Association of COVID-19 Vaccination Status With Hospitalization and Illness Severity Among Pregnant Women: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in South Korea.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination rates among pregnant women were notably lower due to concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness. We investigated the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on hospitalization and illness severity due to COVID-19 among pregnant women. Data were obtained from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's COVID-19 National Health Insurance Service cohort, including 2,235 pregnant women and 6,733 nonpregnant women (1:3 matched) infected with COVID-19 between October 2020 and December 2021.

Lifestyle factors and health outcomes associated with infertility in women: A case-control study using National Health Insurance Database.

Background: Approximately one in six people is experiencing infertility at some point in their lives. In response, health insurance coverage for infertility treatments has been strengthened. However, studies examining lifestyle factors that affect infertility remain lacking, highlighting the need to generate objective evidence to address infertility issues using national-level datasets.

Diverse bat organoids provide pathophysiological models for zoonotic viruses.

Bats are important reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens, but suitable model systems for comprehensively exploring host-pathogen interactions and assessing spillover risks remain limited. To address this gap, we developed a collection of bat organoid models spanning five species and four organ types. This multispecies, multiorgan organoid panel showed species- and tissue-specific replication patterns for several viruses, offering robust pathophysiological models for studying respiratory, renal, and enteric zoonotic viruses.

Comparing continuity of care before and after disability registration: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Persons with disabilities often encounter barriers in accessing healthcare services. However, research on the impact of disability on the continuity of care (COC) remains limited. We assessed the changes in COC among disabled individuals to monitor alterations in their healthcare accessibility.

Re-Evaluation of ELISA for the Detection of Bovine Tuberculosis and a New Proposal for Its Use in Eradication Efforts on Outbreak Farms.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a zoonotic infectious disease and a chronic wasting illness. Accordingly, detecting and eradicating bTB remains a significant challenge in South Korea. This study evaluated the efficacy of a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) protocol for detecting bTB in cattle.

Status and factors related to hemoglobin concentration of people with vs. without disability-using nationwide claims check-up database.

Background: Blood hemoglobin level is a key indicator of organ function and health status throughout the life course. As hemoglobin-related health problems are gaining attention, many studies on factors related to hemoglobin concentration are being conducted, yet few researches have been conducted targeting persons with disabilities. Furthermore, researches that consider the association between blood hemoglobin and the regional level health welfare resources are rare.

Disparities in periodontitis risk and healthcare use among individuals with disabilities in Korea: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: We analyzed the relationship between disability status and periodontal disease, focusing on disparities in healthcare utilisation, including outpatient visits and hospitalisation rates, among disability types and severities.

Methods: This study used data from the National Health Insurance Service(NHIS) of Korea, which includes comprehensive records of the insured population. We examined 966,200 individuals with disabilities, grouped into five categories, and applied propensity score matching to compare with a matched control population.

Inequities in cardiovascular risk and lifestyle factors among individuals with developmental disabilities: evidence from Korea's national health screening program.

Significant gaps persist in the awareness and understanding of the health challenges faced by individuals with developmental disabilities. This study aims to examine health disparities among individuals with developmental disabilities in South Korea, focusing on cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, and lifestyle factors like physical activity, smoking, and drinking behaviors. We analyzed data from the National General Health Screening Program for 2019 and 2020, including a sample of 17,012 persons with disabilities and 5,623,993 persons without disabilities.

Disparities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage and risk factors among individuals with disabilities.

Background: Vaccination is a crucial strategy in responding to infectious diseases. We investigated the COVID-19 vaccination coverage among people with disabilities compared to people without disabilities. We identified risk factors of under-vaccination and vulnerable subgroups.

Seasonal Dynamics of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Republic of Korea.

Tick-borne diseases are a public health problem and a significant burden on the livestock industry. The seasonal abundance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens strongly correlates with the prevalence of these diseases. To investigate the seasonal variation in ticks and tick-borne pathogens, ticks were collected from Gangwon State, Korea, and the tick-borne pathogens , , , and were examined.

Regional-level Indicators for Chronic Diseases of People with Disabilities: Findings from a Modified Delphi Study.

Maintaining health cannot be achieved individually; it is influenced by social, legal, and institutional factors surrounding the individuals. This study aimed to identify regional-level factors that may influence the occurrence of chronic diseases among people with disabilities. To achieve this, we conducted a Delphi survey with experts to identify a set of regional indicators required for studying the health status of people with disabilities, particularly for predicting the occurrence of chronic diseases.

Factors Associated With Pregnancy and Childbirth Among Married Couples: A Longitudinal Analysis Using the 2012-2018 Korean Health Panel.

Introduction: South Korea is experiencing a demographic paradox of the lowest birth rate worldwide with the longest life expectancy. Many studies on pregnancy and childbirth primarily focused on women's factors, often overlooking the contribution of both spouses. However, men also play a vital role in creating an environment for bearing and raising children.

Structure-based molecular characterization of a putative aspartic proteinase from Bacteroides fragilis.

Bacteroides fragilis resides in mammals and human intestines and secrete series of proteins and molecules outside that cause various diseases such as colon cancer and chronic colitis in the host. B. fragilis has been shown to produce numerous proteins to the infected cell surface which are involved in host colonization, microbial interactions, and pathogenicity.

Disability-related disparities in health outcomes among newly diagnosed diabetic patients: A retrospective cohort.

Background: A distinct gap in the literature persists regarding the health outcome of individuals with Type 2 diabetes who also have disabilities. This study aimed to investigate potential disparities in events occurrence among diabetes patients across various disability stages.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on patients newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2013 and 2014, aged ≥ 18 years, and followed them until December 2021, using data from the Korean National Health Insurance database.

Morphological studies of fly puparia (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in the soil from a Joseon Dynasty grave in Korea.

Archaeoentomological investigations were conducted on soil contents from a grave belonging to the Joseon Dynasty as part of the Urban Environment Maintenance Project (UEMP) in Cheongjin 12-16 dong (districts), Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea, from December 01, 2008 to February 19, 2011. A total of 28 insect puparia with hard shells of the common green bottle fly Lucilia sericata were identified in the soil. Evidence suggested that the corpse was placed outside for some days instead of being buried immediately after death.

The Impact of Visual Impairment on Healthcare Use among Four Medical Institution Types: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study in Korea.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of visual impairment (VI) onset on the use of healthcare services across four types of institutions in South Korea.

Materials And Methods: We utilized data from the National Health Insurance Service database from 2006 to 2015 for 714 persons who experienced VI onset in 2009-2012 and for 2856 matched persons for a 1:4 ratio of matching controls. We compared trends in healthcare use and expenditures for eye diseases at clinics, hospitals, general hospitals, and tertiary teaching hospitals using 3 years of data prior to and after the onset of VI.

Decomposing Disability Inequality in Unmet Healthcare Needs and Preventable Hospitalizations: An Analysis of the Korea Health Panel.

This study examines the inequality between people with and without disabilities regarding unmet healthcare needs and preventable hospitalization. We used the Korea Health Panel of 2016-2018; the final analytical observations were 43,512, including 6.95% of persons with disabilities.

Metabarcoding of bacteria and parasites in the gut of Apodemus agrarius.

Background: The striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius is a wild rodent commonly found in fields in Korea. It is a known carrier of various pathogens. Amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene is the most common technique used to analyze the bacterial microbiome.

Antimicrobial peptides β-defensin family: Expression and regulation in the endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in pigs.

Members of the β-defensin (DEFB) family, which are antimicrobial peptides and humoral components of the innate immune system, protect the surfaces of various host tissues by killing a broad range of microorganisms and are involved in immunomodulatory actions. The expression of these DEFB members changed during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in a stage-specific manner. The expression of DEFBs was also detected in conceptus and chorioallantoic tissues during pregnancy.

Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake among adults with disabilities in Korea.

Background: Previous research on vaccination among people with disabilities has focused on children or adolescents.

Objective: To examine variations in seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) uptake according to disability type and age group and explore the vulnerable groups and risk factors of non-vaccination to identify areas of policy support in Korea.

Methods: This pooled cross-sectional study included adults who participated in the 2011, 2014, and 2017 National Survey of Persons with Disabilities.

Effect of the age of visual impairment onset on employment outcomes in South Korea: analysis of the national survey on persons with disabilities data.

Background: Opportunities for paid employment provide meaningful ways for those with disabilities to participate in society and achieve financial independence. Although the onset age of disabilities can alter individuals' attitudes toward accepting their disabilities and their desire for work, the lack of data limits relevant empirical research. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the onset age on employment, job security (permanent vs.

Development of a Real-Time Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay for the Rapid Detection of African Swine Fever Virus Genotype I and II.

African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease in pigs and wild boars which poses a major threat to the pig industry. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is necessary to control ASF. Hence, we developed a rapid diagnostic method using a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay targeting the conserved sequences of CP204L (p30) thatcan rapidly detect ASF virus (ASFV) genotype strains I and II.