The Usefulness of Carotid Artery Doppler Measurement as a Predictor of Early Death in Sepsis Patients Admitted to the Emergency Department.

This study aims to verify whether the blood flow velocity and the diameter size, measured through intra-carotid artery Doppler measurements performed on sepsis patients visiting the emergency department, are useful as tools for predicting the risk of early death. As a prospective study, this research was performed on sepsis patients who visited a local emergency medical center from August 2021 to February 2023. The sepsis patients' carotid artery was measured using Doppler imaging, and they were divided into patients measured for the size of systolic and diastolic mean blood flow velocity and diameter size: those measured for their qSOFA (quick sequential organ failure assessment) score and those measured using the SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) criteria.

Ultrasonographic features of normal parathyroid glands confirmed during thyroid surgery in adult patients.

Purpose: This study was performed to examine the ultrasonography (US) features of normal parathyroid glands (PTGs) that were identified on preoperative US and subsequently confirmed during thyroid surgery.

Methods: This retrospective study included a consecutive sample of 161 patients (mean±standard deviation age, 56±14 years; 128 women) with 294 normal PTGs identified on preoperative US PTG mapping and confirmed during thyroidectomy. A presumed normal PTG on US was defined as a small, round to oval, hyperechoic structure in the central neck.

Relationship between Serum Total Testosterone Concentration and Metabolic Syndrome in Premenopausal Obese Women.

Background: Men with low testosterone levels are at an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, irrespective of age or obesity. However, the relationship between metabolic syndrome and testosterone levels in women remains unclear. We compared the total testosterone concentrations between premenopausal obese women with and without metabolic syndrome and identified the factors affecting these concentrations.

Use of eye tracking to improve the identification of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood. Although it requires timely detection and intervention, existing continuous performance tests (CPTs) have limited efficacy. Research suggests that eye movement could offer important diagnostic information for ADHD.

US features of normal parathyroid glands: a comparison with metastatic lymph nodes in thyroid cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the ultrasound (US) features of normal parathyroid glands (PTGs) and to evaluate whether normal PTGs can be differentiated from metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) in thyroid cancer.

Methods: This retrospective study included 10 normal PTGs and 95 metastatic LNs from thyroid cancer showing suspicious US features. The echogenicity, echotexture, echogenic foci (calcifications), cystic change, abnormal vascularity, size, shape, and location were retrospectively assessed and compared between normal PTGs and metastatic LNs.

Computerized Version of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (KSADS-COMP): Development and Validation of the Korean Clinician-Administered Version.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate the Korean version of the clinician-administered KSADSCOMP, which is the recently updated, web-based computerized version of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for school-age children (KSADS).

Methods: A total of 71 participants (mean age=12.04±3.

Validation of the Korean self-administered computerized versions of the kiddie schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia for school-age children (KSADS-COMP).

The purpose of the present study was to examine the validity of the Korean version of the parent and youth self-administered versions of the KSADS-COMP (The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for school-age children). To assess the criterion validity of the KSADS-COMP, diagnoses made by the selfadministered KSADS-COMP were compared to the gold-standard diagnoses made by the child-adolescent psychiatrists in 41 participants (mean age=14.93 ± 2.

Epipericardial Fat Necrosis in a Pediatric Patient Diagnosed Using Contrast-Enhanced MRI Findings: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Epipericardial fat necrosis (EPFN) is a relatively rare cause of acute chest pain, with only five pediatric cases having been reported in the English-language medical literature to date. EPFN can be diagnosed based on the clinical symptoms of acute pleuritic chest pain and classic CT features of typically ovoid fatty lesions surrounded by a rim or capsule in the mediastinal or pericardial areas. Previous studies have reported that contrast-enhanced MRI can detect typical fat signal changes in adults with EPFN.

Uterine Artery Embolization as an Effective Management and Diagnostic Tool for Puerperal Uterine Inversion with Severe Postpartum Bleeding: A Case Report.

Acute puerperal uterine inversion is a rare postpartum obstetric complication; however, without rapid diagnosis and appropriate management, it is life-threatening. Substantial bleeding hinders the verification of a partially inverted uterus, possibly delaying the treatment. Herein, we present the report of a 32-year-old female presenting with massive postpartum bleeding managed by uterine artery embolization.

Long-term methylphenidate use for children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and risk for depression, conduct disorder, and psychotic disorder: a nationwide longitudinal cohort study in South Korea.

Background: Methylphenidate (MPH) is the most frequently prescribed medication for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the safety of its long-term use remain unclear. In particular, real-world evidence of long-term MPH treatment regarding the risk of depression, conduct disorders, and psychotic disorders in children and adolescents is needed.

Lower-Income Predicts Increased Smartphone Use and Problematic Behaviors Among Schoolchildren During COVID-19 Related School Modification: A Longitudinal Study.

Background: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has continued for a couple of years, the long-term effects of the pandemic and the subsequent school curriculum modification on the mental health of children and parents need to be investigated. To clarify the changes that can occur during one school year and to predict the risk factors for vulnerable groups, this study identified parameters relative to children's screen time, their problematic behavior, and parental depression.

Methods: A total of 186 participants were analyzed who were parents of elementary schoolchildren in South Korea.

Parental Mental Health and Children's Behaviors and Media Usage during COVID-19-Related School Closures.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is different from previous disasters in that it continues to the present and has affected all aspects of family life. During epidemics, psychosocial support is not less important than infection control. During COVID-19-related school closures, prolonged partial closures of schools could have detrimental social and health consequences for children and may increase the burden on the family.

Brief Screening for Four Mental Illnesses of the Elderly in Community Mental Health Services: the BS4MI-Elderly.

Objective: Early detection and proper management of mental illness can help to prevent severe deterioration. However, with limited financial and human resources of community mental health services, it is not practical to carry out all conventional screening tools simultaneously. In this study, we aimed to develop and validate a brief but comprehensive screening questionnaire for four common mental illnesses of the elderly.

Effect of Omega-3 and Korean Red Ginseng on Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: An Open-Label Pilot Study.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of omega-3 and Korean red ginseng on improving attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and cognitive function in children with ADHD.

Methods: A total of 40 children aged 6 to 12 years diagnosed with ADHD participated in this open-label trial. Participants received daily supplements containing 500 mg of omega-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid, 294 mg; docosahexaenoic acid, 206 mg) and 3 mg of Korean red ginseng extract (combination of ginsenoside Rg1, Rb1, and Rg3) for 12 weeks.

Association of Fasting Glucose Level with Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio Compared to Leukocyte Count and Serum C-Reactive Protein.

Background: The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is often used as an inflammatory marker in chronic diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular diseases. However, there are few studies about the association between the NLR and diabetes mellitus (DM) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG) patients in Korea. This study investigated the association between the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level and NLR in Koreans.

Relationship between coronary atherosclerosis in coronary computed tomography angiography and serum vitamin D level.

Objectives: Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to influence the development of some cardiovascular disease. In this study, the association between the existence of coronary artery plaque and vitamin D was examined among participants who were not previously diagnosed with coronary artery disease.

Methods: A total of 339 participants (246 men and 93 women) who visited a health examination center for check-up including blood test for serum vitamin D level and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) were selected for this study.

Thermo-mechanical fractionation of yellow poplar sawdust with a low reaction severity using continuous twin screw-driven reactor for high hemicellulosic sugar recovery.

Yellow poplar sawdust (YPS), a wood waste that can be easily collected from a local furniture factory, was fractionated using continuous twin screw-driven reactor for high hemicellulosic sugar recovery. The highest total sugar yields were attained under the following conditions: a barrel temperature of 127°C, sulfuric acid concentration of 0.8wt%, liquid feeding rate of 25mL/min, solid feeding rate of 2.

Comparison of hemicellulose extracts from two pulping woodchips with green liquor followed by scale-up pre-hemicellulose extraction.

This study investigates the effects of different pre-pulping extraction conditions on two types of raw material, hardwood oak chips and softwood pine chips. The chips were air-dried, and 2-g samples were extracted in a Dionex ASE-200 with alkaline solutions of a partially recovered form of kraft pulping liquor called green liquor (GL). The GL was applied at different alkali charges of 0-5 % on dry wood weight.