Effectiveness of Mechanical Bowel Preparation before Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgery: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Controlled Trial.

Objective: The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to compare the effect of bowel preparation using only oral polyethylene glycol electrolyte (PEG) solution versus oral PEG solution combined with mechanical sodium phosphate (NaP) enema on the surgical field visualization in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic gynecologic procedures.

Methods: Participants were randomized to either a single oral PEG solution or an oral PEG solution combined by mechanical NaP enema. The intraoperative visualization of the surgical field, the ease of manipulation of the bowels, and overall difficulty level of the surgery were evaluated by the surgeon using a self-administered questionnaire.

Electric-Field-Driven Trion Drift and Funneling in MoSe Monolayer.

Excitons, electron-hole pairs in semiconductors, can be utilized as information carriers with a spin or valley degree of freedom. However, manipulation of excitons' motion is challenging because of their charge-neutral characteristic and short recombination lifetimes. Here we demonstrate electric-field-driven drift and funneling of charged excitons (i.

Ultra-thin grating coupler for guided exciton-polaritons in WS multilayers.

An ultra-thin transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) layer can support guided exciton-polariton modes due to the strong coupling between excitons and photons. Herein, we report the guided mode resonance in an ultra-thin TMDC grating structure. Owing to the strong exciton resonances in TMDCs, a TMDC grating structure shows guided-mode resonance even at a thickness limit of ∼10 nm and is capable of realizing polaritonic dispersion in a monolithic grating structure.

Direct Observation of Self-Hybridized Exciton-Polaritons and Their Valley Polarizations in a Bare WS Layer.

The strong excitonic properties of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) have led to the successful demonstration of exciton-polaritons (EPs) in various optical cavity structures. Recently, self-hybridized EPs have been discovered in a bare TMD layer, but experimental investigation is still lacking because of their nonradiative nature. Herein, the direct observation of self-hybridized EPs in a bare multilayer WS via the evanescent field coupling technique is reported.

Association of hormone therapy and changes of objective sleep quality in women of late menopausal transition with sleep disorder: a preliminary study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate changes in objective sleep quality with hormone therapy (HT) in women with late menopausal transition.

Methods: Healthy midlife women with sleep difficulty who received HT were included. Those undergoing late menopausal transition were screened.

Etiology and Secular Trends in Primary Amenorrhea in 856 Patients: A 17-Year Retrospective Multicenter Study in Korea.

Background: This study was performed to evaluate etiologies and secular trends in primary amenorrhea in South Korea.

Methods: This retrospective multi-center study analyzed 856 women who were diagnosed with primary amenorrhea between 2000 and 2016. Clinical characteristics were compared according to categories of amenorrhea (hypergonadotropic/hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, eugonadism, disorders of sex development) or specific causes of primary amenorrhea.

Development of an endometriosis self-assessment tool for patient.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and verify an endometriosis self-assessment tool (ESAT).

Methods: A non-experimental, descriptive, correlational study design was used. Candidate items were developed based on a conceptual framework constructed using the results of in-depth interviews and an integrative literature review.

Intravenous leiomyomatosis misdiagnosed with large thrombosis in inferior vena cava.

Objective: The aim of this report is to highlight the importance of a comprehensive preoperative evaluation in the case of intravenous leiomyomatosis.

Case Report: A 49-year-old women was presented with dyspnea and abdominal distension. Imaging studies revealed a large leiomyoma with intravenous leiomyomatosis from this mass to the right parauterine veins, right ovarian vein reaching the inferior vena cava.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy for FIGO type II sub-mucosal leiomyoma without endometrial injury for a patient with history of miscarriage.

To introduce a technique for robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy for FIGO type II sub-mucosal leiomyoma with >50% myometrial extension, without endometrial injury. A narrated video demonstration of our technique has been provided. Our patient was a 35-year-old, gravida 1, para 0 woman with secondary infertility.

Estimated Prevalence and Incidence of Uterine Leiomyoma, and Its Treatment Trend in South Korean Women for 12 years: A National Population-Based Study.

Although uterine leiomyoma causes many problems, including infertility, there are few studies that have investigated the epidemiologic characteristics of uterine leiomyoma in South Korea. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and incidence of uterine leiomyoma in South Korea and analyze the treatment trends. Women of reproductive age (15-54 years) were selected from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) sample cohort dataset, which was collected from 2002 to 2013.

The Estimated Prevalence and Incidence of Endometriosis With the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC): A National Population-Based Study.

Background: The incidence and prevalence of endometriosis remain unclear due to diagnostic difficulties. Especially, there has been little information regarding the population-based epidemiology of endometriosis. The purpose of this study is to estimate the prevalence and incidence of endometriosis in Korea based on the health insurance claims data.

Ageism between Medical and Preliminary Medical Persons in Korea.

Background: We aimed to analyse the trends in ageism among health care providers and medical students in the Republic of Korea.

Methods: We used the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA), Relating to Older People Evaluation (ROPE) questionnaire, Anxiety about Aging Scale (AAS), and the Facts on Aging Quiz II to assess ageism in medical students (n=90), nurses (n=114), and physicians (n=83). We grouped health care providers based on the percentage of aged patients (over 65 years) that they treated.

Non-absorbable versus absorbable sutures for anterior colporrhaphy: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in South Korea.

Introduction: The anterior vaginal wall is the segment most commonly affected by prolapse. Traditionally, anterior vaginal wall prolapse is repaired via anterior colporrhaphy, which is known to have a high recurrence rate. Several factors might affect the outcome of anterior colporrhaphy, and the use of absorbable sutures might also be associated with the high recurrence rate because the sutures might not be able to retain adequate strength until the plicated pubocervical fascia remodels and regains maximum tensile strength.

Erratum to: Sleep Disorders and Menopause.

This corrects the article on p. 83 in vol. 25, PMID: 31497577.

The effect of the look-back period for estimating incidence using administrative data.

Background: The look-back period is needed to define baseline population for estimating incidence. However, short look-back period is known to overestimate incidence of diseases misclassifying prevalent cases to incident cases. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the various length of look-back period on the observed incidences of uterine leiomyoma, endometriosis and adenomyosis, and to estimate true incidences considering the misclassification errors in the longitudinal administrative data in Korea.

Association of preoperative pain in knee and external to knee with postoperative pain outcome after total knee arthroplasty.

Background: Preoperative pain in the symptomatic knee may predict postoperative pain severity in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the effect of preoperative pain external to the knee on postoperative pain is unclear. This study evaluated postoperative pain outcomes in TKA patients according to the presence of preoperative pain in the knee only or in the knee and external to the knee.

The Effect of Perioperative Intravenous Iron on Hemoglobin in Surgical Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Patient blood management aims to maintain hemoglobin level, minimize blood loss, and avoid unnecessary blood transfusion. Ferric carboxymaltose, an intravenous iron agent, was included as a part of surgical patient blood management strategy. However, it is still controversial that ferric carboxymaltose can reduce transfusion requirements.

Effects of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate on Bone Metabolism in Ovariectomized Mice.

Background: The molecular pathways of how endocrine disruptors affect bone mineral density (BMD) and bone remodeling are still unclear. The purpose of this experimental study is to determine the effects of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) on bone metabolism in ovariectomized mice.

Methods: Twenty-six-month-old female CD-1 mice were divided into 4 groups: control, low-dose DEHP, high-dose DEHP, and estrogen groups (n=5, each group).

Sleep Disorders and Menopause.

Sleep disorders are one of the main symptoms of menopause. Symptoms of sleep disorders that menopausal women complain about include falling asleep, frequent awakening and/or early morning awakening. There are many possible causes of sleep disorders in postmenopausal women, including vasomotor symptoms, ovarian hormone changes, restless legs syndrome, periodic leg movement syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea.

Discovery of a small molecule RXFP3/4 agonist that increases food intake in rats upon acute central administration.

The relaxin family peptide receptors have been implicated in numerous physiological processes including energy homeostasis, cardiac function, wound healing, and reproductive function. Two family members, RXFP3 and RXFP4, are class A GPCRs with endogenous peptide ligands (relaxin-3 and insulin-like peptide 5 (INSL5), respectively). Polymorphisms in relaxin-3 and RXFP3 have been associated with obesity, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia.

Development of a Model for the Prediction of Treatment Response of Uterine Leiomyomas after Uterine Artery Embolization.

Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is one of the minimally-invasive alternatives to hysterectomy for treatment of uterine leiomyomas. There are various factors affecting the outcomes of UAE, but these have only been sporadically studied. To identify factors associated with the efficacy of UAE for the treatment of uterine leiomyoma, and to develop a model for the prediction of treatment response of uterine leiomyomas to UAE.

Effect of mistletoe on endometrial stromal cell survival and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in patients with endometriosis.

To evaluate the effect of mistletoe on the cell viability of patients with endometriosis, the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured, and the change in the expression level of VEGF following mistletoe treatment was recorded. Forty reproductive-aged women with endometriosis (stage I/II [group 1, n=20], and stage III/IV [group 2, n=20]) were prospectively enrolled. Twenty women who underwent gynaecologic operations for benign conditions were selected as the control group.