Policosanol extracted from sugarcane wax is a generic term used for total fatty alcohols obtained from esterification of fatty acids. It has been approved as a health functional food by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of Korea in 2006. Policosanol is well-known to aid in lowering blood cholesterol level. Recently, several studies have reported the physiological activities of policosanol, such as anti-inflammatory effects, antioxidant effects, and lowering of the incidence of ageing-related diseases, for example, hypertension, stroke, among others. This review describes the physiological activities of policosanol and its applications in the field of health functional foods.
Antioxidants ; Cholesterol ; Esterification ; Fatty Acids ; Fatty Alcohols ; Functional Food ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Korea ; Saccharum ; Stroke

Considering that health inequalities derive from socioeconomic inequalities, fair policies and strategies to tackle health inequalities must focus on socioeconomic conditions. What is needed here is Health in All Policies, a comprehensive and intersectoral approach beyond health and healthcare sectors. However, based on a review of policies and programs of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the 3rd National Health Promotion Strategies (Health Plan 2020) in Korea, we conclude that they totally lacked in perspective on health equity and social determinants of health. In fact, even most programs under the name of health equity include only supplementary health services targeted for low-income groups. As socioeconomic inequalities are worsening in Korea, health inequalities are more likely to be further aggravated if timely actions are not taken.
Health Care Sector ; Health Impact Assessment ; Health Promotion ; Health Services ; Korea ; Policy Making ; Republic of Korea ; Socioeconomic Factors

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of the school organizational climate with perceived discrimination and the workplace violence among school health teachers. Methods: The research design was a cross-sectional study. The subjects of the study were 350 school health teachers with more than one year of teaching experience. Data were collected online using a questionnaire. Research variables are general characteristics, organizational climate, perceived discrimination, and workplace violence. The relationship between organizational climate and perceived discrimination and the relationship between organizational climate and workplace violence were analyzed using regression analysis. Results: The score for organizational climate of health teachers was 3.10 out of 5 points, the score for perceived discrimination was 2.85 out of 5 points, and the experience rate of workplace violence was 16.9%. School organizational climate was related to both workplace violence and perceived discrimination. The subcomponents of organizational climate affecting perceived discrimination of health teachers were interrelationship and the level of compensation. The subcomponents of organizational climate affecting workplace violence of health teachers were interrelationship and autonomy. Conclusion The improvement of the school's organizational climate can reduce the level of workplace violence and discrimination against health teachers. It is important to establish an appropriate evaluation system for health teachers and to recognize the role and expertise of health teachers. In addition, it is necessary for school administraters to actively support health teahcers and to create an organizational climate where they can be friendly and communicative.

Objective: We investigated the sleep parameters and clinical factors related to short sleep onset latency (SL) in cancer patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 235 cancer patients. Patient Health Questionnaire-9, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (State subcategory), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Cancer-related Dysfunctional Beliefs about Sleep, and Fear of Progression scale scores and sleep related parameters including sleeping pill ingestion time, bedtime, sleep onset time, and wake-up time were collected. We also calculated the duration from sleeping pill ingestion to bedtime, sleep onset time, and wake-up time; duration from wake-up time to bedtime and sleep onset time; and time spent in bed over a 24 hours period. Results: Among patients not taking sleeping pills (n = 145), early wake-up time (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.19−0.78), early sleep onset time (OR: 0.50, 95% CI 0.27−0.93), and low ISI score (OR: 0.82, 95% CI 0.71−0.93) were identified as expecting variables for SL ≤ 30 minutes. Longer duration from wake-up time to bedtime (OR: 2.49, 95% CI 1.48−4.18) predicted SL ≤ 30 minutes. Among those taking sleeping pills (n = 90), early sleep onset time (OR: 0.54, 95% CI 0.39−0.76) and short duration from pill ingestion to sleep onset time (OR: 0.05, 95% CI 0.02−0.16) predicted SL ≤ 30 minutes. Conclusion Cancer patients who fell asleep quickly spent less time in bed during the day. Thus, before cancer patients with insomnia are prescribed sleeping pills, their sleep parameters should be examined to improve their SL.

A 76-year-old, 148-cm woman was scheduled for right upper lobectomy. A 32 Fr left-sided double lumen tube was placed using a conventional technique. Despite several attempts under fiberoptic bronchoscope-guidance, we could not locate the double lumen tube properly. We thus decided to proceed with the bronchial tube in the right mainstem bronchus. During surgery, 8-cm-long laceration was noted on the posterolateral side of the trachea. To check the possibility of laceration of the proximal trachea, the double lumen tube was changed to an LMA for use as a conduit for fiberoptic bronchoscopic evaluation in the lateral position. A plain endotracheal tube with the cuff modified and collapsed was re-intubated after evaluation. And then she was transferred to SICU.
Aged ; Bronchi ; Female ; Humans ; Intubation ; Lacerations ; Trachea

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the effects of nursing intervention programs for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) through a critical review of recent studies. Methods: Studies related to effects of nursing intervention programs for women with GDM published in English or Korean between 2000 and 2019 were extracted from 10 electronic databases. The quality of the studies was evaluated and double-checked for accuracy by two reviewers using the Revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomized controlled trials. Results: Twenty studies were selected, of which 19 had a low risk of bias and one had a high risk of bias. Interventions fell into six main groups: (1) integrated interventions, (2) self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, (3) dietary interventions, (4) exercise, (5) psychotherapy, and (6) complementary therapy. This review found that nursing interventions for GDM were of many types, and integrated interventions were the most common. However, low-carbohydrate diets and blood glucose monitoring interventions did not show statistically significant results. Evidence shows that various nursing intervention programs applied to GDM improved diverse aspects of maternal, fetal, and neonatal health, including both physical and psychological aspects. Conclusion The composition and delivery of integrated interventions continue to evolve, and these interventions affect physical and psychological indicators. Although interventions affecting physical health indicators (e.g., blood glucose levels, diet, and exercise) are important, many studies have shown that programs including psycho-emotional nursing interventions related to anxiety, depression, stress, self- efficacy, and self-management are also highly useful.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the effects of nursing intervention programs for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) through a critical review of recent studies. Methods: Studies related to effects of nursing intervention programs for women with GDM published in English or Korean between 2000 and 2019 were extracted from 10 electronic databases. The quality of the studies was evaluated and double-checked for accuracy by two reviewers using the Revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomized controlled trials. Results: Twenty studies were selected, of which 19 had a low risk of bias and one had a high risk of bias. Interventions fell into six main groups: (1) integrated interventions, (2) self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, (3) dietary interventions, (4) exercise, (5) psychotherapy, and (6) complementary therapy. This review found that nursing interventions for GDM were of many types, and integrated interventions were the most common. However, low-carbohydrate diets and blood glucose monitoring interventions did not show statistically significant results. Evidence shows that various nursing intervention programs applied to GDM improved diverse aspects of maternal, fetal, and neonatal health, including both physical and psychological aspects. Conclusion The composition and delivery of integrated interventions continue to evolve, and these interventions affect physical and psychological indicators. Although interventions affecting physical health indicators (e.g., blood glucose levels, diet, and exercise) are important, many studies have shown that programs including psycho-emotional nursing interventions related to anxiety, depression, stress, self- efficacy, and self-management are also highly useful.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most high-risk cancers; however, it has been suggested that estrogen signaling in CRC could have a protective effect. Therefore, we focused on the function of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) among the estrogen receptors in CRC. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of resveratrol via GPER in CRC (RKO and WiDr) cells, CRC cell-derived xenograft models, and organoids (30T and 33T). Resveratrol significantly suppressed cell viability and proliferation in highly GPER-expressing RKO cells compared to that in low GPER-expressing WiDr cells. In xenograft models, resveratrol also delayed tumor growth and exhibited a high survival rate depending on GPER expression in RKO-derived tumors.Furthermore, resveratrol significantly inhibited the viability of organoids with high GPER expression. Additionally, the anticancer effect of resveratrol on CRC showed that resveratrol rapidly responded to GPER, while increasing the expression of p-ERK and Bax and cleaving PARP proteins.

PURPOSE: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has been widely used as an antiemetic agent. This systematic review was aimed at evaluation of the effect of dried ginger powder supplementation on improvement of nausea and vomiting associated with early pregnancy or motion sickness. METHODS: We searched Pubmed, Cochrane, Science Direct, and KISS (Korean studies Information Service System) using keywords such as ginger or Zingiber officinale in combination with nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, or pregnancy, published in March 2013. RESULTS: The strength of the evidence was evaluated on the selected 12 RCTs (randomized controlled trials). Eleven trials including 2,630 subjects showed that supplementation with dried ginger powder resulted in significant improvement of nausea or vomiting related to early pregnancy or motion sickness. Among the nine studies including 809 women in early pregnancy before 20 weeks of gestation, ginger supplementation was superior to placebo in five studies (n = 305), and as effective as positive control (vitamin B6 or dimenhydrinate) in four studies (n = 504). Ginger intake significantly reduced the episodes or severity of vomiting related to motion sickness compared to placebo or showed the same effect as several antiemetic drugs in two studies (n = 1,821). CONCLUSION: Our findings added evidence indicating that ginger powder supplements might improve the symptoms of nausea or vomiting related to early pregnancy or motion sickness without significant adverse events.
Antiemetics ; Female ; Ginger* ; Humans ; Information Services ; Morning Sickness ; Motion Sickness* ; Nausea* ; Pregnancy* ; Vomiting*

PURPOSE: In order to suggest optimal anticancer drugs for patient-tailored chemotherapy, we developed a colorectal cancer (CRC)-liver metastasis patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDTX) model. METHODS: Tissue obtained from a patient with CRC-liver metastasis (F0) was transplanted in a nonobese female mouse with diabetic/severe combined immune deficiency (F1) and the tumor tissue was retransplanted into nude mice (F2). When tumor volumes reached ~500 mm³, the F2 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 4/group) of doxorubicin, cisplatin, docetaxel, and nontreated control groups. The tumor tissues were investigated using H&E staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assays, and immunohistochemistry. To determine where the mutant allele frequencies varied across the different passages, we isolated genomic DNA from the primary tumor, liver metastasis, and PDTX models (F1/F2). RESULTS: The physiological properties of the tumor were in accord with those of the patient's tumors. Anticancer drugs delayed tumor growth, inhibited proliferation, and caused apoptosis. Histological assessments revealed no observable heterogeneity among the intragenerational PDTX models. Target exon sequencing analysis without high-quality filter conditions revealed some genetic variations in the 83 cancer-related genes across the generations. However, when de novo mutations were defined as a total count of zero in F0 and ≥5 in F2, exactly prognostic impact of clone cancer profiling (EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, NRAS, APC and TP53) were detected in the paired. CONCLUSION: A CRC liver metastasis PDTX model was established for the evaluation of chemotherapeutic efficacy. This model retained the physiological characters of the patient tumors and potentially provides a powerful means of assessing chemotherapeutic efficacy.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cisplatin ; Clone Cells ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; DNA ; DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy* ; Exons ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Variation ; Heterografts* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver* ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Population Characteristics ; Sequence Analysis ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays