Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the content and effectiveness of psychosocial support interventions for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: The following databases were searched with no limitation of the time period: Ovid-MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Ovid-Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, NDSL, KoreaMed, RISS, and KISS. Two investigators independently reviewed and selected articles according to the predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. ROB 2.0 and the RoBANS 2.0 checklist were used to evaluate study quality. Results: Based on the 14 selected studies, psychosocial support interventions were provided for the purpose of (1) informational support (including GDM and diabetes mellitus information; how to manage diet, exercise, stress, blood glucose, and weight; postpartum management; and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus); (2) self-management motivation (setting goals for diet and exercise management, glucose monitoring, and enhancing positive health behaviors); (3) relaxation (practicing breathing and/or meditation); and (4) emotional support (sharing opinions and support). Psychosocial supportive interventions to women with GDM lead to behavioral change, mostly in the form of self-care behavior; they also reduce depression, anxiety and stress, and have an impact on improving self-efficacy. These interventions contribute to lowering physiological parameters such as fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and 2-hour postprandial glucose levels. Conclusion Psychosocial supportive interventions can indeed positively affect self-care behaviors, lifestyle changes, and physiological parameters in women with GDM. Nurses can play a pivotal role in integrative management and can streamline the care for women with GDM during pregnancy and following birth, especially through psychosocial support interventions.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the content and effectiveness of psychosocial support interventions for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: The following databases were searched with no limitation of the time period: Ovid-MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Ovid-Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, NDSL, KoreaMed, RISS, and KISS. Two investigators independently reviewed and selected articles according to the predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. ROB 2.0 and the RoBANS 2.0 checklist were used to evaluate study quality. Results: Based on the 14 selected studies, psychosocial support interventions were provided for the purpose of (1) informational support (including GDM and diabetes mellitus information; how to manage diet, exercise, stress, blood glucose, and weight; postpartum management; and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus); (2) self-management motivation (setting goals for diet and exercise management, glucose monitoring, and enhancing positive health behaviors); (3) relaxation (practicing breathing and/or meditation); and (4) emotional support (sharing opinions and support). Psychosocial supportive interventions to women with GDM lead to behavioral change, mostly in the form of self-care behavior; they also reduce depression, anxiety and stress, and have an impact on improving self-efficacy. These interventions contribute to lowering physiological parameters such as fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and 2-hour postprandial glucose levels. Conclusion Psychosocial supportive interventions can indeed positively affect self-care behaviors, lifestyle changes, and physiological parameters in women with GDM. Nurses can play a pivotal role in integrative management and can streamline the care for women with GDM during pregnancy and following birth, especially through psychosocial support interventions.

PURPOSE: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been identified as an early marker of acute kidney injury (AKI). This study was designed to evaluate the clinical utility of the rapid plasma NGAL assay for diagnosing AKI in critically ill newborn infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). METHODS: The medical records of 178 critically ill newborn infants >34 weeks of gestational age who underwent plasma NGAL measurement during the first week of life in the Korea University Ansan Hospital NICU from February 2011 to August 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Plasma NGAL levels were measured at bedside by using a commercial competitive immunoassay kit simultaneously with serum creatinine (Cr) level determination. RESULTS: Of 178 newborn infants enrolled in this study (study group), 25 infants had AKI (AKI group) while 153 infants had no AKI (control group). The plasma NGAL level in the AKI group (114.0 [76.5–281.5] ng/mL) was significantly higher than that in the control group (74.0 [52.5–122.5] ng/mL, P=0.001). Moreover, plasma NGAL levels were found to be correlated with serum Cr levels in the study group (r=0.208, P=0.005). Plasma NGAL achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.705 for detecting AKI (95% confidence interval: 0.593–0.817). The best cutoff plasma NGAL level for AKI diagnosis was 100 ng/mL. CONCLUSION: The rapid plasma NGAL assay has diagnostic value for AKI in critically ill newborn infants >34 weeks of gestational age. Further investigations with a larger population are needed to confirm the potential use of plasma NGAL levels for diagnosing AKI in newborn infants.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Creatinine ; Critical Illness* ; Diagnosis ; Gestational Age ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Korea ; Lipocalins* ; Medical Records ; Neutrophils* ; Plasma* ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve

PURPOSE: Breast cancer has a high prevalence in Korea. To achieve personalized therapy for breast cancer, long-term follow-up specimens are needed for next-generation sequencing (NGS) and multigene analysis. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples are easier to store than fresh frozen (FF) samples. The objective of this study was to optimize RNA extraction from FFPE blocks for NGS. METHODS: RNA quality from FF and FFPE tissues (n=5), expected RNA amount per unit area, the relationship between archiving time and quantity/quality of FFPE-extracted RNA (n=14), differences in quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and NGS results, and comparisons of both techniques with tissue processing at different institutions (n=96) were determined in this study. RESULTS: The quality of RNA did not show any statistically significant difference between paired FF and FFPE specimens (p=0.49). Analysis of tumor cellularity gave an expected RNA amount of 33.25 ng/mm2. Archiving time affected RNA quality, showing a negative correlation with RNA integrity number and a positive correlation with threshold cycle. However, RNA from samples as old as 10 years showed a 100% success rate in qRT-PCR using short primers, showing that the effect of archiving time can be overcome by proper experiment design. NGS showed a higher success rate than qRT-PCR. Specimens from institution B (n=46), which were often stored in a refrigerator for more than 6 hours and fixed without slicing, showed lower success rates and worse results than specimens from the other institutes. CONCLUSION: Archived FFPE tissues can be used to extract RNA for NGS if they are properly processed before fixation. The expected amount of RNA per unit size calculated in this study will be useful for other researchers.
Academies and Institutes ; Breast Neoplasms ; Estrogens ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA* ; Sequence Analysis

Antimicrobial (AM) resistance is a growing threat in human and veterinary medicine, spreading across species and perceived as One-Health issue. Prudent use of AM products is essential in mitigating this risk in both human and veterinary medicine. Farm veterinarians, responsible for prescribing appropriate AM and offering advice to farmers on their proper usage, are regarded as key players in the livestock industry. An online survey of farm veterinarians (n = 1,531) was conducted to assess their educational experience, beliefs, current status of prescription, practical behavior, and self-efficacy regarding the prudent use of antimicrobials (PUA). The data from 170 respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression and mediation analysis. Participants chose AM based on their experiences, academic resources, and peer veterinarians. Approximately 77% did not routinely conduct antibiotic-susceptibility-test. Most participants believed in the importance of PUA and the role of veterinarians to reduce AM resistance, but they reported a lack of awareness among farmers and insufficient national support interfere with their practical behavior with regard to PUA. Half of the participants had PUA-education, and 78.6% reported that education had a positive impact on their behavior with PUA. Self-efficacy partly mediates the relationship between belief and behavior for PUA, which accounted for 23.77% of the total effect that beliefs have on behavior for PUA. The findings of the study show that enhancing veterinarians' abilities to practice and their self-efficacy through education tailored to the current status of farms can contribute to the reduction of AMs in the livestock sector.

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting dry eye syndrome and quality of life (QoL) among college students. Methods: This cross-sectional study administered a descriptive survey to 184 college students across Korea. Data collection was conducted from August 27 to 28, 2024, using an online survey platform (Google Forms). The self-reported survey comprised the Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument with 8 Items scale, the Dry Eye Questionnaire 5, and the Ocular Surface Disease Index. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27.0. Results: The participants had a mean age of 21.37 (standard deviation 1.96) years. Regression analysis identified sleep satisfaction, vision-related functions, and dry eye symptoms as statistically significant predictors of QoL, accounting for 18.4% of the variance (F = 14.71, p < .001). Dry eye symptoms were significantly influenced by the use of artificial tears, vision-related functions, and environmental factors, which accounted for 41.3% of the variance (F = 43.93, p < .001). Additionally, significant determinants of ocular surface disease included the use of vision correction tools, the presence of ophthalmic diseases, sleep satisfaction, and dry eye symptoms. These factors explained 45.7% of the variance, confirming the model's robustness (F = 31.84, p < .001). Conclusion: It is necessary to identify strategies to alleviate dry eye syndrome in college students and develop comprehensive prevention and management programs to improve their QoL.

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting dry eye syndrome and quality of life (QoL) among college students. Methods: This cross-sectional study administered a descriptive survey to 184 college students across Korea. Data collection was conducted from August 27 to 28, 2024, using an online survey platform (Google Forms). The self-reported survey comprised the Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument with 8 Items scale, the Dry Eye Questionnaire 5, and the Ocular Surface Disease Index. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27.0. Results: The participants had a mean age of 21.37 (standard deviation 1.96) years. Regression analysis identified sleep satisfaction, vision-related functions, and dry eye symptoms as statistically significant predictors of QoL, accounting for 18.4% of the variance (F = 14.71, p < .001). Dry eye symptoms were significantly influenced by the use of artificial tears, vision-related functions, and environmental factors, which accounted for 41.3% of the variance (F = 43.93, p < .001). Additionally, significant determinants of ocular surface disease included the use of vision correction tools, the presence of ophthalmic diseases, sleep satisfaction, and dry eye symptoms. These factors explained 45.7% of the variance, confirming the model's robustness (F = 31.84, p < .001). Conclusion: It is necessary to identify strategies to alleviate dry eye syndrome in college students and develop comprehensive prevention and management programs to improve their QoL.

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting dry eye syndrome and quality of life (QoL) among college students. Methods: This cross-sectional study administered a descriptive survey to 184 college students across Korea. Data collection was conducted from August 27 to 28, 2024, using an online survey platform (Google Forms). The self-reported survey comprised the Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument with 8 Items scale, the Dry Eye Questionnaire 5, and the Ocular Surface Disease Index. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27.0. Results: The participants had a mean age of 21.37 (standard deviation 1.96) years. Regression analysis identified sleep satisfaction, vision-related functions, and dry eye symptoms as statistically significant predictors of QoL, accounting for 18.4% of the variance (F = 14.71, p < .001). Dry eye symptoms were significantly influenced by the use of artificial tears, vision-related functions, and environmental factors, which accounted for 41.3% of the variance (F = 43.93, p < .001). Additionally, significant determinants of ocular surface disease included the use of vision correction tools, the presence of ophthalmic diseases, sleep satisfaction, and dry eye symptoms. These factors explained 45.7% of the variance, confirming the model's robustness (F = 31.84, p < .001). Conclusion: It is necessary to identify strategies to alleviate dry eye syndrome in college students and develop comprehensive prevention and management programs to improve their QoL.

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting dry eye syndrome and quality of life (QoL) among college students. Methods: This cross-sectional study administered a descriptive survey to 184 college students across Korea. Data collection was conducted from August 27 to 28, 2024, using an online survey platform (Google Forms). The self-reported survey comprised the Health-Related Quality of Life Instrument with 8 Items scale, the Dry Eye Questionnaire 5, and the Ocular Surface Disease Index. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27.0. Results: The participants had a mean age of 21.37 (standard deviation 1.96) years. Regression analysis identified sleep satisfaction, vision-related functions, and dry eye symptoms as statistically significant predictors of QoL, accounting for 18.4% of the variance (F = 14.71, p < .001). Dry eye symptoms were significantly influenced by the use of artificial tears, vision-related functions, and environmental factors, which accounted for 41.3% of the variance (F = 43.93, p < .001). Additionally, significant determinants of ocular surface disease included the use of vision correction tools, the presence of ophthalmic diseases, sleep satisfaction, and dry eye symptoms. These factors explained 45.7% of the variance, confirming the model's robustness (F = 31.84, p < .001). Conclusion: It is necessary to identify strategies to alleviate dry eye syndrome in college students and develop comprehensive prevention and management programs to improve their QoL.