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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.Results: The echogenicity of normal PTGs was significantly different from that of metastatic LNs (P

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±3.86 years, female=29.57%) participated in the study. A child-adolescent psychiatrist established a diagnosis for the participant after a thorough psychiatric interview with the participant and the parent. Researchers who were blind to the diagnoses administered the clinician-administered KSADS-COMP to the parents and participants. The gold-standard diagnoses made by child-adolescent psychiatrists were compared to the current diagnoses generated by the clinician-administered KSADS-COMP. Percent agreement, Cohen’s Kappa, Gwet’s first-order agreement coefficient (AC1), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated.Results Gwet’s AC1, our preferred measure of agreement, showed excellent range between 0.78 and 1. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value and negative predictive value also showed high scores.Conclusion The current study demonstrated excellent criterion validity of the Korean version of the clinician-administered KSADSCOMP, though the small sample size could be a limitation. The current study was the first study to examine the criterion validity of the KSADS-COMP. Due to its readily usable format and efficient and accurate diagnostic process, widely-use of KSADS-COMP is expected.

Background Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is related to depressive disorder, and adolescents with both present poor outcomes. However, evidence for the safety of concomitantly using a methylphenidate (MPH) and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) among adolescent ADHD patients is limited, a literature gap aimed to address through this investigation. Methods We conducted a new-user cohort study using a nationwide claims database in South Korea. We identified a study population as adolescents who were diagnosed both ADHD and depressive disorder. MPH-only users were compared with patients who prescribed both a SSRI and a MPH. Fluoxetine and escitalopram users were also compared to find a preferable treatment option. Thirteen outcomes including neuropsychiatric, gastrointestinal, and other events were assessed, taking respiratory tract infection as a negative control outcome. We matched the study groups using a propensity score and used the Cox proportional hazard model to calculate the hazard ratio. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted in various epidemiologic settings. Results The risks of all the outcomes between the MPH-only and SSRI groups were not significantly different. Regarding SSRI ingredients, the risk of tic disorder was significantly lower in the fluoxetine group than the escitalopram group [HR 0.43 (0.25–0.71)]. However, there was no significant difference in other outcomes between the fluoxetine and escitalopram groups. Conclusion The concomitant use of MPHs and SSRIs showed generally safe profiles in adolescent ADHD patients with depression. Most of the differences between fluoxetine and escitalopram, except those concerning tic disorder, were not significant.

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 ± 2.16 years, female=41.46 %). Gwet's first order agreement coefficient (AC1) concordance ratings showed moderate to good range. The present study shows promising validity of the Korean self-administered versions of the KSADS-COMP in Korean youths.

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of fractionated two types herbaceous biomass (kenaf and miscanthus) by dilute acid, organosolv, alkaline, or demineralization process was carried out under ethanol water co-solvent at 350 °C for 30 min to examine the biocrude yield and characteristics. The biocrude properties were comprehensively characterized by HPLC, elemental, GC-MS, and TGA analysis. Fractionation technologies before HTL effectively increased biocrude yield up to 38% compared to that of untreated herbaceous biomass (31%), except for organosolv fractionation of miscanthus, especially, HTL after alkaline fractionation showed high yield and energy recovery ratio up to 70%. Elemental analysis showed that HHV of biocrude was negatively affected by hydrolysis reaction of high lignin content after dilute acid fractionation. The GC-MS analysis revealed that carbohydrates-derived compound significantly increased in the biocrude obtained after organosolv and alkaline fractionation due to holocellulose increases through fractionation process. Additionally, TGA results indicated that the ratio of high-boiling-point compounds in biocrude obtained after demineralization was expanded compared with untreated due to ash removal, which could act as a catalyst.

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.Methods The brief screening for four mental illnesses of elderly (BS4MI-elderly) is a 14-item binary response questionnaire that covers dementia, depressive disorder, sleep disorder, and hwa-byung. To test validity, we compared conventional scale scores for three groups of participants classified using the BS4MI-elderly. The sensitivity, specificity, predictive value of positive test, likelihood ratio of positive test and internal consistency of the BS4MI-elderly were assessed. Finally, a correlation analysis between the BS4MI-elderly and general mental health scales was conducted.Results A total of 254 participants aged over 65 years were recruited. The BS4MI-elderly showed moderate to high sensitivity for the test that distinguishes the normal group from the risk and disorder groups (dementia: 0.61, depressive disorder: 0.88, sleep disorder: 0.85, hwa-byung: 0.94) and high specificity for the test that distinguishes the disorder group from the normal and risk groups (dementia: 0.91, depressive disorder: 0.93, hwa-byung: 0.84, sleep disorder: 0.84). The BS4MI-elderly also exhibited good internal consistency and significant correlations with general mental health scales.Conclusion The BS4MI-elderly, a brief but comprehensive screening tool, could be a useful instrument for screening the elderly in community mental health services.

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.A total of 186 participants were analyzed who were parents of elementary schoolchildren in South Korea. These parents were required to complete a web-based questionnaire twice. The questionnaires were conducted in June 2020 and September 2021. Participants' general demographics including family income, children's screen time, sleep patterns, problematic behavior, and parental depression were assessed via the parental questionnaire that included various measurement tools.Children's body mass index (BMI) increased significantly in 2021 (18.94 ± 3.75 vs. 18.14 ± 3.30,This study suggested that children's smartphone screen time and BMI increased during COVID-19 because of the school curriculum modification following school closures in South Korea. The increased children's problematic behaviors and parental depression were predicted by lower-income households and the previous psychiatric history of children. These results indicate that multiple social support systems to the vulnerable group are needed during the ongoing pandemic and that a modified school setting is required.

Ethanol organosolv (EO) fractionation is a promising technology for producing high-purity lignin from kenaf, a lignocellulosic biomass. However, EO fractionation could not be used for the hemicellulose fraction because of the removal of hemicellulose into black liquor, which is a major drawback. Dilute hydrochloric acid (DHA) fractionation prior to EO fractionation has been proposed as a strategy to overcome this problem. In this study, the hemicellulose fraction of kenaf was maximally fractioned using 0.5% (w/w) HCl at 145 °C for 60 min. Subsequently, the non-washed and dried fibers, the cellulose-lignin fraction, were also fractionated to extract lignin using 60% (v/v) ethanol at 180 °C for 60 min through an optimization process. In each fractionation process, hemicellulose and lignin were removed at 86.11 and 68.86 % from untreated kenaf, respectively. Thus, DHA and EO fractionations are effective procedures to separate the lignin (94.73% purity) and hemicellulosic hydrolysate (19.65 g/L sugar) fractions in addition to cellulose-rich solid (glucan content 80.05%).

Background This study aimed to find out the change in the rate and pattern of suicide attempts during severe acute respiratory syndrome COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods This study was a retrospective analysis of data collected as a part of an emergency room-based post-suicide management program. The data were collected through interviews and from medical records of suicide attempts, maintained in the emergency room, from January 19 to October 31, 2020, during the “COVID-19 period,” and those who attempted suicide from January 19 to October 31, 2019 “pre-COVID-19 period.” We extracted educational background, marital status, occupation, presence of domestic partner, history of mental illness, alcohol consumption, history of previous suicide attempts; suicide attempt method and location (i.e., at home or a place other than home) at the time of attempt, and whether the attempt was a mass suicide. In addition, we compared patient severity between “COVID-19 period” and “pre-COVID-19 period” using the initial KTAS (South Korean triage and acuity scale) level, consciousness level, and systolic blood pressure. In 2012, KTAS was developed through the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s research project to establish triage system in South Korea. Results The analysis of the number of suicide attempts during “pre-COVID-19 period” and “ COVID-19 period” showed that the number of suicide attempts during “COVID-19 period” (n = 440) increased compared to the “pre-COVID-19 period” (n = 400). Moreover, the method of suicide attempts during “COVID-19 period” included overdose of drugs such as hypnotics, antipsychotics, and pesticides that were already possessed by the patient increased compared to the “pre-COVID-19 period” (P Conclusion With the worldwide COVID-19 virus spread, suicide rate and suicide attempts at home have significantly increased. In addition, patient severity was higher in the “COVID-19 period” than that in the “pre-COVID-19 period.” The increasing suicide attempt rate should be controlled by cooperation between the emergency room and regional organizations.

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. Based on a community sample in Korea, this study identified parental concerns, children's media usage, other various factors and examined whether parental stress level or depression were positively associated with problem behaviors, media exposure, and sleep problems of the primary school children during school closure under COVID-19. Methods Participants were 217 parents residing in Suwon, South Korea, who had primary school children and responded to a web-based questionnaire on parental concerns from school closure under COVID-19, subjective stress, depression, whether having received mental health services, and family characteristics; children's sleep patterns, problem behaviors, media usage during the online-only class period, and changes in activity level following the pandemic. Results During school closure, children gained body weight, spent less time in physical activities and more in media usage. Besides online learning content (97.2%), YouTube was highly used content (87.6%), and games followed (78.3%). Parental subjective stress index was highly associated with parental depression (Pearson correlation 0.439, P < 0.001), children's sleep problems (0.283, P < 0.001), tablet time (0.171, P = 0.012) and behavior problems (0.413, P < 0.001). Parental depression was associated with children's sleep problems (0.355, P < 0.001), TV time (0.153, P = 0.024), tablet time (0.159, P = 0.019), and behavior problems (0.524, P < 0.001). Parents who previously received mental services seemed to be more concerned about the problems their children already have getting worse because of COVID-19 than the disease itself. Children's sleep problem was associated with tablet (0.172, P = 0.011) and smartphone time (0.298, P < 0.001), but not its frequency. Conclusion During COVID-19-related school closures, many parents and children had various difficulties relating to mental health. Ongoing monitoring of mental health of high-risk groups and multiple support systems may need to be expanded to cover those parents having difficulty in caring for their children., Graphical Abstract

This study aimed to investigate whether (1) depression is associated with cognitive decline in Korean older adults and (2) the relationship between depression and cognitive function varies by gender. Using Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging data of 2006 to 2014, we studied 1787 adults aged 65 years or older who had normal cognitive function at baseline. This study examined the effects of depression on cognitive decline by using an interaction term of baseline depression and time, and compared relationships by gender. Among male participants, K-MMSE (Korean-Mini-Mental Status Examination) scores decreased with age, at an annual rate of approximately 0.465 points. Baseline depression was found to accelerate the decline in cognitive function, by approximately 0.184 points per year. Among female participants, K-MMSE scores decreased with age, at an annual rate of approximately 0.585 points. Baseline depression was not related to the decline in cognitive function. These results suggest the need for community-based programs to increase awareness of mental health problems need to be developed to encourage the use of health services to prevent or delay cognitive decline in older Korean males.

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 2.0g/min, screw rotation speed of 25rpm, and residence time of 14.5min. The glucan and hemicellulose contents of the CTSR-fractionated YPS were 47.8% and 10.4%, respectively, and these results indicated that 44.9% of cellulose and 76.3% of the hemicellulose were extracted into liquid hydrolyzate. Meanwhile, the batch fractionation of YPS at the same reaction conditions showed a little fractionation effect, i.e., only 20.5% of hemicellulosic sugar yield was obtained.