Characterization of a G11,P[4] strain of human rotavirus isolated in South Korea

A novel human rotavirus strain, CUK-1, containing a G11 type combined with a P[4] type was isolated from a 1-year-old female patient with fever and severe diarrhea at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital in Incheon, South Korea. This CUK-1 strain showed the highest degree of nucleic acid similarity (98.7% and 93%) to G11 Dhaka6 and P[4] RV 5, respectively. This novel combined type of CUK-1 rotavirus strain (G11,P[4]) was uncovered from humans and is reported on here for the first time.     

Durability improvement of polymer chamber of pulsatile extracorporeal life support system in terms of mechanical change

Twin Pulse Life Support, T-PLS™ has received the CE mark (2003) and Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) approval (2004) for short-term application as an Extracorporeal Life Support system (ECLS). T-PLS’s original intention was to apply for not only short-term but also long-term application such as Extracorporeal ventricular assist device (VAD). Hence, a long-term durability test was conducted. The 1-year reliability of the systems tested in this study did not meet the STS/ASAIO standard of 80% reliability with 60% confidence for a 1-year mission life. However, without the disposable units, which are only designed to operate for 6 h, the 1-year reliability exceeded the STS/ASAIO standard of 80% reliability with 60% confidence. In this study, by using the existing analysis methods and analyzing the root cause of the failure used by a numerical analysis. As eliminating or mitigating of the root cause of the failure, we improved the durability of blood chamber and evaluated the performance of the modified system via the hemolysis test.     

Health service utilization,unmet healthcare needs,and the potential of telemedicine services among Korean expatriates

Background

With the significant growth of migration and expatriation, facilitated by increased global mobility, the number of Koreans living abroad as of 2016 is approximately 7.4 million (15% of the Korean population). Healthcare utilization or health problems, especially among expatriates in developing countries, have not been well researched despite the various health risks these individuals are exposed to. Consequently, we identified the health utilization patterns and healthcare needs among Korean expatriates in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Uzbekistan.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey examined 429 Korean expatriates living in Vietnam (n?=?208), Cambodia (n?=?60), and Uzbekistan (n?=?161) who had access to the Internet and were living abroad for at least 6?months. A 67-item questionnaire was used, and feedback was received via an online survey program. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate factors associated with unmet healthcare needs and preferences of certain type of telemedicine.

Results

We found that 45.5% (195/429) of respondents had used medical services in their country of stay. Among those who visited health institutions >?3 times, the most popular choice was general hospitals (39.4%, 15/38); however, they initially visited Korean doctors’ or local doctors’ offices. The most essential criteria for healthcare service facilities was a “skilled professional” (39.3%, 169/429), 42% wanted a health program for chronic disease management, and 30% wanted specialized internal medicine. A substantial number wanted to access telemedicine services and were willing to pay for this service. They were particularly interested in experts’ second opinion (61.5%, 264/429) and quick, 24-h medical consultations (60.8%, 261/429). Having unmet healthcare needs and being younger was strongly associated with all types of telemedicine networks.

Conclusions

Nearly half of the expatriates in developing countries had unmet healthcare needs. Telemedicine is one potential solution to meet these needs, especially in developing countries.

     

Radiological patterns of secondary sclerosing cholangitis in patients after lung transplantation

Abdominal Radiology - The purpose of this study was to investigate the radiological patterns of secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC) following lung transplantation. Fifty-five patients underwent...     

Localized esophageal ulcerations after CyberKnife treatment for metastatic hepatic tumor of colon cancer.

CyberKnife is an image-guided robotic system designed for stereotactic radiosurgery. It uses the combination of robotics and image guidance to deliver concentrated and accurate beams of radiation to intracranial and extracranial targets. Although the frameless nature of the CyberKnife allows tumors in the chest and abdomen to be treated as well, complications associated with CyberKnife treatment have not been established yet due to its short clinical experience. We describe a case of localized esophageal ulcerations after CyberKnife treatment for metastatic hepatic tumor of colon cancer.     

Diuretic Use and Risk of Vertebral Fracture in Women

Background

Vertebral fracture is the most common type of osteoporotic fracture. While thiazide diuretics, which are commonly prescribed for the treatment of hypertension, decrease calciuria, they may also induce hyponatremia, which has been associated with increased vertebral fracture risk. Loop diuretics increase calciuria, which would reduce bone mineral density and increase vertebral fracture risk, but they rarely cause hyponatremia. Recent studies on diuretics and fractures did not include or specifically examine vertebral fracture. The few studies of diuretics and vertebral fracture have been limited by cases defined by self-report or administrative data, relatively small number of cases, study design that was not prospective, and lack of long-term follow-up with updated information on diuretic use.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study of thiazide diuretic use, loop diuretic use, and risk of incident clinical vertebral fracture in 55,780 women, 55-82 years of age, participating in the Nurses' Health Study, without a prior history of any fracture. Diuretic use was assessed by questionnaire every 4 years. Self-reported vertebral fracture was confirmed by medical record review. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to simultaneously adjust for potential confounders.

Results

Our analysis included 420 incident vertebral fracture cases documented between 2002 and 2012. The multivariate-adjusted relative risk of clinical vertebral fracture for women taking thiazides compared with women not taking thiazides was 1.47 (95% confidence interval, 1.18-1.85). The multivariate adjusted relative risk of vertebral fracture for women taking loop diuretics compared with women not taking loop diuretics was 1.59 (95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.25).

Conclusion

Thiazide diuretics and loop diuretics are each independently associated with increased risk of vertebral fracture in women.