Exploring the Impact of COVID-19-Related Changes on the Well-Being of Korean Adolescents: An Analysis Using a Serial Mediation Model.

Purpose: Few studies have investigated both the positive and negative impacts of perceived changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents' wellbeing. This study aimed to comprehensively identify the factors associated with the overall wellbeing of the youth population.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed using data from the 2020 Korean Survey of Children and Youth.

Microbiome alterations in women with pelvic organ prolapse and after anatomical restorative interventions.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a benign gynecological disease in which the pelvic organ descends into the vagina and causes voiding, and defecatory dysfunction, mainly occurs in older women. This study aimed to investigate the vaginal microbiome of POP and associated changes after anatomical restorative pessary or reconstructive pelvic operation. We analyzed the vaginal microbiome using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing and compared the results among patient groups with POP, pessary, and postoperation.

Characteristics of Human Nasal Turbinate Stem Cells under Hypoxic Conditions.

This study investigated the influence of hypoxic culture conditions on human nasal inferior turbinate-derived stem cells (hNTSCs), a subtype of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). It aimed to discern how hypoxia affected hNTSC characteristics, proliferation, and differentiation potential compared to hNTSCs cultured under normal oxygen levels. After obtaining hNTSCs from five patients, the samples were divided into hypoxic and normoxic groups.

Factors Associated with Aging in Place among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Korea: Findings from a National Survey.

Ever since baby boomers started turning 65 years old in 2020, Korea is set to become a super-aged society by 2025. This makes it the world's fastest-aging society. Aging in place (AIP) has become a policy direction to prepare for an aging society and improve older adults' quality of life.

Changes in Factors Affecting the Life Satisfaction of Multicultural Adolescents in Korea.

Background: Currently, Korea is witnessing a steady increase in the number of adolescents from multicultural families. we aimed to identify the trends in life satisfaction changes and identifies the predictors of life satisfaction in multicultural adolescents at the grade level.

Methods: Data from the Multicultural Adolescent Panel Survey (2012-2015) were analyzed in this study.

Association of Residence Type on Smoking in South Korean Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a National Survey.

The closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic has forced adolescents to stay home. These disruptions, as well as a significant decrease in social access, have impacted smoking behavior. This study identified the association between the adolescents' type of residence and tobacco product use.

Comparison of Th1 and Th17 Inflammatory Cytokine Profiles Between Chronic Plaque and Acute Guttate Psoriasis.

Background: The phenotypic heterogeneity of psoriasis is suspected to reflect differences in its pathogenesis, but not yet completely elucidated. Studies of the Th1 and Th17 cytokines associated with different phenotypes of psoriasis have yielded inconsistent results.

Objective: To investigate the tissue expression levels of Th1 and Th17 cytokines among patients with chronic plaque psoriasis, acute guttate psoriasis, and healthy control.

MicroRNAs as potential indicators of the development and progression of uterine leiomyoma.

Recent studies demonstrated a significant role of several microRNAs (miRs) in the development of leiomyoma. Here, we investigated miR expression profiles using microarray and found a significantly higher expression of miRs in leiomyoma than in adjacent myometrium. We also confirmed the upregulation of five selected miRs including miR-181a-5p, 127-3p, 28-3p, 30b-5p and let-7c-5p in cellular proliferation, extracellular matrix turnover, and angiogenesis by RT-qPCR.

Clinical Significance of Composition and Functional Diversity of the Vaginal Microbiome in Recurrent Vaginitis.

Objective: The vaginal microbiome protects the female genital tract from various diseases, such as vaginitis, a vaginal inflammation characterized by abnormal discharge, itching, and pain. To evaluate the clinical relationship between the vaginal microbiome and the pathophysiology of recurrent vaginitis (RV), we investigated the microbiome taxonomic profile (MTP) in the vaginal samples of Korean female patients with RV.

Methods: Forty women of reproductive age diagnosed with RV were enrolled.

Validity and Reliability of a Korean Version of the ConCom Safety Management Scale.

The purpose of this study was to verify the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the ConCom Safety Management Scale (K-CCSMS). This study consisted of two phases. First, in accordance with the guidelines of the World Health Organization, the Korean version of the scale was developed in five stages.

Metabolic Labeling to Probe the Spatiotemporal Accumulation of Matrix at the Chondrocyte-Hydrogel Interface.

Hydrogels are engineered with biochemical and biophysical signals to recreate aspects of the native microenvironment and to control cellular functions such as differentiation and matrix deposition. This deposited matrix accumulates within the pericellular space and likely affects the interactions between encapsulated cells and the engineered hydrogel; however, there has been little work to study the spatiotemporal evolution of matrix at this interface. To address this, metabolic labeling is employed to visualize the temporal and spatial positioning of nascent proteins and proteoglycans deposited by chondrocytes.

Emergency exploratory laparotomy in a COVID-19 patient - A case report.

Background: Surgeries in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) put medical staff at a high risk of infection. We report the anesthetic management and infection control of a mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patient who underwent exploratory laparotomy for suspected duodenal ulcer perforation.

Case: A 73-year-old man, mechanically ventilated for confirmed COVID-19, showed clinical and radiographic signs of a perforated duodenal ulcer, and he was transferred under sedation and intubation to a negative-pressure operating room.

Analgesic effect of ropivacaine with fentanyl in comparison with ropivacaine alone for continuous femoral nerve block after knee replacement arthroplasty: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study.

Background: The analgesic effect of perineural opioid in clinical practice are still controversial. This randomized controlled trial compared analgesic effect of ropivacaine with fentanyl or ropivacaine alone for continuous femoral nerve block following unilateral total knee arthroplasty.

Methods: Fourty patients of ASA PS Ⅰ or Ⅱ receiving total knee arthroplasty with spinal anesthesia were enlisted and randomly allocated into two groups.

Association of Photopic and Mesopic Contrast Sensitivity in older drivers with risk of motor vehicle collision using naturalistic driving data.

Background: Older drivers have a crash rate nearly equal to that of young drivers whose crash rate is the highest among all age groups. Contrast sensitivity impairment is common in older adults. The purpose of this study is to examine whether parameters from the photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity functions (CSF) are associated with incident motor vehicle crash involvement by older drivers.

3D bioprinting via an in situ crosslinking technique towards engineering cartilage tissue.

3D bioprinting is a promising approach for the repair of cartilage tissue after damage due to injury or disease; however, the design of 3D printed scaffolds has been limited by the availability of bioinks with requisite printability, cytocompatibility, and bioactivity. To address this, we developed an approach termed in situ crosslinking that permits the printing of non-viscous, photocrosslinkable bioinks via the direct-curing of the bioink with light through a photopermeable capillary prior to deposition. Using a norbornene-modified hyaluronic acid (NorHA) macromer as a representative bioink and our understanding of thiol-ene curing kinetics with visible light, we varied the printing parameters (e.

Influence of hyaluronic acid modification on CD44 binding towards the design of hydrogel biomaterials.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a linear polysaccharide of d-glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-d-glucosamine that is native to many tissues and interacts with cells via cell-surface receptors (e.g., CD44).

Gallol-derived ECM-mimetic adhesive bioinks exhibiting temporal shear-thinning and stabilization behavior.

3D bioprinting is an attractive technique to fabricate well-organized, cell-laden constructs for tissue repair and disease modeling. Although numerous hydrogel bioinks have been developed, materials are still needed that mimic the cellular microenvironment, have the appropriate viscosity and stabilization for printing, and are cytocompatible. Here, we present a unique gallol-modified extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel ink that is inspired by rapid fruit browning phenomena.

Characteristics of Nasal Septal Cartilage-Derived Progenitor Cells during Prolonged Cultivation.

Objective To produce alternate cell sources for tissue regeneration, human nasal septal cartilage-derived progenitor cells (NSPs) were tested to identify whether these cells meet the criteria of cartilage progenitor cells. We also evaluated the effects of prolonged cultivation on the characteristics of NSPs. Study Design In vitro study.

Combinatorial hydrogels with biochemical gradients for screening 3D cellular microenvironments.

3D microenvironmental parameters control cell behavior, but can be challenging to investigate over a wide range of conditions. Here, a combinatorial hydrogel platform is developed that uses light-mediated thiol-norbornene chemistry to encapsulate cells within hydrogels with biochemical gradients made by spatially varied light exposure. Specifically, mesenchymal stem cells are photoencapsulated in norbornene-modified hyaluronic acid hydrogels functionalized with gradients (0-5 mM) of peptides that mimic cell-cell or cell-matrix interactions, either as single or orthogonal gradients.

Dose and Timing of N-Cadherin Mimetic Peptides Regulate MSC Chondrogenesis within Hydrogels.

The transmembrane glycoprotein N-cadherin (NCad) mediates cell-cell interactions found during mesenchymal condensation and chondrogenesis. Here, NCad-derived peptides (i.e.

Thermosensitive Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) Injectable Hydrogels for Cartilage Tissue Engineering.

Injectable hydrogels have gained prominence in the field of tissue engineering for minimally invasive delivery of cells for tissue repair and in the filling of irregular defects. However, many injectable hydrogels exhibit long gelation times or are not stable for long periods after injection. To address these concerns, we used thermosensitive poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) hydrogels due to their cytocompatibility and fast response to temperature stimuli.

Fibrous Scaffolds with Varied Fiber Chemistry and Growth Factor Delivery Promote Repair in a Porcine Cartilage Defect Model.

Current clinically approved methods for cartilage repair are generally based on either endogenous cell recruitment (e.g., microfracture) or chondrocyte delivery (e.

Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography for determination of the mitral valve area after mitral valve repair surgery for mitral stenosis.

Background: Pressure half-time (PHT) method is usually unreliable for accurate determination of mitral valve area (MVA) immediately after surgical intervention of mitral stenosis (MS). The planimetry method using three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (3D-planimetery method) could enhance accurate determination of the intraoperative MVA. Authors investigated the efficacy of 3D-planimetry method in determining MVA immediately after mitral valve repair procedure (MVRep) for severe mitral stenosis (MS).

Combined spinal-epidural anesthesia using a reduced-dose of spinal bupivacaine and epidural top up leads to faster motor recovery after lower extremity surgeries.

Background: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the anesthetic effect of reduced doses of spinal bupivacaine with epidural top ups in comparison with those of spinal bupivacaine and to determine the adequate doses of drugs used during lower extremity surgeries.

Methods: SIXTY ADULT PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO THREE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE GROUPS: S group (10 mg of spinal bupivacaine), SE1 group (7.5 mg of spinal bupivacaine + epidural 1.