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Background: Women with COVID-19 experienced numerous concerns and doubts about the safety of breastfeeding their babies, and lack of support may have impacted breastfeeding practices. This study aims to compare breastfeeding beliefs, practices, and contact with healthcare professionals regarding the level of postnatal feeding support provided during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Methods: A multi-country cross-sectional study was conducted with postnatal women in five countries. Women up to six months postpartum were invited to complete an online survey concerning the transmission of preventative measures, beliefs toward breastfeeding, infant feeding practices in the last 24 hours and experiences of postnatal infant feeding support between July to November 2021. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the association. Results: Of the 3,253 eligible responses received, 39.5% of children were aged between one and two months, but in Taiwan (36%) and South Korea (42.8%) they were between three and four months. The mean of the belief score was significantly different among countries (p < 0.0001). Women in Brazil and the UK had a higher rate of breastfeeding at the breast (90.7% and 85.4%, respectively) compared to the three Asian countries (p < 0.0001) while feeding with expressed breastmilk in Thailand (59.9%), Taiwan (52.6%), and South Korea (50.4%) was higher than the others (p < 0.0001). Brazil and UK mothers (mean = 16.0 and 14.5 respectively) had a higher mean score for belief toward breastfeeding during the COVID-19 than the others. These results are inversely associated with breastfeeding but positively related to formula feeding practice. Postnatal feeding support during the COVID-19 pandemic was mainly provided by healthcare professionals (67.1%) and peers / family through face-to-face personal contact (51.6%) in all countries. Conclusion: Some differences were found in breastfeeding beliefs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Asian countries. A positive breastfeeding belief was associated with the practice of breastfeeding at the breast. Women from all countries received postpartum infant feeding support from health professionals and peers / family through personal contacts. Governments need to emphasize and disseminate the importance of breastfeeding safety, especially in Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Thyroid dysfunction is associated with the loss of bone density (osteoporosis). However, the connection between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and osteoporosis remains controversial. This study found no apparent association between subclinical hypothyroidism or subclinical hyperthyroidism and bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine and femur. Introduction: The present study examined the relationship between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and BMD in healthy middle-aged adults. Methods: A total of 25,510 healthy Koreans with normal free thyroxine levels were enrolled from January 2011 to December 2016, and 91% of subjects visited only once. The average age of the 15,761 women was 45, and the average age of the 9749 men was 48. Levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and BMD were recorded in all subjects. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results: No apparent association was found between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and BMD in the lumbar spine, femur-neck, and proximal femur sites compared with a euthyroid group. Age, body mass index (BMI), and postmenopausal status affected BMD in women, and only BMI affected BMD in men. Subclinical hypothyroidism was independently associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis (odds ratio 0.657, 95% confidence interval 0.464–0.930) in 4710 postmenopausal women. Conclusions: No apparent association was found between subclinical hypothyroidism or subclinical hyperthyroidism defined on single TSH measurement and BMD at the lumbar spine and femur in a large cohort of middle-aged men and women. Subclinical hypothyroidism was independently associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-specific analyses of 5 types of domestic reactors in Korea are performed to assure the structural integrity of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) during transients which are expected to initiate pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events. The failure probability of the RPV due to FFS is obtained by performing probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis. The through-wall cracking frequency is calculated and compared to the acceptance criterion. Considering the fluence at the end of life expected by surveillance test, the sufficient safety margin is expected for the structural integrity of all reactor pressure vessels except for the oldest one during the pressurized thermal shock events. If the flaw with aspect ratio of 1/12 is considered to eliminate the conservatism, the acceptance criteria is not exceeded for all plants until the fluence level of 8 x 1019 n/cm², generating sufficient margin beyond the design life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background D3 lymph node dissection or complete mesocolic excision (CME) with central vascular ligation (CVL) is becoming standard procedure in advanced right colon cancer with increasing evidences of its oncologic benefit. However, clear indication has not been declared and evidences to lighten the undetermined area is not satisfactory yet. There is still a controversy whether D3 lymph node dissection is necessary in clinical stage I right colon cancer. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical stage I right colon cancer patients who underwent radical surgery in three Korea university hospitals from January 2015 to June 2018. We compared surgical complications and short-term oncologic outcome between D2 and D3 lymph node dissections in clinical stage I right colon cancer patients. Results 602 patients had radical surgery for right colon cancer in the study period and the number of clinical stage I patients was 125 (20.8%). Among 125 patients, D2 lymph node dissection was done in 86 patients (68.8%) and 39 patients underwent D3 lymph node dissection. There was no statistically significant differences in clinicopathologic variables and surgical outcomes between two groups. Up-stagings were found in 15 patients (38.5%) in D3 group and 18 patients (20.9%) in D2 group. There were four recurrences in D2 lymph node dissection group but no recurrences in D3 group. Log-rank test was performed and there was no statistically significant difference in recurrence-free survival rate between two groups (p = 0.2). Conclusions There was no significant difference in recurrence-free survival rate between D2 and D3 lymph node dissection in clinical stage I right colon cancer patients. But recurrences had occurred in D2 group. Efforts to make clinical staging more accurate is required and more studies with better quality are needed. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nation cancer screening program is provided to all population who reached a certain age in Korea. Also individualized cancer screening also widely conducted in private screening units. The harms associated with cancer screening have rarely been reported. Moreover there have been few studies on the psychological effects associated with cancer screening. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the psychological effects occurring in thyroid cancer screening which is frequently conducted in Korea. We evaluate the validity and reliability of developing measuring tools. Methods: The psychological effects on cancer screening were classified into 3 domains (quality of life, stress response and anxiety) through the review of previous studies and expert discussion. Four assessment tools were selected for measuring quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), stress level (PSS, SRI), anxiety level (GAD-7). We conducted 2-step of survey. First step was conducted on the day of cancer screening. And second step survey was conducted after reporting cancer screening results. Inclusion criteria of participation is subjects who received thyroid cancer screening for the first time or who has not had thyroid cancer screening for the past 3 years. Based on the survey results, the final assessment tool for psychological effect of thyroid cancer screening was developed through the second expert meeting. The final assessment tool was verified the reliability and the validity through 2-step surveys before and after screening. Results: The new Assessment tool for Psychological Effect of Cancer Screening (APECS) was developed in 4 domains (quality of life, stress-anxiety level, stress responses, and thyroid cancer screening related psychological problems). A total of 143 patients were surveyed on the day of thyroid cancer screening using the developed assessment tool. Second survey was conducted for 99 patients who visited the hospital for counseling the screening results. Test-retest reliability showed high internal consistency with 0.859, P < 0.001, and Cronbach's alpha showed high value with 0.918 in all domains. The reliability of the stress-reaction level domain was the highest in the all domains (0.878). Factor analysis identified 5 factors, including quality of life, stress-anxiety level/response, and thyroid cancer screening–related psychological problems domain were combined. Conclusion: Both of reliability and validity of the newly developed assessment tool for psychological effect of thyroid cancer screening were measured high in all domains. In the future, a strategy for minimizing psychological harms could be suggested from the results of a large scale survey with the new assessment tool on the psychological impact of thyroid cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer treatments have negative physical and socio-emotional consequences. Understanding which problems cancer patients are suffering and their quality of life (QOL) status is therefore important. Aim: This study aimed to describe how cancer patients reported their QOL and factors associated therewith. Methods: A total of 689 cancer patients aged ≥ 19 were selected from the Korea National and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), 2007-2015. HRQOL was measured using the five dimensions and summary index (ranges from 0 to 1) of the EuroQOL-5 (EQ-5D). Higher index score and less problems reported in dimensions indicates better QOL status. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the probability of cancer patient reporting problem in QOL dimensions. Statistical analyses were adjusted for sample weights. Result: Of 689 participants, mean age was 57.7 ± 0.67, 47.9% were male, 80.4% lived in urban area. 29.3% had hypertension and 15.3% had arthritis as comorbidity. Mean EQ-5D index score was 0.898 ± 0.007; higher score was noted in 19-65 age group (0.932 ± 0.007), living in urban area (0.906 ± 0.008), living in apartment (0.926 ± 0.008), male gender (0.912 ± 0.011), higher income, higher education level and more comorbidities (P < 0.05). Participants reported more problems in pain or discomfort (34.09%), followed by mobility (24.91%) and usual activities (19.72%). Less problems were recorded in depression (17.37%) and self-care (8.04%). Patients with two or more comorbidities experienced higher chance of reporting problems in mobility, usual activity and self-care (aOR 4.01, 3.11 and 2.82 respectively, P < 0.05). Older age group was associated with higher chance of reporting problems in all QOL dimensions. Female cancer patients experienced higher chance of reporting problems in pain/discomfort and depression/anxiety (aOR 2.11 and 2.18 respectively, P < 0.05). Conclusion: More than one third of Korean adult cancer patients reported moderate or severe level of pain and discomfort. Older age, female gender and having two or more comorbidities were factors associated with lower QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]