New supplements with preventive effects against skin photodamage are receiving increasing attention. This study evaluated the anti-photoaging effects of salmon nasal cartilage proteoglycan (SPG), acting as a functional material for skin health. We administered SPG to in vitro and in vivo models exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation and assessed its moisturizing and anti-wrinkle effects on dorsal mouse skin and keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts cell lines. These results showed that SPG restored the levels of filaggrin, involucrin, and AQP3 in the epidermis of UVB-irradiated dorsal skin and keratinocytes, thereby enhancing the keratinization process and water flow. Additionally, SPG treatment increased the levels of hyaluronan and skin ceramide, the major components of intercellular lipids in the epidermis. Furthermore, SPG treatment significantly increased the levels of collagen and procollagen type 1 by down-regulating matrix metalloproteinase 1, which play a crucial role in skin fibroblasts, in both in vitro and in vivo models. In addition, SPG strongly inhibited mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) signaling, the including extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. These findings suggest that dietary SPG may be an attractive functional food for preventing UVB-induced photoaging. And this SPG product may provide its best benefit when treating several signs of skin photoaging.

Background: The benefits of transradial access (TRA) over transfemoral access (TFA) for bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are uncertain because of the limited availability of device selection. This study aimed to compare the procedural differences and the in-hospital and long-term outcomes of TRA and TFA for bifurcation PCI using secondgeneration drug-eluting stents (DESs). Methods: Based on data from the Coronary Bifurcation Stenting Registry III, a retrospective registry of 2,648 patients undergoing bifurcation PCI with second-generation DES from 21 centers in South Korea, patients were categorized into the TRA group (n = 1,507) or the TFA group (n = 1,141). After propensity score matching (PSM), procedural differences, in-hospital outcomes, and device-oriented composite outcomes (DOCOs; a composite of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization) were compared between the two groups (772 matched patients each group). Results: Despite well-balanced baseline clinical and lesion characteristics after PSM, the use of the two-stent strategy (14.2% vs. 23.7%, P = 0.001) and the incidence of in-hospital adverse outcomes, primarily driven by access site complications (2.2% vs. 4.4%, P = 0.015), were significantly lower in the TRA group than in the TFA group. At the 5-year follow-up, the incidence of DOCOs was similar between the groups (6.3% vs. 7.1%, P = 0.639). Conclusion The findings suggested that TRA may be safer than TFA for bifurcation PCI using second-generation DESs. Despite differences in treatment strategy, TRA was associated with similar long-term clinical outcomes as those of TFA. Therefore, TRA might be the preferred access for bifurcation PCI using second-generation DES.

Background: Plastic waste generates pollutants in the process of incineration or landfilling, and accumulates in water or marine organisms, causing adverse effects on the environment and the human body. Recently, various eco-friendly oral hygiene products (Eco-OHPs) such as bamboo toothbrushes and biodegradable plastic toothbrushes have been developed. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the current level of awareness and purchasing status of eco-OHPs among adults who are interested in eco-friendly products. Methods: This study included adults aged ＞19 years who regularly visited eco-friendly shops and online sites; the online survey links were distributed during their visits to eco-friendly Internet cafés and companies. Of the 22 questions, seven assessed the participants’ general characteristics, three assessed the general oral hygiene care products used, six assessed the level of awareness of Eco-OHPs, and six assessed the purchasing status of Eco-OHPs. Frequency analysis, chi-square test, and regression analysis were performed using SPSS software. Results: Among the respondents, 108 (51.4%) were aware of Eco-OHPs, and 79 (37.6%) had experience purchasing Eco-OHPs. The most common reason for not purchasing was the lack of information about related brands or products (74, 56.5%). The most common platform used in obtaining information was the Internet (general: 31.5%, eco-friendly: 46.3%), such as Social Network Service, Internet cafes, and blogs. The experience in purchasing Eco-OHPs was affected by whether the respondents recognized the possibility of contributing to environmental preservation, availability of vendors, product safety, and the number of eco-friendly products purchased. Conclusion In order to expand the use of Eco-OHPs, various efforts such as promotion of eco-friendly characteristics, determination of related vendors, reliable analysis of product safety, and expansion of product experience opportunities are required.

Background: This study tries to compare and analyze the removal effect of dental plaque of general dentifrice and pregnant women’s dentifrice and quantify the results to provide basic data so that consumers can make reasonable choices when purchasing dentifrice, and also increase interest in the dental plaque. Methods: After forming a dental plaque (carbohydrate porridge) on the labial surface of the bovine teeth, a disclosing agent was applied. Then the same experimenter brushed the surface of the bovine teeth using an electric toothbrush and took photographs using a DSLR camera. Thereafter, the residual amount of dental plaque was analyzed using the ImageJ program, and SPSS 26.0 was used for statistical processing. Results: The average residual amount of dental plaque using the general dentifrice was 11.71% for Perio, 9.45% for Cliden, and 8.47% for 2080, and the average residual amount for the three types was approximately 9.88%. The average residual amount of dental plaque of pregnant women’s dentifrice was 13.95% for Jeninmothers, 12.53% for Tntnmoms, and 12.63% for Mommiracle, and the average residual amount of the three types was approximately 13.04%. On comparing the average residual amount of dental plaque between general and pregnant women’s dentifrices, it was observed to be 3.16% higher for the latter. However, the results were not statistically significant. Conclusion According to the research results, there was no significant difference in removal effects of general dentifrice and pregnant women’s dentifrice. In addition, when a pregnant woman uses the right toothbrushing method with pregnant women’s dentifrice, it can prevent or inhibit the progression of the gestational periodontal disease. Therefore, we recommend pregnant women to use pregnant women’s dentifrices.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors associated with unmet needs in immigrant patients complaining of abdominal pain, by analyzing those associated with the time from symptom onset to emergency room visit.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of immigrants with abdominal pain who visited a tertiary hospital emergency department from January to December 2016. The dependent variable was the time from symptom onset to emergency room visit. The independent variables were age, sex, vital signs, disposition, health insurance status, date of visit, time of visit, level of education, employment status, economic satisfaction, marital status, living with family, duration of residence, having a native spouse, and subjective proficiency in Korean. We analyzed the association of the dependent variable with each independent variable.RESULTS: In total, 102 immigrant patients with abdominal pain were enrolled in this study. The patients who had earlier visits had good subjective proficiency in Korean, high economic satisfaction, longer durations of residence, a tendency to have a native spouse, and a high employment rate. After linear regression analysis, the time from symptom onset to emergency room visit was negatively associated with employment (adjusted odds ratio, -13.67; 95% confidence interval, -23.25 to -4.09; P=0.006) and having a native spouse (adjusted odds ratio, -11.7; 95% confidence interval, -20.61 to -2.8; P=0.011).CONCLUSION: The factors influencing the time from symptom onset to emergency room visit in immigrant patients with abdominal pain are associated with social capital, which improves access to emergency care. Policies that improve immigrant access to emergency care should be considered.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Education ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Employment ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Marital Status ; Medical Records ; Odds Ratio ; Retrospective Studies ; Social Capital ; Spouses ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Vital Signs

We report 17 patients with human granulocytic anaplasmosis between January 2015 and September 2018 at two tertiary university hospitals in Korea. Monthly incidence peaked in May and June. Among these patients, we identified three who were co-infected with scrub typhus, and one patient with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
Anaplasmosis ; Animals ; Coinfection ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Scrub Typhus