in patients' reported outcomes (PRO) were measured using disease activity score with 28 joint-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR), health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), and European quality of life-5 dimension (EQ-5D). Changes in patients' satisfaction and PRO between before and after PE were compared using paired t-test, and the comparison between nurse-led and MD-led education was analyzed using independent t-test. RESULTS: A total of 120 patients, 60 patients from each group, were randomized to receive either nurse-led or MD-led education. Among them, 113 patients completely received education and final assessment. In total patients, patients' satisfaction was significantly increased from 87.8±13.1 mm to 92.3±8.8 mm in VAS (p<0.01), and from 3.7±0.4 to 4.0±0.4 in PSQ (p<0.01). There was no improvement in DAS28-ESR, HAQ, but there was mild improvement in quality of life (QOL) after PE. Improvement of patients' satisfaction by PSQ after nurse-led education was 0.4±0.4 and it was higher than 0.3±0.5 after MD-led education, but it was not statistically different (p=0.25). CONCLUSION: PE for RA patients improved patients' satisfaction and QOL. Nurse-led education showed comparable improvement in patients' satisfaction with MD-led education.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Education* ; Humans ; Patient Education as Topic* ; Patient Satisfaction ; Quality of Life ; Random Allocation

The purpose of this study was to identify time-related changes in clinical, MRI, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical findings associated with ischemic stroke in dogs. Additionally, the association of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and tissue levels of interleukin (IL)-6 with clinical prognosis was assessed. Ischemic stroke was induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in nine healthy experimental dogs. The dogs were divided into three groups according to survival time and duration of the experimental period: group A (survived only 1 day), group B (1-week experimental period), and group C (2-week experimental period). Neurologic status was evaluated daily. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed according to a predetermined schedule. Concentration of IL-6 in CSF was measured serially after ischemic stroke. Postmortem examination was performed for all experimental dogs. During histopathological examination, variable degrees of cavitation and necrosis due to neuronal cytopathic effects, such as pyknotic nuclei and cytoplasmic shrinkage, were observed on the affected side of the cerebral cortex in all dogs. Immunohistochemistry specific for IL-6 showed increased expression in the ischemic lesions. CSF IL-6 concentrations and ischemic lesion volumes 1 day after ischemic stroke were significantly higher in group A compared to groups B and C.
Animals ; Brain Ischemia/*etiology ; Dogs ; Female ; *Immunohistochemistry ; *Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Stroke/*pathology

Background: Despite the lack of official COVID-19 statistics, various workplaces and occupations have been at the center of COVID-19 outbreaks. We aimed to compare legal measures and governance established for managing COVID-19 infection risks at workplaces in nine Asia and Pacific countries and to recommend key administrative measures. Methods: We collected information on legal measures and governance from both general citizens and workers regarding infection risks such as COVID-19 from industrial hygiene professionals in nine countries (Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) using a structured questionnaire. Results: A governmental body overseeing public health and welfare was in charge of containing the spread and occurrence of infectious diseases under an infectious disease control and prevention act or another special act, although the name of the pertinent organizations and legislation vary among countries. Unlike in the case of other traditional hazards, there have been no specific articles or clauses describing the means of mitigating virus risk in the workplace that are legally required of employers, making it difficult to define the responsibilities of the employer. Each country maintains own legal systems regarding access to the duration, administration, and financing of paid sick leave. Many workers may not have access to paid sick leave even if it is legally guaranteed. Conclusion Specific legal measures to manage infectious disease risks, such as providing proper personal protective equipment, education, engineering control measures, and paid sick leave are recommended to be stipulated in Industrial safety and health-related acts.